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WALTER SPURGEON BEACH 
spots began to appear. The plant used seemed to retain its full vigor 
notwithstanding the rather unusual conditions provided in the experiment. 
The infection of Scrophularia marilandica secured without these special 
conditions was slight. When the fungus was transferred back to Verhascum 
blattaria, the original host, there was heavy infection, though the inoculated 
plant was inclosed no more than two days. 
The disease spots formed upon Scrophularia marilandica were essen- 
tially like those upon Verbascum blattaria. Upon either host the central 
area of the spots was ashen in color, while the border was reddish-brown to 
purplish. Under humid conditions a dull green zone appeared outside the 
reddish-brown ring, indicating the destruction of new tissue by the en- 
croaching fungus, or the entire area of the spot would be dull green to black. 
This latter phenomenon was to be seen chiefly upon the original host. 
Pycnidia were numerous upon both hosts under the humid conditions. 
Septoria scrophulariae Peck, which is common upon Scrophularia mari- 
landica in nature, forms spots scarcely distinguishable from those above 
described. The most important distinction is the scanty number of pyc- 
nidia; not more than a half dozen are often to be seen in a spot. The spores 
and pycnidia of S. verbascicola and S. scrophulariae from material collected 
near Urbana were so similar that it was suspected that the forms were 
identical. The fact that the forrifer infected Scrophularia marilandica 
readily made such identity probable, but this view was shown to be ques- 
tionable when it was found that the latter infected F. blattaria slightly if 
at all. It was discovered, moreover, that the two fungi can be separated 
easily in culture, as S. verbascicola produced pycnidia and spores upon all 
media used, while S. scrophulariae seldom did; the growth of the first was 
• chocolate-colored, that of the second buff. 
Septoria verbascicola attacked Verbascum thapsus readily, but few spore- 
bearing structures developed. The spots attained a size as great as those 
upon V. blattaria, were angular in outline, and purplish in appearance. 
It seems probable that this host is infected in the field, although no proof 
of this was secured. Leaves of mullein were collected with similar disease 
spots, some of which were very large, but as no pycnidia were found it 
cannot be stated that the injury was caused by Septoria. 
The rather constant formation of small brownish spots upon the species 
of Verbena following inoculation with S. verbascicola would appear to indi- 
cate incipient infection, yet the failure to obtain pycnidia, and to prove 
that the spots were not due to other causes, leaves the matter in doubt. 
Septoria cirsii Niessl. 
Upon Cirsium arvense, Septoria cirsii is an active parasite, both in the 
field and when brought into the greenhouse. In the field it attacks chiefly 
the lower leaves and causes large, usually irregular, brown, dry spots, 
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