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AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
[Vol. 9, 
SO far found, and, because of its bearing on the present work, will be more 
fully considered later. 
Engelke (9), working both with nutrient solution and nutrient agar, 
furnishes very little detailed information regarding the morphology of the 
fungus. Brefeld's observations were in general confirmed. Both solid 
media and nutrient solutions were employed, the former consisting of 
glucose, ammonium nitrate, mono-basic potassium phosphate, and mag- 
nesium sulphate. To this 2 percent agar was added for solid media. The 
formation of " microsclerotia " on solid media with lowered temperature 
is noted, but no description or illustration gives any clew as to their nature. 
This paper is of interest because of the proposal for growing the fungus 
in culture for the purpose of obtaining a growth possessing the physio- 
logical activities of the natural sclerotium. So far we have found no later 
contribution on this point. 
Engelke observed no honey dew in artificial cultures, and regarded 
the excretion as an increase of stigmatic fluid due to parasitic stimulation 
and not an excretory product of the sphacelial stage. 
Brown and Ranck (8), in a study of forage poisoning, inoculated bean 
pods, peptone agar, and Paspalum heads with portions of Claviceps Paspali 
sclerotia, securing pure cultures upon the bean medium. The fungus 
penetrated the pods, but no reproductive bodies were noted. The ger- 
mination of this species of Claviceps and the production of the sphacelial 
stage as described by these authors are closely analogous to the conditions 
in C. purpurea as noted by the workers previously cited. 
Meyer was guided in the preparation of his nutrient solutions by the 
chemical composition of the immature rye seed. His liquid medium 
contained starch, glucose, albumin-peptone, asparagin, di-potassium phos- 
phate, magnesium sulphate, potassium chloride, and ammonium sulphate 
in proportions to make the ash constituents of the combination approximate 
those of the rye seed as determined by the organic analysis of Nowacki. 
The fungus was studied in such solution cultures, or the Hquid was added 
to bread or to cotton. Meyer's descriptions and illustrations of the fungus 
in culture conform in all essentials with those of Brefeld, but more details 
are given in the later work. Emphasis is laid upon the rapid growth 
and prolific spore production, with early germination after abscission. The 
development of cross walls in the spore before maturity, the presence of 
two bipolar oil drops before abscission, and the grouping of spores about 
terminal hyphae or branches after abscission are all noted. 
Meyer observed two distinct hyphal stages; in one, the cells were 
well filled with strongly granulated, fat-containing protoplasm; in the 
other, the cells were for the most part poor in plasma content, with numerous 
hyaline vacuolate areas. The latter condition he correlates with advanced 
hyphal age. 
Cultures resulting from inoculation with spores of the honey-dew stage 
