22 BULLETIN 1380, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
8 inches below and 3 inches above on the main trunk. The area 
of evident infection both above and below was not more than the 
width of the branch. The cortex and wood were discolored, with a 
slight exudation of latex at the margin of the zone of infection. 
With the means at hand it could not be determined how deep the 
discoloration extended into the wood, but that it was discolored to 
a considerable depth was evident. 
The fructifications of the fungus show great variability, depend- 
ing upon the kind and condition of the substratum. This has re- 
sulted in a multiplication of names. If the observations of Ban- 
croft, which are concurred in by Vincens and others, are to be ac- 
cepted, the life history of the organism includes a conidial and an 
ascigerous stage. The latter, however, has not been definitely 
determined. 
The conidial stage appears as small black spherical bodies (pyc- 
nidia) embedded in the bark on (lead twigs (PL XII). These may 
be scattered more or less uniformly on young twigs and leaves or 
congregated and confluent on older stems, especially in cracks in the 
bark. The pyenidia are at first invisible, but their location in the 
bark may be distinguished by the slightly raised epidermis. When 
aggregated on old stems or on pods they are more conspicuous, espe- 
cially during dam}) weather when the spores are being expelled. 
When cut across by shaving off the outer bark they appear as small 
black circles with white centers. 
The oval 2-celled spores, white when immature, are extruded in 
immense quantities and collect over the surface of the twigs as a 
sooty layer. This is the condition in which the fungus is generally 
found on dead substrata on the ground. Sometimes in very damp 
situations fallen twigs appear whitish. This is due apparently to 
the expulsion of immature spores. Fetch records a condition of the 
fungus on tea roots in which black cushions of hyphse or spores burst 
through the bark and are surrounded by a narrow white fringe on 
which minute hyaline spores are borne. 
Although the fungus is widely distributed, it apparently is of 
little consequence. If proper precautions are taken to reduce condi- 
tions favorable for its development, little damage will result. 
BROWN-FELT COATING OF STEMS 
The stems of Hevea seedlings and the smooth bark of young trees 
are occasionally incrusted with a thin loose velvety or felted my- 
celium (Septobccsidiv/m spp.). which in some stages of development is 
very conspicuous (PI. Ill, B). The layer is seldom more than 3 
millimeters thick and varies in color from a light slaty brown to 
dark brown, purple, or smoky black. The layer, when examined, 
will be found to have a most peculiar structure, which will readily 
distinguish it from that of all other fungi. A thin layer first forms 
over the smooth bark, and from this arise a great number of erect 
brown simple or branched filaments. These terminate in another 
continuous layer, and the process is again repeated until in some 
species a structure of five or six stories may be developed. The two- 
storied arrangement is most common. In some species the continu- 
ous layers are not distinctly separated by columnar bristles, but con- 
