SORGHUM SMUTS AND VARIETAL RESISTANCE 7 
Amber sorgo, 10.9 per cent; kafir, 13.8 per cent; broomcorn, 6.9 per 
cent ; kaoliang, 10.3 per cent; and Freed sorghum, 5 per cent infection. 
Reed (97) also has made further studies of the resistance of varieties. 
HEAD SMUT 
Kuhn 3 in 1875 first described the head smut of sorghum, Sorospo- 
rium reilianum (Kuhn) McAlpine, from a specimen which Reil sent 
to him from Eg} r pt in 1868, naming it Ustilago reiliana Kuhn. In the 
studies made by Clinton (22) in 1897 the smut was transferred to the 
genus Cintractia as Cintractia reiliana (Kuhn) Clinton. Later Clin- 
ton (24) transferred it to the genus Sphacelotheca as Sphacelotheca 
reiliana (Kiihn) Clinton. Norton (80) in 1898 noted the fact that 
the spores showed a tendency to cling together in spore balls, thus 
resembling a Sorosporium. McAlpine (70) emphasized this charac- 
teristic and transferred the fungus to the genus Sorosporium as 
Sorosporium reilianum (Kiihn) McAlpine. 
Head smut is particularly interesting, because it occurs on two dis- 
tinct genera, Holcus and Zea, and is rather widely distributed on both 
hosts. On sorghum, Barber (8) has given its distribution in Madras 
Presidency and Kulkarni (63) states that it occurs sporadically in the 
Bombay Presidency. Butler (21) records it in the Punjab, United 
Provinces, and Central Provinces, as well as the Bombay and Madras 
Presidencies; it is not known in eastern India. Hori (4-9) records its 
occurrence in Japan. Busse (20) reports it in Tanganyika Territory; 
Hennings (46) lists it in northern Africa, East Africa, and Madagascar; 
Snowden (105) in Uganda ; and Briton-Jones (14) in Egypt. Hauman- 
Merck (44) states that it is very rare in Argentina. It has frequently 
been collected in Europe. Winter (120) records it in Germany, 
Prillieux (93) in France (mentioned under the name Ustilago destruens), 
Bubak (18) in Bohemia, Turconi (113) in Italy, Munerati (78) in Italy 
on Holcus Jialepensis, Fragoso (39) in Spain, Malkoff (72) in Bulgaria 
on H. halepensis, and Ranojevic (94) in Serbia on H. halepensis. 
The first record of its occurrence on sorghum in the United States 
was made by Failyer and Willard (38) on Red Liberian sorgo in 
Kansas. 4 Kellerman and Swingle (58) mention the collection of the 
smut on Amber sorgo in New Jersey by Prof. B. D. Hals ted in the 
same year. Tracy and Earle (110) reported it from Mississippi. 
Prof. S. M. Tracy collected specimens on sorghum in November, 1888, 
at Starkville, Miss., labeling them Cintractia sorghi. Of three speci- 
mens at the New York Botanical Garden two are typical of Sorospo- 
rium reilianum. The third shows the head only partially infected, 
some branches of the panicle appearing more or less distinct. The 
spores, however, are typical of the species. Dr. B. M. Duggar 5 col- 
lected a specimen in Alabama in 1892. According to Clinton (26) it 
has been collected in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, 
Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas. Apparently it is not very 
abundant but occurs sporadically, especially in the Great Plains area, 
where it is frequently found on Red Amber sorgo. Recently Mackie 
3 Ustilago reiliana Kiihn. In Rabenhorst, Fungi Europaei Exsiccati, ed. nova, s. 2, cent. 20, no. 1998. 
1875. 
* Specimens of the original collection are in the mycological herbarium of the Kansas State Agricultural 
College. 
6 This specimen is in the mycological herbarium of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 
