6 BULLETIN 1284, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
in Silesia, Bubak (18) in Bohemia, and Busse (20) in Tanganyika 
Territory (formerly German East Africa). Kulkarni (63) records 
it in the Sholapur district of the Bombay Presidency, and Butler (SI) 
notes it in the Central Provinces of India. According to Potter (91) 
it has been introduced into the United States on seeds of kaoliangs 
from various parts of China, and this would indicate its more or less 
widespread distribution in that country. Its presence in Australia 
or South Africa has not been noted. According to Potter (91), who 
cleared up the confusion between this species and S. sorghi due to 
Kuhn's vague description and definitely established its occurrence in 
the United States, it was collected by Trelease (111) in Madison, Wis., 
on plants grown from imported Chinese seed but was incorrectly 
reported as S. sorgJii. According to Trelease, it was also collected in 
the same year by Farlow in the District of Columbia and by Sturte- 
vant in New York. 
No definite records are available concerning the extent to which 
Spliacelotlieca cruenta causes damage. Kulkarni (63) does not regard 
it as particularly significant in India, especially as compared with the 
covered kernel smut. In the United States it seems to occur only 
sporadically and does not cause any appreciable damage. 
Infected plants are usually more or less stunted, and the heads 
emerge earlier than those of normal plants. Usually all the spikelets 
are smutted, although a few may escape and be transformed into leafy 
structures. The glumes are usually enlarged and changed to a deep- 
green or purple color. The sori may be produced also on the pedicels 
or other parts of the panicle and occasionally occur on the stalk as 
well as in the flowers. The presence of these extra-floral sori was 
early emphasized as one of the distinguishing characteristics of the 
species (PL IV). 
The ovaries are transformed into smut balls or false kernels, which 
are 3 to 18 millimeters long and 2 to 4 millimeters in diameter. The 
outer membrane is much thinner and more fragile than in the case 
of the covered smut and is composed largely of more or less spherical 
cells about 12 /x in diameter. The membrane incloses the spores, and 
in the center of the smut ball is the columella, which frequently is 
curved and is longer than that of Sphacelotheca sorghi (Pis. V, VI, 
and VII). 
It is difficult to distinguish between the spores of the two kernel 
smuts. Those of the loose smut apparently are slightly larger, 5 to 
10 it, somewhat irregular in shape, and show a slight indication of 
pitting of the wall. 
The germination of the spores has been studied by Brefeld (10), 
Busse (20), Kulkarni (63), and Butler (21). Germination takes 
place readily in water and nutrient solutions. A three-celled or 
four-celled promycelium is produced which buds off sporidia sparingly 
in water but abundantly in nutrient solutions. 
Brefeld (11) demonstrated that infection occurs in the seedling 
stage, the spores present on the seed constituting the main if not the 
only source of infection. The subsequent life history is the same as 
in the case of covered kernel smut . 
Potter (91) has recorded some results of inoculation experiments 
with loose kernel smut. He inoculated six different varieties of 
sorghum and obtained the following results: Milo, no infection; 
