178 
Mycologia 
Wollenweber’s Studies on the Fusarium Problem 
A paper entitled “Studies on the Fusarium Problem,” by Dr. 
H. W. Wollenweber, appears in Phytopathology (3: 24-50. 
1913). As an introduction to this paper he first discusses “un- 
reliability of the stroma as a taxonomic character” in the asco- 
mycetes. He says in referring to the stroma, “ Doubts, however, 
as to the value of the basis of Fries’ system have been frequently 
expressed.” “ These doubts have recently been confirmed by 
careful comparative studies of exsiccati and by pure culture study 
of ascomycetes and fungi imperfecti.” He also says, “ This sys- 
tem somewhat modified is still in use.” Also, that it will be 
difficult or almost impossible to follow the proposition to divide 
the Hypocreales into groups according to the presence or absence 
of stroma as has been done in North American Flora. 
He might have discussed “Unreliability of Any Taxonomic 
Character ” and all of the arguments which have been advanced 
in support of his ground would apply with equal validity to many 
if not all of these characters. That the stroma, in certain cases, 
is variable, has long been recognized by taxonomists, but to argue 
that divisions should not be made on this character because it is 
variable in certain cases is about as logical as to argue that the 
animal and plant kingdoms should not be separated because there 
are certain groups on the border line which at different stages in 
their life cycle partake of the character of both animal and plant. 
If he had said that it is impossible to separate Hypocreales 
on the presence or absence of stroma, his statement would be 
more nearly in accord with fact, but to say that the order as a 
whole cannot be separated on this character is misleading. Before 
one undertakes to judge as to the value of a character from a 
taxonomic point of view, he should first take the trouble to look 
up some of the facts involved. That Dr. Wollenweber did not do 
this is evident from his own writing, for in referring to the stroma 
he says, “ It may, however, be of taxonomic value in extreme 
cases when it entirely encloses the perithecia . . . {Claviceps, 
Cordyceps, Xylaria).” If he had had the facts clearly in mind, 
he would have known that in certain species of both Xylaria and 
Cordyceps the perithecia are not immersed but entirely super- 
ficial. Again he writes, “ Intermediate groups such as the Hypo- 
