January, 1891. 
7 
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Fig. 397. 
Leaf-spot disease of 
Screw Palm. 
slight extension of discolora- 
tions _ in purple or 
yellow, or even 
drab, if the life in 
the outside tissues is 
wholly destroyed. 
The spots are of con- 
siderable size, as 
shown in figure 398, 
which represents a 
portion of a diseased 
leaf, and where they 
happen to extend 
quite across the 
breadth of the leaf, 
the part above dies, 
its connection with 
^ the root being cut 
off. 
%/^V It is very likely 
1 y that the manner in 
y which our plant has 
f been treated has in- 
duced in it a tenden- 
cy to disease, but we 
The fungus of the believe that the di- 
rect cause of the 
spots, which possess special characters, is a 
minute fungus that we find growing upon, 
or rather within them. 
If we look closely at one of the older 
spots, on t lie back or under side of the leaf, 
we see that it is quite thickly sprinkled 
with very fine black specks. Cutting across 
one of the spots with a knife, the thick 
epidermis on either side is found to separate 
readily from the middle tissue. Raising a 
hit of this epidermis, the black specks are 
brought to light, larger and more conspicu- 
ous than when seen from the surface. 
The characters of these black specks is 
determined by examining them under a 
strong microscope. We find them to be 
flask-shaped bodies with well defined necks. 
They are black-walled and open at the apex 
of the neck which just reaches the surface 
of the leaf. Within this little flask — peri- 
thecium, mycologists call it — and growing 
from its bottom, are a number of delicate 
sacks which contain the spores of the 
fungus. The spores, eight in number in 
each sack, are ovoid or oblong in shape and 
filled with a clear, granular matter. In 
figure 397, we have illustrated one of the 
flask-like perithecia, cut vertically just to 
one side of the neck, so as to show its con- 
tents. Issuing from the natural opening at 
the top of the perithecium are several of the 
spore-sacks which have been detached from 
the base by pressure. In the same figure at 
2, is a more highly magnified drawing of 
these spore-sacks. The scale of the draw- 
ings is given in micromillimetres, one 
mdlimetre equals one twenty-five thou- 
sandth of an inch. 
The fungus of this leaf-spot disease is an 
attractive object under the microscope, and 
it appears to be new to science. The name 
given above, Physalospora pandani, was 
applied to it by Prof. J. B. Ellis, to whom 
we sent specimens. We are not aware that 
it has before been published. 
Remove all spotted leaves and destroy 
them. Give the roots ample room and 
otherwise properly care for the plants, and 
the disease will not be likely to trouble 
them. 
Leaf-Spot of the India-Rubber Tree- 
( Leptnsttrnmella elastica.) 
We have often seen the leaves of the 
India-Rubber tree ( Finis elastica) spotted 
from a disease which we here term Leaf- 
spot. It has been particularly severe on 
some plants which have recently come 
under our observation. Some of the leaves 
Fig. 399. Fungus of Leaf-spot of Ficus elastica. 
were entirely killed while the foliage gen- 
erally was rendered unsightly by the large 
and irregular dead spots disfiguring it. We 
do not know how common this disease is, 
but certainly it must be regarded as serious 
wherever it does occur. 
Ficus elastica is prized chiefly for the 
striking beauty of its large and glossy 
leaves, and anything which mars their 
natural appearance destroys the ornamental 
value of the plant. The Leaf-spot does this 
to a marked degree. 
The spots are first indicated by a slight 
ye'lowing on the dark green surface; they 
change quickly to a clear brown, retaining 
for a short time a yellowish-green border. 
The older spots are grayish or dirty white, 
their outlines being sharply defined by a 
very narrow dark brown, or nearly black, 
border. Some of these spots will be seen 
to be thickly 
s p r i n k led 
with small 
blackspecks. 
These specks 
are the fruits 
of the fun- 
gus growing 
upon the 
spots, and it 
is this fun- 
gus, doubt- 
less, which 
causes the 
spotting b y 
destro y i n g 
the life of 
the tissues in 
which it 
grows and 
upon which 
it feeds. Lit- 
tle is known 
of the habits Fig. 396. A portion of a leaf of Ficus 
of this fun- elastica attacked witti Leaf-spot, 
gus pest, and we can do little more here 
than call attention to it by what has been 
said above, and by the figure of a portion 
of a diseased leaf (see figure 396). The mi- 
croscopical characters of the fungus are 
illustrated in figure 399, drawn from a sec- 
tion made down through one of the black 
specks found on the surface of the older 
spots. 
The fungus of this leaf -spot disease has 
recently been made known to science, 
through specimens sent by us to Prof. Ellis, 
and its economic importance is here noted 
for the first time. 
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Early as the earliest, large as 
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It is fully described in 
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Please state where you saw thfs advt. 
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