228 The Philippine Journal of Science ms 
Fetch 11 gives the following discussion of the distribution of 
Xylaria nigripes: 
Summing up, we find that Sclerotum stipitatum has b:en found in ter- 
mite nests in India, Ceylon, Java, and Africa; Xylaria nigripes occurs in 
the same situation in Ceylon, Java, Madagascar, and probably Brazil; 
and Xylaria furcata in Ceylon and Java. X. nigripes has been recorded 
from other countries also, without any reference to its connection with 
termite nests. But in all such cases it is sa d to grow cn the ground, 
not on wood. In Ceylon neither X. nigripes nor X. furcata are found 
except growing from termite nests. 
The writer has not observed any XylariaAike structures in 
termite nests, but Blanco 12 describes, under the name Sclerotium 
subterraneum, some sclerotia which came from a termite nest 
and which, judging by his description, had an appearance very 
similar to the larger form above considered. According to 
Petch 13 similar structures are found in India, Ceylon, Java, 
and Africa. Blanco’s name is older than Sclerotum stipitatum 
Berk, and Curr. 
The general appearance of the substance of the black net- 
work which grew over the combs in the vicinity of Manila and 
Los Banos, was very similar to the stromata of the Xylaria, 
while the structure of the individual cells of the two seemed 
to be identical. On some of these threadlike growths there 
appeared small, white, spherical sclerotia which in superfi- 
cial appearance resembled very closely the spherical bodies 
on the combs. These sclerotia contained only one kind of 
conidia-like cells, but these, though smaller, have the same 
appearance as the conidia in the spherical bodies on the cones 
in the nests while the hyphae on which the two are borne 
appear to be entirely similar except for size. When these 
sclerotia were examined under a microscope they appeared to 
arise from the cells of the black threads and no other fungus 
hyphae were apparent. The hyphae of the sclerotia, moreover, 
had an appearance which except for size seemed to be identical 
with the hyphae which formed the stromata of the Xylarias. 
The presence of these sclerotia would suggest the possibility 
that the “conidial” spheres on the combs might grow from 
the hyphae of the Xylaria. 
Petch observed small spherical sclerotia in his cultures. 
These, however, contained no conidia but in two cases produced 
Xylaria stromata. 
11 Petch, T., op. cit. 
12 Blanco, M., FL Filip, ed. 2 (1845) 584. 
18 Petch, T., op. cit. 
