On Diplodia cacaoicola, P. Henn. ; 
a parasitic Fungus on Sugar-Cane and Cacao 
in the West Indies. 
BY 
ALBERT HOWARD, B.A., A.R.C.S., F.L.S., 
Mycologist to the Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West Indies , late 
Scholar of St. JohrCs College , Cambridge. 
With Plate XXXVII. 
W HILE engaged from time to time since December, 1899, 
in a search, which has so far been unsuccessful, for the 
perithecia 1 oiTrichosphaeria Sacckari (Massee), among diseased 
sugar-canes in Barbadoes and elsewhere, a Fungus was very 
commonly met with which was distinguished by having brown 
elliptical bi-septate spores developed in pycnidia just under- 
neath the rind of the cane, and which ruptured the surface 
when ripe. To the naked eye there is little difference between 
this Fungus and the Melanconium stage of the c rind Fungus 5 
described by Massee, and it was observed that when this new 
form predominated on diseased canes it was locally regarded 
as ‘rind Fungus. 5 Indeed in the West Indies at the present 
time it is customary to regard all cane diseases as either 
‘ rind 5 or ‘ root 5 disease, and many are of opinion that both 
these diseases are caused by one Fungus. It is very probable, 
however, that there are several rind, leaf, and leaf-sheath 
1 On Trichosphaeria Sacchari. Ann. Bot., vol. vii, p. 128, 1893. 
[Annals of Botany, Vol. XV. No. LX. December, 1901.] 
