Egg plant rots 
283 
importance in Alabama. Plants in the seed bed have been observed 
to damp off in a manner characteristic of this disease. The writer, more¬ 
over, has never observed the fungus on more mature stems, and it has 
been noted in one locality only as productive of a fruit rot. Fruits of 
all ages, when in contact with the soil seem to be subject to attack. 
However it is unknown 
whether or not a wound 
or some break in the epi¬ 
dermis is necessary to 
penetration. 
While the rot does 
not evidence itself in a 
strikingly characteristic 
manner yet there is little 
or no chance of its con¬ 
fusion with the few other 
Egg plant rots. The decay 
extends equally in all di¬ 
rections from the point of 
infection making a circular 
brown area. It also extends 
deeply into the fruit, rea¬ 
ching even to the center 
or beyond. Affected tissues 
are soft and collapsed, 
leaving a deep depression 
in the fruit. The fungus 
may appear on the surface 
of affected tissues as a 
cottony growth especially 
if the atmosphere is humid 
making easy a diagnosis. 
Affected fruits, when placed 
in a moist chamber, develop 
a condition as shown in 
fig. 3 within forty-eight 
hours. Again it may be 
necessary to make a micro¬ 
scopical examination before it can be known that a fungus is involved in 
the decay. It is to be noted that the tissues on the margin of the decay 
are often free from fungous filaments. Entire fruits are sometimes 
destroyed within a week or ten days. 
. 
. 
Fig. 3. Rhizoctonia on fruit of egg plant, x 1 / 2 . 
I. The fungus. 
Thus far only the mycelial stage has been found in Alabama although 
Rolfs observed a fruiting stage which he identified as Corticium vagum 
B. et C. There is no doubt, however, that the form under observation 
is identical with this species. A. Rhizoctotiia isolated from Potato stems 
when used for inoculation in Egg plants, produced the characteristic 
rot. In cultural characters too it was indistinguishable from the form 
