Aug. 15, 1914 
Phomopsis Vexans on Eggplant 
337 
diophores stout and awl-shaped (fig. 1, b). Stylospores (fig. i,c) were 
found on herbarium specimens from Ithaca, N. Y., on specimens from 
Wisconsin loaned by Dr. Melhus, and on specimens collected by the writer 
in New Jersey, on the stem and fruit of inoculated plants, and occa¬ 
sionally in artificial cultures. These characters just mentioned are 
according to Diedicke (1911) typical of the genus Phomopsis. The 
spores vary in size from 5 to 8 by 2 to 2.5//. The morphological 
characters of the pycnidia on specimens from the various States 
seem to agree with each other and with specimens produced by the 
writer as a result of inoculation. A careful study of the fungus with 
which the writer has worked shows that Phoma solani is identical with the 
fungus causing the fruit-rot and leaf-spot of eggplants and that it belongs 
to the genus Phomopsis. Attempts to infect Lycopersicon esctUentum 9 
Capsicum annuum , and Datura tatula have been unsuccessful. 
Owing to the fact that Phomopsis was widely distributed in the United 
States on Solanum melongena , doubt finally arose in the mind of the 
writer whether Phyllosticta hortorum Speg. occurs in this country. Typi¬ 
cal specimens of the disease were therefore sent to Spegazzini for exami¬ 
nation. After comparing them with his own type specimens, he said that 
the fungus was not Phyllosticta hortorum and pointed out the character¬ 
istic differences in the spots, pycnidia, and spores of the two fungi. If, 
therefore, any value is to be given to a comparison made by an author 
with his own type specimens, it is safe to conclude that Phyllosticta hor¬ 
torum has not yet been found in this country. How, then, can Smith’s 
results and those of Voglino be explained ? The writer is of the opinion 
that Smith had an Ascochyta on the eggplant, but at the same time another 
fungus, the so-called Phyllosticta hortorum. The writer has examined 
specimens of Ascochyta on eggplant collected by Whetzel in New York 
and identified by Jensen as Ascochyta lycopersici. The spores are 2-celled 
and agree in size with spores of Ascochyta lycopersici , 6 to 10 by 2.5/*. 
It is probable that in 1904 Smith had this Ascochyta under observation 
and in 1905 observed the fungus generally known as Phyllosticta hortorum , 
since he says that the fungus in 1905 produced more numerous as well as 
more prominent fruit bodies. Such a distinction is certainly true of these 
two genera as they appear on eggplant. Ascochyta lycopersici occurs on 
both eggplant and tomato, and Smith was able to cross-inoculate these 
two hosts. The writer, on the other hand, was unable to infect Lycoper¬ 
sicon esculentum , Capsicum annuum , or Datura tatula with the organism he 
studied. Voglino (1913, p. 213-218) calls attention to a disease of the 
eggplant, tomato, and pepper which, as a result of cross-inoculations, he 
believes to be caused by Ascochyta hortorum. The spores, however, are 
considerably larger than those of Phyllosticta hortorum , 10 by 3 pi, and it 
is likely that he also had Ascochyta lycopersici. 
The fungus with which the writer has worked is assigned to the genus 
Phomopsis because it possesses the following characteristics of that genus: 
