812 
Journal of Agricultural Research voi. xxvih, No. 8 
DIAGNOSIS OF ACROMANIA, OR CRAZY-TOP 
In Pima cotton the distinctive features of crazy-top are the abnormal branch¬ 
ing and sterility of the affected plants. In Upland varieties the symptoms are 
more pronounced, including reductions and distortions of the leaf-blades, petioles 
internodes, involucral bracts and floral organs, with all stages of sterility from the 
complete suppression of the floral buds to the development of small unsymmetrical 
bolls. Under extreme conditions the reduction and distortion effects in Upland 
cotton may equal those of the stenosis disease in Haiti, but in Arizona the symp¬ 
toms meliorate as the season advances, and the diseased growth becomes less 
abnormal. Thus flowering and fruiting may be resumed by many of the Upland 
plants before the end of the season, and in Pima cotton the production of late- 
season bolls on the abnormal top-growth is a regular feature. 
When the leaves are reduced in size the lobes may be partially suppressed. 
The leaves may be aborted in the upper part of the plant while the floral buds are 
developed, or v the leaves may be retained and the floral buds suppressed. The 
leaves are not discolored as in the mosaic diseases, and there is less tendency to 
crumpling or other distortion. Branching is very irregular, with fruiting branches 
largely suppressed or transformed into vegetative branches which also are very 
irregular in size. The involucral bracts are variously reduced or divided, the 
flowers often very small and the anthers defective so that pollen may be com¬ 
pletely lacking. 
ANALYTICAL SYNOPSIS OF GROWTH DISORDERS OF COTTON 
Although crazy-top apparently is more analogous to cyrtosis and stenosis, the 
other disorders, brachysm, tomosis, and hybosis, are present in Arizona and need 
to be distinguished in the study of crazy-top. Hence the following synopsis is 
given in the form of an analytical key to assist in the study of the growth 
disorders and emphasize the contrasting characters: 
Leaves not distorted, discolored, or reduced in size; malformations restricted 
to the fruiting branches, which have short joints more or less fused with the 
pedicels, so that aborted buds or bolls remain attached to the plant— Brachysm. 
Leaves distorted or discolored or the plants abnormal in other ways_ 
Leaves with irregular perforations or eroded margins, resulting from death of 
portions of the leaf-tissue, beginning at the oil glands._ Tomosis. 
Leaves not perforated or mutilated, except as tomosis may accompany other 
disorders---------- 
Leaves deeply crumpled or bullate by inflation of the tissue between the veins, 
resulting from the presence of plant lice in cool weather- Hybosis. 
Leaves not regularly bullate and the disease not restricted to plant lice or to 
cool weather, but becoming more severe with higher temperatures-- 
Top growth abnormal, but the leaves not discolored.. Acromania. 
Top growth abnormal and the leaves with mottled discoloration.. 
Leaves of Upland cotton greatly reduced and distorted but not regularly or 
strongly discolored_ Stenosis. 
Leaves of Upland cotton not greatly reduced but the margins notably dis¬ 
colored and strongly decurved or rolled under_ Cyrtosis. 
It may facilitate the study of the growth disorders of plants to have general 
terms available as well as specific names for the various disorders. The word 
dysphytis might be used as a general term for growth disorders, with dysphyte 
to refer to a plant that is made abnormal by a growth disorder. No particular 
feature has been observed which is common to ail of the growth disorders but 
