920 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVIII, No. 9 
strains that produced macroconidia in abundance at first lost this character 
after a time and afterwards produced nothing but mycelium and mioroconidia. 
Loss of color seemed to accompany this change in many cases. In a few instances 
cultures never produced pseudopionnotes or sporodochia, and showed very 
little color. 
Loss of tendency to produce macroconidia in culture may be explained as 
due to growth under unfavorable conditions, or repeated transferring of mycelium 
or microconidia. Whether cultures that never produced sporodochia even from 
the time of isolation are to be interpreted as having been under unfavorable 
conditions in nature, or are to be considered species distinct from those that do 
produce sporodochia is not clear. On the whole it seems that insufficient evi¬ 
dence is at hand at present to justify the making of a number of new species. 
It seems preferable to retain th 3 group under a single specific name with the 
understanding that a certain degree of variability is included. 
Summarizing the situation, there can be no doubt as to the identity of Fusarium 
moniliforme Sheldon, when the name is used in the sense just defined and the 
conidial forms considered in this investigation. There is very little doubt as to 
the identity of Oospora vertidlloides Sacc. with these forms, but the lack of a 
description or even definite mention of macroconidia in literature for 0. verticil - 
loides , and the lack of an opportunity to study an authentic culture of it, neces¬ 
sitate questioning the synonomy. Oospora hyalinula Sacc. is placed on an 
equal footing with 0. vertidlloides because of Tiraboschi's conclusion that they 
were identical after studying authentic cultures of them, as previously explained. 
Thus only Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon remains to be considered if a conidial 
name is to be used for the new combination. This name seems particularly 
desirable in that it is the one best known to plant pathologists and will cause 
the least confusion in a new combination. The proposed new name and synonyms 
follow. 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION 
Gibberella moniliformis (Sheldon) n. comb. 
? Torula hyalinula Sacc. 1878, Micothecae Venetae no. 1255; Michelia 1: 
265; Fungi italid delineati no. 878. 
? Oospora hyalinula Sacc. 1882, Penzig, Michelia 2: 453. 
? Oospora vertidlloides Sacc. 1882, Michelia 2: 546. Fungi italid delineati 
no. 879. 
Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon, 1904, Nebr. Agr. Exp. Sta. Ann. Rpt. 17: 
23-32, illus. 
Perithecial stage. —Perithecia scattered or gregarious, ovoid to sub-conical, free on the surface of the 
mediu m or embedded in mycelium, or in a tubercular plectenchymatic stroma, ostiolate, rarely 2-ostiolate, 
225 to 300 by 300 to 375 peridium of cells fairly uniform in size, and fairly smooth, blue-black when viewed 
macroscopically, dark blue by transmitted light; no paraphyses observed; ascospores 8, arranged irregularly 
in two rows, practically straight, fusiform to ellipsoid, rounded at the ends, often constricted at the septa, 
pale ochraceous salmon in masses, 1 to 3 septate, the 1-septate predominating, 3.9 to 4.8 by 15 to 19 m. 
Conidial stage.— Microconidia produced basipetally on simple to verticillate conidiophores, adhering 
to form chains, or slipping aside to form balls or clusters at the ends of the conidiophores, obovoid to ellipsoid, 
2 to 3.5 by 5 to 10 n\ macroconidia somewhat curved especially near the apex, gradually attenuate toward 
apex, pedicillate, borne on aerial mycelium, in pseudopionnotes or sporodochia, 3- to 5-septate; 3-septate 
conidia 2.9 to 3.2 by 32 to 40 n; 5-septate conidia 3.0 to 3.2 by 44 to 56 n; pseudopionnotes and sporodochia, 
pale ochraceous-salmon, vinaceous-cinnamon, or pale purplish vinaceous (19); mycelium dense, medium 
high, wooly, showing such colors as sea-shell pink, pale vinaceous fawn, pale purplish vinaceous, pale 
vinaceous-pink, purplish vinaceous, deep livid brown, pallid mouse gray, plumbago gray (19), substratum 
showing such colors as grayish olive, purplish gray, dark plumbago gray, vinaceous slate, dark vinaceous- 
drab, cinnamon drab and Indian purple (19). 
Habitat.— Perithecial stage known only in culture. Conidial stage very commonly associated with corn 
plants, as a saprophyte or parasite. Reported as a weak parasite in damping-off pine seedlings (18), as a 
cause of rootrot of older pines (9), and as having been isolated from rotted potato tubers (29). Probably 
a widespread saprophyte. 
