142 REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BoTANY OF THE 
whitish, ovoid bodies about the size of red clover seeds. These 
were supposed to be the eggs of some insect, but no larve were 
seen and there was no mutilation of the tissues by insects. The 
evidence plainly pointed to the Sporotrichum as the cause of the 
decay. This aroused the writer’s interest since there are few plant 
parasites among the numerous species of Sporotrichum® although 
the genus contains some important insect parasites the most notable 
one being S. globuliferum, a destructive parasite of the chinch-bug 
and several other insects.* Specimens of the carnation Sporo- 
trichum were sent to Prof. Peck who pronounced it a new species 
and named it Sporotrichum anthophilum.® 
At our request, the Long Island florist forwarded (Nov. 11, 
1905) another package of specimens containing 24 diseased buds 
very similar to those sent previously. In every one of these there 
was an abundance of Sporotrichum mycelium and some spores 
while in the majority of them multitudes of spores were found. 
No other fungus was seen, but most of the specimens contained a 
few of the supposed insect eggs previously mentioned. An unsuc- 
cessful attempt was made to hatch some of them. Pure cultures of 
the Sporotrichum were obtained. It was found to grow readily 
and sporulate freely on potato agar and on sterilized plugs of sugar 
beet. On the latter medium a bright red color is produced 
wherever the hyphze come in contact with the beet. 
December 8, 1906, ten more affected buds were received from 
*The following species of Sporotrichum are probably parasitic on plants: 
S. arabicum Massee on the inflorescence of Phanix dactylifera; S. bi- 
parasiticum Bubak on branches of Corontlla emert; S.. canescens Speg. on 
the hyphe of Cercospora hydropiperis; S. hellebori Oud. on the leaves of 
Helleborus fetidus; and S. parasiticum Peck on the black knot fungus, 
Plowrightia morbosa (Peck, C. H., N. Y. State Mus. Nat. Hist. Rpt., 45: 82) 
and on sclerotia of the grape black rot fungus (Prunet, A. Abstract in 
ET Poms iG NeCaahl = hain 
“For experiments on the destruction of chinch-bugs by means of Sporo- 
trichum globuliferum see the following: 
Snow, F. H. Contagious diseases of the chinch-bug. Univ. of Kansas 
Exp. Sta. Ann. Rpts. of the Director 1-5. 1891-5. 
Forbes, S. A. On contagious disease in the chinch-bug (Blissus leucop- 
terus Say). Nineteenth report of the State Entomologist on the noxious 
and beneficial insects of the State of Illinois. Eighth report of S. A. Forbes 
for the years 1893 and 1894, pp. 16-176. 1895. Contains an extensive bibli- 
ography with short abstracts. 
° Peck, C. H. Report of the State Botanist. 1905. N. Y. State Mus., 
Bul. 105: 28. 1906. 
