Notes on New or Rare Forest Fungi 151

NOTES ON NEW OR RARE FOREST FUNGI.By Malcolm Wilson, D.Sc., University of Edinburgh and

John S. L. Waldie, B.Sc., Forestry Commission.

(With Plate VIII.)

THE fungi which are. discussed in the following paper all occuron conifers and the majority are saprophytes although someunder certain conditions may become parasitic. With theexception of Menoidea Abietis the fructifications whether peri­thecial, pycnidial or conidial, all possess a stalk-like base whichoccupies the stomatal cavity and gives a characteristic appear­ance to the fungi. The arrangement of the fructifications is thusdependent on the stomatal distribution. The fungi are usuallyfound associated, and the majority of them were described byFrench mycologists early in this century. Their occurrence inBritain appears to be similar to that on the continent.

RHIZOSPHAERA PINI (Corda) Maub.On the leaves of Abies grandis. Bagley Wood, Oxford.

February 1927.This species, not previously recorded in Britain, was described

in 1907 from Jura, France, as Rhizosphaera Abietis by Manginand Hariot (Bull. Soc. Myc. France, XXIII, 54), who institutedthe genus. Later in the same year Maublanc (tom. cit. p. 169)pointed out that R. Abietis was identical with ConiothyriumPini Corda; he accordingly re-named it Rhizosphaera Pini(Corda) Maub.

It is placed by Mangin and Hariot in the Sphaeropsidaceae.Pycnidia are formed by the outgrowth, through the stomatalopening, of a dense mass of pale brown, thick-walled hyphae.The hyphae are preceded by a small mass of white waxysubstance, normally present on the leaf, which partially blocksup the stomatal aperture. It can easily be seen on the surfaceof the pycnidium, serving as a useful distinguishing characterfor the genus Rhisosphaera. The few hyphae which grow upthrough the stomatal aperture, spread out in a fan-shapedmanner, and are continuous with the wall of the pycnidium,which consists of a single layer of dark-coloured cells. The rowsof pycnidia corresponding to the stomatal arrangement on theunder surface of the needles of the silver fir are characteristicof the fungus. The mature pycnidium is ovoid to spherical inform and measures from 90 to 120 f-t in diameter. The spores areunicellular, hyaline, ovoid and 16 to 20 X 8f-t in size.

Mangin and Hariot described and illustrated two forms of

152 Transactions British. Mycological Society

spore developmcnt ; (1) in which they are budded off from thepycnidial wall and (2) where they are borne on long sporophoresarising from the base of the pycnidium. So far only the firstmentioned form of spore development has been seen in theBritish material. Otherwise the fungus agrees with theirdescription.

RHIZOSPHAFRA KALKHOFFII Bubak.This species which was observed in 1922 on the leaves of

Picea pungens var. argeniea, has already been recorded by thewriters (Trans. Roy. Scot. Arbor. Soc. XL, 34-6), as well asthe other hosts on which it has been found. It was first describedin Germany by Bubak (Ber. deut. bot. Gesell. XXXII (1916), 188).It generally resembles R. Pini, but differs in the smaller sizeof its spores and the absence of any obvious sporophores. VonHohnel (Sitz.-Ber. 1<. Ak. d. Wiss. Wien, cxv (1916), 63) statesthat R. KalkhofJii should be placed in the genus Sclerophoma asthe spores are derived directly from the wall of the pycnidium.Van Luyk (Ann. Myeol. XXI (1923), 136), however, considersthat it more closely resembles the genus Rhizosphaera. Aspointed out and illustrated in the paper already referred to,R. Kalkhoffii possesses a well marked stalk-like basal portionmade up of thick-walled twisted hyphae, which passes throughthe stomatal opening (PI. VIII, fig. I) and in this agrees withR. Pini. It also closely resembles this fungus in the structure ofthe wall of the pycnidium. Although the fungus might be placedin the genus Sclerophoma, it appears preferable to assign it tothe more strictly defined genus Rhizosphaera.

ADEWPUS BALSAMICOLA (Peck) Theiss.On dead leaves of Abies pectinata, Murthly, Perthshire, April,

1926, and on leaves of Pseudotsuga Douglasii, Devon, May, 1927,and Antrim, Ireland, June, 1928.

The species was found in association with Rhizosphaera Kal­khofJii and does not appear to have been previously recorded forBritain. The first description was given in 1881 by Peck (34thReport of the State Botanist of the Museum, New York, p. 52) asM eliola balsamicola on the leaves of Abies balsamea in theUnited States. In his account he says, "our fungus does notfully meet the requirements of the genus M eliola, neither is ita good Asterina nor Dimerosporium," Again in 1885, Peck(38th Report, p. 102) recording the same fungus under the nameof Asierina nuda stated its similarity externally with SacidiumPini (which is synonymous with Rhizosphaera Pini). The funguswas later referred to Dimerosporium by Ellis and Everhart(North A merican Pyrenomycetes, p. 728, 1892) as D. balsamicolum(Peck) Ell. & Everh.

Notes on New or Rare Forest Fungi 153

In 1914 Theissen (Ann. Mycol. XII, 72) described the fungusas Cryptopus nudus (Peck) Theiss., placing it in a new genuswhich he instituted for it. At the same time he described andfigured a conidial stage which remarkably resembles (thoughhe does not say so) Toxosporium camptospermum: Later (Ann.Mycol. xv (1917), 482), he changed the generic name toAdelopus, because there is a genus Cryptopus in the Orchidaceae.He also identified Peck's earlier species (Meliola balsamicola) asthe same, and proposed the combination Adelopus balsamicola(Peck) Theiss.

Theissen placed the genus Adelopus in the Capnodiaceae butin our opinion it comes much nearer to the Sphaeriaceous fungi.

The perithecium grows out through the stoma, in a likemanner to Rhizosphaera, pushing in front the white waxy plugwhich can be seen on the summit of the fructification. BothPeck and Theissen state that the fungus has a superficialmycelium, though in the latter's drawing (Ann. Mycol. XII,PI. VI, figs. 1-3) he shows also an abundant mycelium withinthe leaf tissues of the host. The British specimens show a veryscanty external mycelium, confined to the base of the peri­thecium. The mature perithecium is globose to ellipsoidal inform, narrowing rather suddenly into the stalk-like basalportion, while the outer wall is black and shining. The peri­thecium measures from 70 to 80 ft in height and 90 to 120ft indiameter. Each contains several club-shaped or cylindrical asci,varying in size from 36 to 50 x 12 to 15ft. There are no para­physes. The ascospores are hyaline, uniseptate, distichous and10 to 12 x 3 to 4ft in size.

As Adelopus balsamicola was found along with RhizosphaeraKalkhoffii Bub. on the dead needles of silver fir, it is interestingto note that Maublanc (Bull. Soc. Myc. France, XXIII (1907)171) found in Jura, France, young immature perithecia whichhe looked upon as representing the ascigerous stage of Rhizo­sphaera Pini. The ascospores were not ripe and there were noparaphyses. Vuillemin found similar immature perithecia in1896. We are not in a position to state the connection betweenthe two species as no cultural work has been carried out.

PHAEOCRYPTOPUS ABIETIS Naoumoff.The presence of a fungus on the leaves of Pinus Armandi

Forrest and Abies Faxoniana Rehd. & Wils., collected inN.W. Yunnan, China, by Mr George Forrest in 1912 and1921 respectively, was brought to our notice by Mr M. Y. Orrof the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. This species wasfirst described by Naoumoff (Bull. Soc. Myc. France, xxx (1914),424) from Perm, Russia, on the leaves of Abies sibirica

154 Transactions British Mycological S ociety

Ledeb. The genus Phaeocry ptopus was constituted for its re­ception, as it differs from Cryptopus, now known as Adelopusonly in the presence of paraphyses and t he brown colour of t heascospores.

The Yunnan specimens agree wit h the description given byNaoumoff. The perithecia (PI. VI II, fig. z) are developed likethose of Adelopus and vary from 85 to 120fJ- in diameter by 90to 13ofJ- in height , wit h rather cylindrical asci, 48 to 64 x 12 to16fJ- in size. The paraphyses are filiform, hyaline, and 70 x z·5 fJ- .The ascospores are distichous, un iseptate, becoming a smokybrown colour towards maturity and 16 to 20 x 5'5 to 8",.

T OX OSPORIUM CAMP TOSPE R MUM (Peck) Maub.This fungus was found on leaves of A bies pectinata in Argyll­

shire in 1925. First described by Peck (39th Rep ort (1886), p. 48)as P estalozzia camptosperma in the United Stat es on leaves ofA bies balsamea and lat er placed by Saccardo (Sy ll . Fung., XVIII,485, 1906) in the genus Monochaetia. VuiIIemin (Bull . Soc.Myc. France, XII , 33) found the fungus in France in 1896 onA bies pectinata, described it as a new species and placed it inthe new genus Toxosporium as T. abietinum. In 1907 Maublanc(Bull. Soc . Myc. F rance, XXIII , 173) recognising its identitywith P estalozzia camptosperma chan ged the name to T oxosporiumcamptosp ermum (Peck) Maub,

Rostrup (Bot. Tidsskr. XXII , 271) described the same funguson A bies pectinata from Denmark in 1898 as Coryneum. bicorne.Lind (Danish Fungi, p. 204, 1913) st ates th at Rostrup supposedit t o be a conidial stage of Mycosphaerella Abietis (Rostrup)Ldau. (Rehmiellop sis bohemica Bub. & Kabat), while Theissen(A nn. Myc. XIII (1914), 72) gave as a conidial stage of Cry top usnudus a form which, from his description and figure, closelyresembles Toxosporium camptospermum, Oudemans (Ned. Kr.Arch. 2 (1904), 1II9) described and figured the same fungusfrom Holland in 1903.

The genus is described by VuiIlemin as follows :"Toxosporium: Acervuli sublent icular, erumpent, scattered,

minute, black ; conidia curved, beaked at eachend,3 to 5-septate,the two inner cells opaque, the apical hyaline ; conidiophoresshort, simple."

It is placed by Maubl anc in the Melanconiaceae. The speciesis described as follows:

"T. abietinum [camp tospermumJ. Acervuli , pulvinate, st ro­matic, 100 to 2S0fJ- wide, turning black, erumpent , sur roundedby the ruptured epidermis; conidia curved, centre swollen,18 to 24 fJ- long, 7'S to 8fJ- wide in the convex middle part,conidiophores S to 6 x l 'S to 2fJ-."

Notes on New or Rare Forest Fungi 155

The Scottish specimens agree with the above description,except that on sectioning the silver fir needles the fructificationis seen to emerge through the stomatal opening and this doesnot appear to have been noted by the previous workers. Thefungus was found on dead leaves in association with Rhizo­sphaera Kalkhoffii. Rostrup considered it non-parasitic andexamination of the Scottish material confirms his conclusion.

MENOIDEA ABIETlS Mangin & Hariot.

Leaves of Abies pectinata bearing fructifications of MenoideaAbietis Mang. & Hariot, were collected at Inverary, Argyll­shire in 1921 by Mr D. McIntosh, and by Mr W. H. Guillebaudin the Isle of Man in May, 1927. This fungus was first describedby Mangin and Hariot iBidl, Soc. Myc. France, XXIII (1907),65) from Jura, France, on leaves of Abies pectinata. The genusM enoidea was constituted for its reception. It was placed in theTuberculariaceae-Mucedinaceae and thought to be probably aconidial stage of one of the Stictidaceae or Phacidiaceae.M. Abietis has not hitherto been recorded in Britain.

The fructifications of the fungus are very inconspicuous andcan be seen on the dry leaf only as a slight elevation of thegeneral surface level. They remain covered by the epidermis fora long time but at maturity the epidermal cells are usually com­pletely cast off, when they measure from 300to 4oo(1-in diameter.Colourless septate hyphae are abundant in the leaf tissue im­mediately under the fructification, which consists of a densemass of hyphae bearing the layer of conidiophores on the surface(PI. VIII, fig. 4). The conidiophores are hyaline, unbranched,septate (Mangin and Hariot figure non-septate conidiophores),30 to 35 x 4 to 5(1- in size, each bearing a single conidiumattached by its obtuse end (PI. VIII, fig. 5). The difference inshape of the two ends of the conidium (not always clear) maybecome lost after it is shed. The majority of the conidia areunicellular but in some a transverse septum develops while stillattached to the conidiophores. The conidia are usually curvedbut may occasionally be straight, and are 18 to 20 x 8(1-.

The Scottish specimens of Menoidea Abietis agree closely withthe French description. They were found on dead leaves ofAbies pectinata and there is no reason to suppose that the speciesis parasitic. The fructifications were accompanied by those ofRhizosphaera Kalkhoffii, while in the French specimens theassociated species was Rhizosphaera Pini. We do not suggestthat there is any close relation between the two genera, for thesimultaneous occurrence of the species on the same leaf merelyindicates similarity as regards their nutritive requirements.

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We wish to record our thanks to Dr H. D. House of theuniversity of the State of New York, C.S.A., to ProfessorJaczcwski of the Institute of Mycology, Petrograd for specimensand information regarding several of the species and to MissE. M. Wakefield of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for hervaluable advice. A number of the specimens were receivedthrough the Forestry Commission.

EXPLAXATIOX OF PLATE VIII.

Fig. 1. Pycnidium of Rhieospbaera Kalkhoffti on Picea sitchensis. x about 300 .Fig. 2. Perithccium of Phaeocrvptopus Abietis on Abies Faxoniana. xabout

42 0 .Fig. 3. Spores of Toxosporium camptospermum, x about 900.

Fig. 4. Fructification of M enoi dea A bieiis on Abies pectinate. x about 340.Fig·5 Conidiophores and conidia of Menoidea Abietis, x about 750.

THE GENERA VERMICULARIA FR. ANDCOLLETOTRICHUM CDA.

By Maud M. Duke, B.Sc.

(With Plate IX and II Text-figurcs.)

THE need for an investigation into the morphology of the fungusgenus Vermicularia has been apparent for some years. Manyspecies have been removed from Vermicularia to other genera,chiefly to Colletotrichum and it has been doubted whetherVermicularia exists at all as a valid genus. As this questioncould be answered only by a critical study of the history andcomparative morphology of the two genera, such a study hasbeen undertaken and some of the results are recorded in thepresent paper. During the course of the work living materialof as many species of Vermicularia as possible has been collectedand grown in culture, and though subordinate to the primaryobject of the investigation, this work proved of sufficientinterest to justify recording the observations in full.

The name Vermicularia, as applied to a genus of fungi,appeared for the first time in Todc's Fungi M ecklenburgensesSelecti in 1790. The accompanying description (1. 31) showedit to be a fungus with a globose sessile" capsule" containing freevermiculate "seeds." Three species were given, V. pseudo­sphaeria, V. pubescens and V. hispida. Of these the first two,according to their descriptions and figures, did not possess fruitbodies with hairy appendages. V. hispida, however, as its nameimplies, had a "perithecium" covered with setae (loc. cit. Tab.VI, figs. 46-8), and for this reason is more comparable with themodern idea of Vermicularia. The presence of hairs on the fruit

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