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Zelopelta thrinacospora gen. et sp.nov. (Pycnothyriales)
Notes and brief articles
556
localityyj Oct. 1982, F. Candoussau, G. Gilles & J. Vivant (ZT); Lasiosphaeria dichroospora Ell. & Ev., on a clayey bank in woods, Seattle, U.S.A., Apr. 1892, C. V. Piper (NY), T ype.
Hilber (1979) erected the new genus Herminia to accommodate a fungus described by Ellis & Everhart (1893) as Lasiosphaeria dichroospora Ell. & Ev. In doing so, she overlooked what had been already reported by Fernier (1954), i.ee L. dichroospora is identical with Eosphaeria uliginosa (F r .) von Hohnel (non Eosphaera E. S. Barghoorn, 1965, a fossil alga), based on Sphaeria uliginosa Fr. Fernier (1954) gave precedence to the name L. dichroospora erroneously, thus contravening Art. 57 (lCBN). The anamorph of E. uliginosa shows peculiar features, which, combined with the morphological characters of the teleomorph, leave little doubt as to the distinct taxonomic position of this fungus. Although Phialophora - like anamorphs are known for Lasiosphaeria (Tubaki, 1958) and for some species of Cercophora, especially C. mirabilis Fuckel (U dagawa & Muroi, 1979), anamorphs resembling species of Phialophora but forming conidia in chains are not known for these two genera, and are reported so far only for some Podospora species, e.g . P. fimbriata (Bayer ) Cain (M irza & Cain, 1969 ). Moreover, representatives of Lasiosphaeria are mostly wood-inhabiting fungi, and Cercophora species are known to be coprophilous, whereas E. uliginosa has been found so far only on clay. The retention of a separate genus for E. uliginosa therefore seems justified.
reading the manuscript, Prof. N . Lundqvist, Stockholm, for kindly checking the identification of one French collection, ProfE. Miiller, Ziirich, for his helpful suggestions, Dr M . Dreyfuss, SANDOZ Ltd., Basel, who supplied the PromineD for the protease test and the Directors of Herb. FH and NY for loan of material.
REFERENCES
CARROLL, G. C. & PETRINI, O. (1983). Pattern s of substrative utilisation by some fungal endophytes from coniferous foliage. Mycologia 75, 53~3 . ELLIS, J. B. & EVERHART, B. M. (1893). Eryth ea 1, 197. FERNIER, H. (1954) . Un Bombardia nouveau sur Manioc. R evue de Mycologie 19 (S upplement colonial 1), 1-19.
FRIES, E. (1823). Systema mycologicum 2 , 45 7. HILBER, R. & HILBER, O. (1979). Einige Anmerkungen zu der Gattung Cercophora Fuckel. Zeitschrijt fur Mykologie 45, 209-233. HOHNEL, VON F. (1917). Annales Mycologici 15, 360-363. MIRZA, J. H. & CAIN, R. F. (1969). Revision of the genus Podospora. Canadian Journal of Botany 47, 1999-2048. SAMUELS, G. J. (1979) . Notes on the isolation of solitary ascospores - a field guide. In The Whole Fungus (ed. W. B. Kendrick), pp. 63~45 . National Museum of Natural Sciences, Museums of Canada. TUBAKI, K. ( 1958). Studies on the Japanese Hyphomycetes. V. Leaf and stem group with a discussion of the classification of hyphomycetes and their perfect stages. J ournal of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory 20 , 142-244 .
UDAGAWA, S. & MUROI, T. (1979). Coprophilous Pyrenomycetes from Japan. V. Transactions of the My cological S ociety of Japa7z 20, 453-468.
We gratefully thank Dr S . M . Francis, Commonwealth Mycological Institute for critically
ZELOPELTA THRINACOSPORA GEN. ET SP.NOV. (PYCNOTHYRIALES ) BY B. C. SUTTON
Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey AND R. D. GAUR
Dept Botany , Garh wal University, Srinagar-Garhwal, UP 246174, India Zelopelta thrinacospora gen. et sp .nov. is illustrated and described from leaves of Hedera nepalensis. The tri-radiate conidia have not been reported before in the Pycnothyriales. Hedera nepalensis K. Koch. is a climber which occurs in moist forests and is fairly common on shady rocks. Living leaves were found to bear pycnothyria containing either minute ,m icroconidia or large tri-radiate macroconidia. Such Trans. Br. my col. Soc. 82 (3), (1984) .
conidia have not been described in the Pycnothyriales before and the fungus is suffic iently distinct to warrant the introduction of new generic and specific names.
Printed in Great Britain
Notes and brief articles
I'
J
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557
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E
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.
..?- -
F
00 0 0 0
!
20 /lm
DO
~)Op,O~0~00r--°9~8r~gxl?--0 A
IOO/lm
Fig.
1.
Zelopelra rhrinacospora. (A) Vertical section of pycnothyrial conidioma; (B) margin of conidioma ; (C) conidia; (D) conidial development; (E) microconidia; (F) microconidiogenous cells.
Trans. Br. mycol. Soc . 82 (3), (1984) .
Prinred in Grear Britain
Notes and brief articles Zelopelta gen. no v. (ety rn . Zelo(G)-rival et pelta(G)-shield) Mycelium superficiale et immersum absentia. Conidiomata pycnothyrialia, superficialia, separata, scutata, circularia, pallide brunnea , reticulata, unilocularia; margo integer pellicula; paries superior crassitiei unius cellulae, brunneus, ex textura epidermoidea compositus; paries inferior crassitiei quatuor cellularum, hyalinus, ex textura globulosa cornpositus; ostiolum distinctum absens, dehiscentia irregularis. Cellulae conidiogenae determinatae, discretae, hyalinae, in centro parietis inferioris restrictae. Conidia holoblastica, acrogena, hyalina, cellula basalis et brachiis tribus, divergentibus , septatis. Microconidia phialidica, hyalina, aseptata, cylindrica vel fusiformia. Sp. typ. : Zelopelta thrina cospora sp.nov, Superficial and immersed mycelium absent. Conidiomata pycnothyrial, superficial, septate, scutate, circular, pale brown, reticulate, unilocular; margin entire, pellicular; upper wall 1 cell thick, brown, of textura epidermoidea; lower wall up to 4 cells thick, hyaline, oftextura globulosa; distinct ostiole absent, dehiscence irregular. Conidiogenous cells determinate, di screte, hyaline, restricted to the lower wall. Conidia holoblastic, aerogenous, hyaline, consisting of a basal cell and 3 divergent, septate arms. Microconidia formed from minute phialides, hyaline, aseptate, cylindrical to fusiform.
Zelopelta thrinacospora sp.nov. (Fig. 1) Mycelium superficiale et immersum absentia, Conidiomata foliicola, usque ad 330 pm diam, in centro 17'5 pm alta, superficialia, separata, scutata, circularia, pallide brunnea, reticulata, unilocularia; margo integer, pellicula peripherale 10-17'5 pm lata. Paries superior crassitiei unius cellulae, medio brunneus, ex textura epidermoidea, cellulis irregularibus, depositis, marginern versus pallidioribus, parietibus tenuioribu s, diffusis, anastomosantibus; paries inferior crassitiei multicellularum, hyalinus, ex textura globulosa compositus, in centro 12/tm altus in profunditatae 4 cellularum sed marginem versus 1 cellulae. Ostiolum distinetum absens, dehiscentia irregularis. Conidiophora absentia. Cellulae conidiogenae 3' 5-7 x 2-3 pm, determinatae, discretae, cylindricae, hyalinae, sese conidium singulum producentes, in centro parietis inferioris restrictae. Conidia holoblastica, aerogena, hyalina, cellula basali, brevi, cylindrica 9-11 pm longa, 2-2'5 pm crassa, ad basim truncata, 3 brachiis, reetis vel curvatis, divergentibus, 25-48 Jtrn longis x 2 pm crassis, 2-4 euseptatis, ad septis constrietis. Microconidia hyalina, aseptata, cylindrica vel fusiformia, recta vel leniter curvata, eguttulata, 6·5-7 x 2 pm, in pycnothyriis separatis ex phialidibus minutis, discretis vel in conidiophoris incorporatis forrnata, In foliis ernortuis Hederae nepalenses, Garhwal Himalaya, India, R. D. Gaur R 32, Jan . 1983, 1M! 275721 , holotypus.
Superficial and immersed mycelium absent. Conidiomata foliicolous, up to 330/lm diam
Tram . Br. mycoL. So c. 82 (3), (1984).
x 17'5/lm high in the centre, pycnothyrial, superficial, separate, scutate, circular, pale brown, unilocular; margin entire, with a peripheral pellicle 1D-17 '5/lm wide ; upper wall 1 cell thick, medium brown, composed of textura epidermoidea made up of reticulately-arranged, irregularly-shaped cells, towards the margin paler, thinner-walled, increasingly less compact but becoming more hypha I and anastomosing; lower wall several cells thick, hyaline, composed of textura globulosa, 12 /lm h igh and up to 4 cells thick at the centre, diminishing to 1 cell thick towards the margin. Ostiole absent, dehiscence by irregular rupture of the upper wall. Conidiophore: absent, Conidiogenous cells 3'5-7 x 2-3 /lm , determinate, discrete, cylindrical, hyaline, each producing a single apical conidium, confined to the centre of the lower wall. Conidia holoblastic, aerogenous, h yaline, consisting of a short cylindrical basal cell 9-11/lm long x 2'5/lm wide, which is truncate at the point of secession, and 3 divergent, straight or curved arms, each 25-48/lm long x 2 /lm wide consisting of up to 5 cells and constricted at the septa. Microconidia hyaline, aseptate, cylindrical to fusiform, straight or occasionally curved, eguttulate, 6'5-7 x z pm, formed from minute discrete or integrated phialides in separate pycnothyria. Using the terminology proposed by Minter, Kirk & Sutton (1982, 1983 ) conidial development may be expressed as follows: Development of macroconidia : Conidial ontogeny holoblastic by apical wall building. Conidial maturation synchronous with conidial ontogeny , Conidial secession by fission of the double septum, R egeneration not ob served . Dev elopment of mi croconidia : Conidial ontogeny holoblastic by apical wall building. Collarett eproduction not observed. Conidial maturation synchronous with conidial ontogen y. Conidial delimitation by one double septum. Proliferation enteroblastic to produce additional conidia at the sam e level. Conidial secession presumably by fission of the double sep tum . Regeneration not observed. The branched or radiate conidial form has been the subject ofmuch ecological speculation especially in studies of aquatic hyphomycetes (I ngold , 1975 ). The wide range in developmental geometry suggests convergent evolution. Possible biological values of at least the tetraradiate aquatic conidial type are connected with the problems of settling and in itial anchorage in the turbulent conditions of running water. Bandoni (1975) discussed the significance of the tetraradiate spore form in dispersal of terrestrial fungi, raising questions concerning conidial release, flotation and dispersal. These problems mainly concern 'water-borne' forms (Marvanova, 1973 ) and include not only
Primed in Grear Britain
Notes and brief articles aquatic fungi but also some species of litter decay fungi. Zelopelta may well come within this category for although the fungus was found on living leaves, Hedera nepalensis does occur in moist forests. Zelopelta is mainly distinguished from other genera of the Pycnothyriales by its conidial morphology. The tri-radiate hyaline conidium, though known in all other groups of the deuteromycetes, has not yet been reported for the Pycnothyriales. Indeed the only genus of this group approaching Zelopelta is Characonidia Batista & Cavalcanti (1965) where the filiform septate scolecospores rather than being branched, anastomose midway along the ir length. There are several other genera of coelomycetes with pycnidial or stromatic conidiomata in which hyaline radiate conidia have been described (Sutt on, 1980), but only in Tetranacrium Hudson & Sutton (1964), Belaina Batista & Peres (1961) and Eriosporella Hohnel (1916) are the conidia of comparable morphology. The conidiomata in these genera are quite different, being superficial and eustromatic with a distinct longitudinal line of dehiscence in Tetranacrium, superficial and cupulate in Belaina, and immersed, unilocular and eustromatic in Eriosporella. They also differ in conidiogenesis: Eriosporella is phialidic, Tetranacrium is holoblastic, and Belaina is holoblastic with sympodial regeneration of the conidiogenous cell.
559 REFERENCES
BANDONI, R. J. (1975). Significance of the tetraradiate form in dispersal of terrestrial fungi. Report of the Totrori Mycological Institute (Japan) 12, 105-113. BATISTA,A . C. &CAVALCANTI, W. A. (1965). Bullaserpens, Characonidia & Scothelius novo s generos de Leptostromaceae. Atas Instituto de Micologia 2, 291-307. BATISTA, A. C. & PERES, G. E. P. (1961). Belaina n . gen. outros Sphaeropsidaceae. Mem orias da Sociedade Broteriana 14,49-"65. HOHNEL, F. VON (19 16). Fragmente zur Mykologie 988 . Uber Cryptosporium Saccardo non Kunze. S iteungsberichte der Kaiserl. Akademie der Wissenschaften in W ien uS, 1°3-110. HUDSON, H. J. & SUTTON, B. c. ( 1964). Trisulcosporium and Tetranacrium, two new genera of fungi imperfeeti. T ransactions of the British Mycological So ciety 47 , 197-203 . INGOLD, C. T. (1975). Hooker Lecture 1974. Convergent evolution in aquatic fungi: the tetraradiate spore . Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society 7, 1-25. MARVANOVA, L. (1973). Notes on Lateriramulosa uniinflata. Transa ctions of the British Mycological Society 60, 145-147. MINTER, D. W. , KIRK, P. M . & SUTTON, B. C. (1982). Holoblastic phialides. Transa ctions of the British Mycological So ciety 79, 75--<)3. MINTER, D. W ., KIRK, P. M . & SUTTON, B. C. (1983). . Thallic phialides. Transacrions of the British Mycological S ociety So, 39-"66. SUTTON, B. C. (1980). The Coelomycetes. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough, U.K.
DETECTION OF GANODERMA LUCIDUM IN BETELNUT BY THE FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE BY M. KOT! REDDY* AND T. V. ANANTHANARAYANANt
Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Regional Station, Vittal 574 243, Karnataka, India
The presence of Ganoderma lucidum in roots of betelnut is detectable by the induction of fluorescent antibodies. This provides an interesting practical application of the technique. Anabe or foot rot of betelnut (A reca catechu L.) caused by Ganoderma Jucidum (Leys) Karst., is a serious disease in India (Koti Reddy, Kumar, Saraswathy & Roy, 1978) and is widespread in illdrained, over-crowded and neglected plantations. Visible symptoms appear five to six months after infection and such palms subsequently die; thus there is a need to detect the disease during the incipient phases of infection to combat it more effectively. As the routine isolation of pathogen Present address: .. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Regional Station, Rajendranagar (P .0.), Hyderabad - 500 030, India. t Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, India. Trans . Br . my col. Soc. 82 0 ), (1984).
from roots is a tedious process, the use of the fluorescent antibody technique was investigated. The pathogen was grown in Waksman's liquid medium for 30 days. 600 mg of dried mycelium was ground in physiological saline, Seitz filtered and the protein content estimated by the method of Lowry, Rosenbrough, Farr & Randall (1951). Antigen preparation containing 600 flg protein /ml was injected intravenously in the marginal ear veins of Albino male rabbits (1'cr1'2 kg wt) for 11 days . An immunization schedule starting with 0'25 ml, increasing by 0'25 ml/day to 2'0 ml (maximum) was used. On the 9th and 10th day, the antigen was mixed with an equal volume of Freud's complete adjuvant (Difco) prior to the injections. Seven days
Pr inted in Great Britain
556
localityyj Oct. 1982, F. Candoussau, G. Gilles & J. Vivant (ZT); Lasiosphaeria dichroospora Ell. & Ev., on a clayey bank in woods, Seattle, U.S.A., Apr. 1892, C. V. Piper (NY), T ype.
Hilber (1979) erected the new genus Herminia to accommodate a fungus described by Ellis & Everhart (1893) as Lasiosphaeria dichroospora Ell. & Ev. In doing so, she overlooked what had been already reported by Fernier (1954), i.ee L. dichroospora is identical with Eosphaeria uliginosa (F r .) von Hohnel (non Eosphaera E. S. Barghoorn, 1965, a fossil alga), based on Sphaeria uliginosa Fr. Fernier (1954) gave precedence to the name L. dichroospora erroneously, thus contravening Art. 57 (lCBN). The anamorph of E. uliginosa shows peculiar features, which, combined with the morphological characters of the teleomorph, leave little doubt as to the distinct taxonomic position of this fungus. Although Phialophora - like anamorphs are known for Lasiosphaeria (Tubaki, 1958) and for some species of Cercophora, especially C. mirabilis Fuckel (U dagawa & Muroi, 1979), anamorphs resembling species of Phialophora but forming conidia in chains are not known for these two genera, and are reported so far only for some Podospora species, e.g . P. fimbriata (Bayer ) Cain (M irza & Cain, 1969 ). Moreover, representatives of Lasiosphaeria are mostly wood-inhabiting fungi, and Cercophora species are known to be coprophilous, whereas E. uliginosa has been found so far only on clay. The retention of a separate genus for E. uliginosa therefore seems justified.
reading the manuscript, Prof. N . Lundqvist, Stockholm, for kindly checking the identification of one French collection, ProfE. Miiller, Ziirich, for his helpful suggestions, Dr M . Dreyfuss, SANDOZ Ltd., Basel, who supplied the PromineD for the protease test and the Directors of Herb. FH and NY for loan of material.
REFERENCES
CARROLL, G. C. & PETRINI, O. (1983). Pattern s of substrative utilisation by some fungal endophytes from coniferous foliage. Mycologia 75, 53~3 . ELLIS, J. B. & EVERHART, B. M. (1893). Eryth ea 1, 197. FERNIER, H. (1954) . Un Bombardia nouveau sur Manioc. R evue de Mycologie 19 (S upplement colonial 1), 1-19.
FRIES, E. (1823). Systema mycologicum 2 , 45 7. HILBER, R. & HILBER, O. (1979). Einige Anmerkungen zu der Gattung Cercophora Fuckel. Zeitschrijt fur Mykologie 45, 209-233. HOHNEL, VON F. (1917). Annales Mycologici 15, 360-363. MIRZA, J. H. & CAIN, R. F. (1969). Revision of the genus Podospora. Canadian Journal of Botany 47, 1999-2048. SAMUELS, G. J. (1979) . Notes on the isolation of solitary ascospores - a field guide. In The Whole Fungus (ed. W. B. Kendrick), pp. 63~45 . National Museum of Natural Sciences, Museums of Canada. TUBAKI, K. ( 1958). Studies on the Japanese Hyphomycetes. V. Leaf and stem group with a discussion of the classification of hyphomycetes and their perfect stages. J ournal of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory 20 , 142-244 .
UDAGAWA, S. & MUROI, T. (1979). Coprophilous Pyrenomycetes from Japan. V. Transactions of the My cological S ociety of Japa7z 20, 453-468.
We gratefully thank Dr S . M . Francis, Commonwealth Mycological Institute for critically
ZELOPELTA THRINACOSPORA GEN. ET SP.NOV. (PYCNOTHYRIALES ) BY B. C. SUTTON
Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey AND R. D. GAUR
Dept Botany , Garh wal University, Srinagar-Garhwal, UP 246174, India Zelopelta thrinacospora gen. et sp .nov. is illustrated and described from leaves of Hedera nepalensis. The tri-radiate conidia have not been reported before in the Pycnothyriales. Hedera nepalensis K. Koch. is a climber which occurs in moist forests and is fairly common on shady rocks. Living leaves were found to bear pycnothyria containing either minute ,m icroconidia or large tri-radiate macroconidia. Such Trans. Br. my col. Soc. 82 (3), (1984) .
conidia have not been described in the Pycnothyriales before and the fungus is suffic iently distinct to warrant the introduction of new generic and specific names.
Printed in Great Britain
Notes and brief articles
I'
J
~
557
~
;)
c::::::>
E
()
~
.
..?- -
F
00 0 0 0
!
20 /lm
DO
~)Op,O~0~00r--°9~8r~gxl?--0 A
IOO/lm
Fig.
1.
Zelopelra rhrinacospora. (A) Vertical section of pycnothyrial conidioma; (B) margin of conidioma ; (C) conidia; (D) conidial development; (E) microconidia; (F) microconidiogenous cells.
Trans. Br. mycol. Soc . 82 (3), (1984) .
Prinred in Grear Britain
Notes and brief articles Zelopelta gen. no v. (ety rn . Zelo(G)-rival et pelta(G)-shield) Mycelium superficiale et immersum absentia. Conidiomata pycnothyrialia, superficialia, separata, scutata, circularia, pallide brunnea , reticulata, unilocularia; margo integer pellicula; paries superior crassitiei unius cellulae, brunneus, ex textura epidermoidea compositus; paries inferior crassitiei quatuor cellularum, hyalinus, ex textura globulosa cornpositus; ostiolum distinctum absens, dehiscentia irregularis. Cellulae conidiogenae determinatae, discretae, hyalinae, in centro parietis inferioris restrictae. Conidia holoblastica, acrogena, hyalina, cellula basalis et brachiis tribus, divergentibus , septatis. Microconidia phialidica, hyalina, aseptata, cylindrica vel fusiformia. Sp. typ. : Zelopelta thrina cospora sp.nov, Superficial and immersed mycelium absent. Conidiomata pycnothyrial, superficial, septate, scutate, circular, pale brown, reticulate, unilocular; margin entire, pellicular; upper wall 1 cell thick, brown, of textura epidermoidea; lower wall up to 4 cells thick, hyaline, oftextura globulosa; distinct ostiole absent, dehiscence irregular. Conidiogenous cells determinate, di screte, hyaline, restricted to the lower wall. Conidia holoblastic, aerogenous, hyaline, consisting of a basal cell and 3 divergent, septate arms. Microconidia formed from minute phialides, hyaline, aseptate, cylindrical to fusiform.
Zelopelta thrinacospora sp.nov. (Fig. 1) Mycelium superficiale et immersum absentia, Conidiomata foliicola, usque ad 330 pm diam, in centro 17'5 pm alta, superficialia, separata, scutata, circularia, pallide brunnea, reticulata, unilocularia; margo integer, pellicula peripherale 10-17'5 pm lata. Paries superior crassitiei unius cellulae, medio brunneus, ex textura epidermoidea, cellulis irregularibus, depositis, marginern versus pallidioribus, parietibus tenuioribu s, diffusis, anastomosantibus; paries inferior crassitiei multicellularum, hyalinus, ex textura globulosa compositus, in centro 12/tm altus in profunditatae 4 cellularum sed marginem versus 1 cellulae. Ostiolum distinetum absens, dehiscentia irregularis. Conidiophora absentia. Cellulae conidiogenae 3' 5-7 x 2-3 pm, determinatae, discretae, cylindricae, hyalinae, sese conidium singulum producentes, in centro parietis inferioris restrictae. Conidia holoblastica, aerogena, hyalina, cellula basali, brevi, cylindrica 9-11 pm longa, 2-2'5 pm crassa, ad basim truncata, 3 brachiis, reetis vel curvatis, divergentibus, 25-48 Jtrn longis x 2 pm crassis, 2-4 euseptatis, ad septis constrietis. Microconidia hyalina, aseptata, cylindrica vel fusiformia, recta vel leniter curvata, eguttulata, 6·5-7 x 2 pm, in pycnothyriis separatis ex phialidibus minutis, discretis vel in conidiophoris incorporatis forrnata, In foliis ernortuis Hederae nepalenses, Garhwal Himalaya, India, R. D. Gaur R 32, Jan . 1983, 1M! 275721 , holotypus.
Superficial and immersed mycelium absent. Conidiomata foliicolous, up to 330/lm diam
Tram . Br. mycoL. So c. 82 (3), (1984).
x 17'5/lm high in the centre, pycnothyrial, superficial, separate, scutate, circular, pale brown, unilocular; margin entire, with a peripheral pellicle 1D-17 '5/lm wide ; upper wall 1 cell thick, medium brown, composed of textura epidermoidea made up of reticulately-arranged, irregularly-shaped cells, towards the margin paler, thinner-walled, increasingly less compact but becoming more hypha I and anastomosing; lower wall several cells thick, hyaline, composed of textura globulosa, 12 /lm h igh and up to 4 cells thick at the centre, diminishing to 1 cell thick towards the margin. Ostiole absent, dehiscence by irregular rupture of the upper wall. Conidiophore: absent, Conidiogenous cells 3'5-7 x 2-3 /lm , determinate, discrete, cylindrical, hyaline, each producing a single apical conidium, confined to the centre of the lower wall. Conidia holoblastic, aerogenous, h yaline, consisting of a short cylindrical basal cell 9-11/lm long x 2'5/lm wide, which is truncate at the point of secession, and 3 divergent, straight or curved arms, each 25-48/lm long x 2 /lm wide consisting of up to 5 cells and constricted at the septa. Microconidia hyaline, aseptate, cylindrical to fusiform, straight or occasionally curved, eguttulate, 6'5-7 x z pm, formed from minute discrete or integrated phialides in separate pycnothyria. Using the terminology proposed by Minter, Kirk & Sutton (1982, 1983 ) conidial development may be expressed as follows: Development of macroconidia : Conidial ontogeny holoblastic by apical wall building. Conidial maturation synchronous with conidial ontogeny , Conidial secession by fission of the double septum, R egeneration not ob served . Dev elopment of mi croconidia : Conidial ontogeny holoblastic by apical wall building. Collarett eproduction not observed. Conidial maturation synchronous with conidial ontogen y. Conidial delimitation by one double septum. Proliferation enteroblastic to produce additional conidia at the sam e level. Conidial secession presumably by fission of the double sep tum . Regeneration not observed. The branched or radiate conidial form has been the subject ofmuch ecological speculation especially in studies of aquatic hyphomycetes (I ngold , 1975 ). The wide range in developmental geometry suggests convergent evolution. Possible biological values of at least the tetraradiate aquatic conidial type are connected with the problems of settling and in itial anchorage in the turbulent conditions of running water. Bandoni (1975) discussed the significance of the tetraradiate spore form in dispersal of terrestrial fungi, raising questions concerning conidial release, flotation and dispersal. These problems mainly concern 'water-borne' forms (Marvanova, 1973 ) and include not only
Primed in Grear Britain
Notes and brief articles aquatic fungi but also some species of litter decay fungi. Zelopelta may well come within this category for although the fungus was found on living leaves, Hedera nepalensis does occur in moist forests. Zelopelta is mainly distinguished from other genera of the Pycnothyriales by its conidial morphology. The tri-radiate hyaline conidium, though known in all other groups of the deuteromycetes, has not yet been reported for the Pycnothyriales. Indeed the only genus of this group approaching Zelopelta is Characonidia Batista & Cavalcanti (1965) where the filiform septate scolecospores rather than being branched, anastomose midway along the ir length. There are several other genera of coelomycetes with pycnidial or stromatic conidiomata in which hyaline radiate conidia have been described (Sutt on, 1980), but only in Tetranacrium Hudson & Sutton (1964), Belaina Batista & Peres (1961) and Eriosporella Hohnel (1916) are the conidia of comparable morphology. The conidiomata in these genera are quite different, being superficial and eustromatic with a distinct longitudinal line of dehiscence in Tetranacrium, superficial and cupulate in Belaina, and immersed, unilocular and eustromatic in Eriosporella. They also differ in conidiogenesis: Eriosporella is phialidic, Tetranacrium is holoblastic, and Belaina is holoblastic with sympodial regeneration of the conidiogenous cell.
559 REFERENCES
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DETECTION OF GANODERMA LUCIDUM IN BETELNUT BY THE FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE BY M. KOT! REDDY* AND T. V. ANANTHANARAYANANt
Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Regional Station, Vittal 574 243, Karnataka, India
The presence of Ganoderma lucidum in roots of betelnut is detectable by the induction of fluorescent antibodies. This provides an interesting practical application of the technique. Anabe or foot rot of betelnut (A reca catechu L.) caused by Ganoderma Jucidum (Leys) Karst., is a serious disease in India (Koti Reddy, Kumar, Saraswathy & Roy, 1978) and is widespread in illdrained, over-crowded and neglected plantations. Visible symptoms appear five to six months after infection and such palms subsequently die; thus there is a need to detect the disease during the incipient phases of infection to combat it more effectively. As the routine isolation of pathogen Present address: .. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Regional Station, Rajendranagar (P .0.), Hyderabad - 500 030, India. t Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, India. Trans . Br . my col. Soc. 82 0 ), (1984).
from roots is a tedious process, the use of the fluorescent antibody technique was investigated. The pathogen was grown in Waksman's liquid medium for 30 days. 600 mg of dried mycelium was ground in physiological saline, Seitz filtered and the protein content estimated by the method of Lowry, Rosenbrough, Farr & Randall (1951). Antigen preparation containing 600 flg protein /ml was injected intravenously in the marginal ear veins of Albino male rabbits (1'cr1'2 kg wt) for 11 days . An immunization schedule starting with 0'25 ml, increasing by 0'25 ml/day to 2'0 ml (maximum) was used. On the 9th and 10th day, the antigen was mixed with an equal volume of Freud's complete adjuvant (Difco) prior to the injections. Seven days
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