186

(b) Single-stemmed species-.·Jcanlh orh ·iza. aCl/leala, Wend!. T,io'islolla aliissi'lll(b, Zoll., L . allsl /'(/Z;o. )1urt., /,aialllia Com'lItcl': .~o n;,i., L., Ca-ryola II'rell S, L., Blae'!:, gll'ineellsis, J ncq., Gocos pZ/(_ /nosa., Lockl. . Jla1'l;nez;(t cwr!JolaefoZ·ia, H. B. K., Phoe lli.~ 1')l lncola An·ders ., DY(Jsis madagasc(vriell sis, ROTt., Ol'eodont 1·eg;a., H. B. K,' A cI ':n oritylis calaPP(tria , ·Wenell., D;ct!J0spel'll1(t aZ/)wlI, W. and D.: A 'rchonlojJit oe'n'i,~ ,1le~'a'iLd1'(le, \\'endL )fone oI these require much shade.

A 1'1-::\ n : PL.t:\ l'S. )lany pa.lllls lend themsch'es 1'01' th is kind. Qf wOI'k and the rollo,wing h8l'e Dl'oved Yen' eJi'ectil-e.-

SabaZ }xtZmetio, Loc1d., Gal'yola l/1·ell ." L., DIj /Js·is madaga-l_ C(1Jrien~1'8, Hort., Oreodo:m 1'egia, H. B. K. , Cocos pllllltosa, Loc1d., a nc1 rl!'ellga sacchwrifera, J"uhill., all of whi eh fl,re su n mther than . hade loy ing plm)ts.

'Ii'. 'F LIPPA XCE.

(To be coni·inll ed) .

THE FUNGUS FLORA OF HEVEA BRASILIENSIS.

A little while ag-o an enqnirv was rec-e iyerl a king- what were the fung us cli seases of J{ceea. b·ra.,iM.ensis. On consnlt in g- the li tera. ture on this subject it was ascertained that there wa. no rccent ('ompletr . cnllll1eration of' the diseases that ha I'e been found to ;lttack th is tree in Malaya. Such li sts lUI I'e heen preparec1 for {)ther cO llntries, as for instance b~' l 'etch for the [fevea, in Ceylon, but the cli"eHscs are not nece. sa rill' the same in different countries ;llld it scemed dcs irable therefo re to hUl'e a li st for Malaya.

At the sa me t imc the present paper g-oes further than record­ing the di . eases that hal'e aetuall.'- bcen' prol'od and enu merates all fung i, both those that arc known to be paTa it.i c and those that are so fa r Tega rded HS sapropln -tic, .'I-hi ch hal'e been fOUlld on H evea locally.

The importauce of having suc·h a list is ably reasoned by Pro­fesso r C. F. Baker in VoL II, No. 11 of the" Gardens Bulletin," in his article" Hevea Yersus Fungi."

The records from wh ich thi s compilation is made are the works and collections of IL N . R.icUey, W. J. Gallagher, K . Banc­rol't, A. SllflJ'ples, W. N . C. Belgra I'e, R M. Ri chards, and C. F. Baker.

It is cons ic1ered that add itions will hal'e to be made to thi list from t ime to t ime as further investigations produce new records.

R.idley in " The Agricultural Bulletin, Straits Settlements and Federated Mala.y States," VoL X, 19111, page 141, quoting M. George V C'\'llet gives on page H3 " a list of all pests recorclec1 to the plant," and numerates 25 species of fUllgu , end ing with the com­ment, " This Illay 'eem a fonnic1able list but it is really small comparcd with the pests which attract most culti mtecl plants."

187

'1'he ~ame remark may equa1J \' ,,-ell apply to the present list 1 ,t it is to be hoped that t he latte r part of it may lIOW be modified ':~IIs icl crabl\'. One might in deed at first wo nder whether the H evea I 'CI' would grow at all nnelor t he bnrc1ell of such a 1l111nber of un­i:"'ited gIH~sts, and so far no ot,her kind of tree ill ~L1l a,n, has so ,,"111,1' fung i ob~e"l'ecl on it, Jt mllst be remembert;d hO\l'cver that Ihe thief rea~on RO llIalll' l ung' are here recorded I ihat so much ill,liridual attentioll has bee n paid to the !le,'e{t b~' :n-Ialavan Illy­.. olog-ists, There ]s no doubt t ha t a ll equally large nnmber of fllllg i wonl,l ue fo un,l on a nY other tree grown und er Rimila r con­ditions an(1 ,tud iecl so ass iduously and ympathet ica ll y b\· exper ts ,

In the present list t he Tung i aTe grouped accoTC1ing to the i,' rc;;pectil'e habitats, Jt \I'i ll be seen that all part: of the tree carrv their qllota and that a,ll the g reat groups of' fungi are represent!:'l!.

HOOT ,I:\D CO LL,Ul,

VOlli es 1i.r; II Os(/s .. L\J otseh ( Polypo1'{we{w) , An orange coloured brl1cket f ung ll s, probably the beRt knoll'u of rubber cl iseases , Pre­liOIlSI.", this fu ng us \\'as k ll own as F , se'l",i·lo,/·tts, Sacc, O\l-ing to a 11'1'0110' determ ill lltioll in the fi rst installee , The first specimens ill o )[111 3.1' \\'eTC coll ected bY Ridley ill 1896 and fOl'll'arded to Ke\\' , (,ollsitlcrable wor k has been carriecl ont in connection ,,'ith i t. ch iefl " hI' Gallagher and BallC'I'OH, allcl i published in the bullet.in of the licpl1rtment of Agri clIl t llre, Fede l'ated Malay States,

li'om.es pseudo! e'I'I'e1t", \\'a kefielcl ( Pol!JPo?'ace{w) , The " IT et Hot" of l levca, prcl'iously i1eseribed under P 01'ia. liypola.te1'iiia , 11ll'cstigated by Belg ral'e in lH17-1 919,

ffelicoba,.·,:d'iwlI , (') 11, /JIompa , Tanaka (Tftelephontceae) , The 'per imens whi (,h \re rc co lleded by Ridley i ll Selang-or in 1901 lI'ere steril e, a nd co uld 1I0t be rlefinitely determined, ~'fa~see C01l­

,itle red them a pel' ios of " el-icoba8idiwl! pr obabh H, /nompa which is I'en ' clestnlt'tiye to the llllllbern i n Ja,llH II , So further collections of t h is fUllgl]S ha 1'0 been r ecor ded , -

Hy11tenoc/wele '!loria , Bel'k, (Thelep ftom ceae) , A common , oroll'l1 root disease,

II'pex flavus, K lotsch , (1 f ydnacea,e) , A bright yellow woody fllngu. first coll ected on rubber by Ridley in 1 97, Bancroft's investigations are publishecl in the bulletins of the Department of ,\ gricllltm e FecleTatecl Malay States. It is cOllsiclered to UJe pllm t ic,

Manwlt iug 'I'ot{tlis, B , et Br. (Ag1'icaceae) , Bancroft rc­cords thr mycel ium of this fm'gns as oeeming at the base of trees, like" horse hai ... " •

Poria hY1Jolnte1'ilu, Ber k, ( PolYPo'l'{tceae) , In vestigatecl by Belgrayc and org:in allv c1etcrllliJl ccl a this species at Ce,doll , Later II re-determin aition bas referred t he specimens to Fomes psudo­/erreus,

USfttl·ina zonUla, Sacc, (Spltael'iaceae) , A black crustaeeous fungus which attacks the t rees at their collar causing loss of foliage

188

and "eHe back." Investigated by Brooks and Sharples find reo corded in the bulletins of the Agricultural Department, Feclerated lIHlay States .

.-r.yla:r·ia. cynoglOSSCL, Cooke (Sphaeriaceae) . A ,small pale coloured tongue-soha,ped fungus reconled by Bancroft.

STEM AND BRANCHES. rlpiOSP01'iu1n a)nL1n, Massee (Pe,·ispo,·iaceae) . Fo und on dead

branches, Bancroft does not consider it a parasite. Asterima temLissil1UL, Petch, (Pe1·'ispo" iacecw) . Petch considers

that this mould lives on the sugary secretions of the nectarics at the base of the leaves.

Bot?'yodiplodia theob'ro'l1Lae, Pa t. (8pltae,·io'idcLceae ). 'Report. ed by R. M. Richards as a cause of "Dieback."

Ceph(Llospon:wn, sp. (Mucedi,naceae) . B€corded by Belgrave as one of the f ungi present in " moulch rot" on tapped surfaces. He also fou nd it a parasite on 11 emilea vastatn:'!; .

Co rticiu1n calcelL1n, :B'ries, (Theleplto1'acea,e) , A b~rk fungus determ in ed by Massee jn 1906.

C01'liciu1n javawicum, Zimm. (Th elephomceae ). A cauSe or " Pink Disease."

('01'ticiu11L salmonicolo,', B. et. B 1'. (Thelepho1'aceae). The cause of " Piilk Disease." Described ,in deta il by Brooks and Sharples in the bulletins of the Agri.cultural Departnlent, Federated loblay States,

(r,.ypiovalsa lnicrospo1'a., Sacc, (Sphae,.iaccCte) . A new species found b,' C. F . Baker on rotting stems.

Cyphel?a hereae, JlrIassee (Thelepho /'a.cea,e) , A canse or "'Phrcac1 bl ight." ]~ound on the bark by B, M. Richards.

Dalcli,via concenln:ca,. Ces. et De X ot. (Sphae"iaceae). A dark chocolate coloured bUll shaped fungus forming hard globular masses, OCCUlTing commonly on dead wood.

/ Daldin-ia conceni1'iccL, Ces. :val', escholzii, Ehrenb. (Sphacl'·ia· eeae) . Found on a dead trunk.

Didy,nella oligospo"a, Sacco (Sphaen'aceae). Recorded by C. F . Baker on dead branches ,

D'illlodia "apa.'!;, lIr[assee (Sphaerio'idaceae) . Described by Rid. ley as a " pestilential black fungus" and na!llecl by Massee in 1909,

Diplodia, sp, (SphcLe1'ioidaceae) , . '£-lle cause of "Die Back:!' It is considered to be a wound parasite, that is to say, it can onl,Y enter i ts host through a dead or wounded part. The fungus- itself is scarcely visible to the naked eye, and is in the form of minute black dots on the dead shoots.

E'LtYl'a ccmlivo1'a> JlrIassee, (S pham·iaceae) . This fungus forms lllllnerous large bJack blotches on the trunk and is considered by JlrIassee to be a par,asite. Bancroft suggests it is a "wound para· site," and quotes Petch as stating that this fungus is the same as Numm nZm',ia pithodes.

"

189

E1tt.l/pa hl,dibnnda, Sacco var. heveana, Sacco (Sphael·iaceae ) . Recorded by U. F . Baker on dead limbs.

C/loeospo·riuln albo1"Ubnl1n, Petch (M elancon·iaceae) . Report-ed on dead shoots. .

II i.meola )Jolyt·richa, Mont. ('TI·e1nellaceae). A thin dark colourcd fleshy fungus occmri nl{ in clusters at the ends of dead l)fl1l1ches or wonnded parts. .

H.l/pochnAI8, sp. (Theleph01·acea,e) . A" thread blight" f un-0'115. n Tlypoxylon oodes, B. et. Ilr. (Sphae1"'iaceae). A black nodular incrusting f ungus reported bv Bancroft on dead branches.

/ T yst81·Vum he-vec~mvln, Sacco (H ystel·iaceae) . On dead limbs. Letnbosia {flonioides, Sacco (Hyster·iacecle) . On dead limbs. Megalonectr·ia. pseudot1-icha, Speg. (Hy)Jocreaceae) . ' Bancroft

de cribes th is as a bright red minute f ung;us forming small round bodies the size of a pin's head . It occurs on dead bark and stems. Brooks states that Stilbml! cinnabal'inu-m is the conidial stage of this fungus.

JY ecl1··ia di·versispom.,. Petch (H y pocreaceae) . A com111on . small red fungus, saprophytic on elead bark and fruits.

N ecl1·ia. S(lng'l~inea, Fries ( HY1JO~TeaCe(w) . An orange reel apropllYtic fungus found on the bark.

N eot·rotte·n:a )JnlchelllL, Sace. Found on the bark by C. F . Baker and described by Saccardo as a new species.

11-nln'nmlal·ilL pithodes, P etch (Sphael·t"aceae) . Reported by Brooks and Bancroft to- be common on dead branches and roots. It is one of the causes of black lines in the wood. Its black frueti­fiC>ltion has the appearance of a piece of asphalt . Petch considers gull/pa rcvllli7'ora. Massee, to be the same tiling.

]\ l,m·m7dIL1·'i(~ 1·e[Jandoides, Fuck. "ar . singIL)Jo1·ensis, Sacco (8pliaeriaceae) . On dead limbs.

Oospo1'a gilv(~, Berk. (Mucedvnaceae) . A pink powelery f un­l)lIS recorded by Bancroft as occurring commonly on burnt rubber stems.

Perone7,I,Ylla. Ii eleramntli oides, Sacco (S)JhILeriaceae). Record-eel by C. F . Baker on elea 1 limbs. .

Ph.lfllosti9Ii(' heveae, LimJU. (Sphae1·ioidaceae) . A disease .affecting t he youngest shoots and widely spread throughout the ronntry. It is · closely associated with the" die back" fungus, and B;-\ll croft considers that in mallY cases of the" die back" disease the primary cause is this fungus .

PhyllostictlL "/"amicola., Petch (Spliam·ioicla,celLe) . Recorded by Bn ncroft as a stem disease. _ Phylophythom PlLberi., Maub. and P . spp. (Pe·renospo1·aceae ) .

"\ cry common and destructive parasit~s creditcd with causing ., Black Thread," "Stripe Cauker," "Cambium Rot," anc1 canker ·of the bark .

190

Pleonecir;ct he'reana, Sa cco (TrYIJOCreaceae). On rot ting stems , Pol,usiictus sa'l1,q'uine'llR, Fries (lJoly poraceae). The most

lmiliant colo11l'ed and Olle of the pretti est of ~1al"ya.11 Lracket flln~i ]ts colo11r YaTies from a brilliant scarlet to clark blood red , ~It gl'OIl'S on all dead wood I'en comlllOll.h el·er.li\rhere.

Schizoplt .Ulz,ulll GO'mm'UILe, Fl'. (:1 ,qa1'icaceae- ). A small mush. l'OOIl! with a latcral stipe gro)I'ing in patches over dead wood 'inlCn "'et it is a -fleshv colour amI expanded but when cln' it turn; white and the edges becomc inrolute. It is denseh covered with hairs and is to be found on almost anY dead \rood.

SpilUe1'onlJ'I11.a, sp. (8 pllUlJ'rioid(tceae ) . R<lported b}' BelgraYe to be the cause of. " mouM,v rot" Oll the 'tappcd s l1rfa ec~ .

8t'ilbella l, wreue, Limm. (Stilba.ccue) , A minute pin shaped 'fung us "'i th a salmon colourcd head anel dark coloured stalk. Re. ported b. ' Ban croft on dead uark.

S l'ilbutn cillllubwri:nu'tn, (Mon t.) Lind, (St ilbucecw ). On dead parts, reportcd b.'· Brooks to be the cOlli dial stage of jJ{ ega.lonecl1·jCt pse !tclok ichia.

'fhY1'idwria, f;un Za, Bancroft (S j,haeriaceae) . Considered bl' B'IDcroJ't as thc perfect stage {)1 the" Diplodia " fungus, the ca llSO

of: « die back," Vill cens of Saigon a l ~o does not think this should be separated f rom Diplocl-ia.

Tyla.1"iu oiJovuta, Berk. (S piwe1'ia,ceae ). 0 II stnmps . • tylct1'ia scop1fo'/'11/.'is, Mont. (8ph ct81'iucea.e) . Recor ded b,' Hid .

.I e." alld Ballcl'oft on dead wooel . . l·ylwrict t ube1'ifon nis, Berk. (Spha.eriacecte) . Occurri II ~' 011

. stum ps. LBAVEti .

H eltninlilOspo'riu,tn heveae, P etch (Demat';aceue) . Heconled b.I' Hi clle~' as attacking t he yonng leaves an d proving troublesome ill nurseries. .

Limacinia jcvvunica, Sacco (81lhael"iacecte). A soot.r mould re· cOl'cleel by Bancroft as followiug OIl a scale, L ecuniu'ln nign t'll!. Snch fun gi live on the honey dew secret ed by the insect and do not actuall." extract any foocl from the leaves, although their pl'esenee in masking the leaves is harmful in a young plant,

Pestulozz'ia Guepvni,. Desmaz (111 eluncon'iuceue) . This f llllgus first appears as small grey spots, more or less circular in sbape, These spots enlarge and often coalesce and are bordered by a narrow bla ck line. The fungns ki lls the chlorophyll alld conso· gnelltlv cau 'es the gre'y coloill' of th e leaf:. Hecor ded by Bancroft. This f ung us is a l'e]'v serious di sease OJ I tca.

Phyllostictu heveae, Limlll . (S ph UC1'io'it/aceae): Recorded by Ban croft as a Jeaf parasite .

S phael'ellct hcveunu, Sacco (S I;haeriaceue). Hecently collected on dead lc3l'cs by C. F . Bakel', and considered a llew species by Saccal'clo.

191

F urn . ..Isleri,II(1. Irllllissill/(I, l'eteh (PerisporiCLce(l.c) . Reconlecl by

Blllltl'Oft in J!J1.3. · .Y~('/ ria d'h'ersispom, Petch (IT!IPO Crcacccw) . A. mall sa lmon

,<)Iollred fungus 011 el ead fruit s.

PIlEl?AIlED R uiJUlm .

Bacilills prodigioslis (Bac/erio cecte). Reported b" Bancroft. as "'1I1sing reel spot· 011 rubber crepe.

Cit 1'0111 08po'ri Llnl cruslacewll , Sharp. (]J~I.cedillctCe((,e) . Report­~cl by Sharples as ca using a blark spotting in plantatiOll crepe.

JiJlIroi.iwn candid/lUll, Speg (Perispori?t.cerLe). A COJ!)mon moulel . repOl'recl by Bancl·oft. Sharples consiel ers that the opaque spot on sheet m ight he att ributed to this fungus.

}l'lIsari/U/11, sp. (T~LberclL/ctr iacea e ). Stated by Sharples to ('/1use a "iolet flu . h on sheet rubber. rreyionsl.r Bancroft. had stateel thi s \\'as cluc ' to Bacillus 1·io/ctCells .

.1[01l((8CII8 l, clero8po1'IIS, Sch roeter (Pcrisporiacrae) . Bancroft repOl·ts thi:; f nngus as causing a spotting on preparell Tubber. ru­rer·t.ion n"n' take place From jungle wood both in the field or in the drying hou ·c.

l'enici71illlll III(lClIlaIlS, Shal'p (.lIlIcedina cea.e) . ]' he caUf'e of a yello\l' d iffnserl fln ~h on ru bber. T nyestiga ted by Sha rple

.... ·ponrl.ljloclaCZ1/1tn //law7a1l s, Ban croft (D ema.t1aceae). A CHuse "r rubber spott i ng.

Tricftorlerll1fL A'01/1I1g,:, Oud . et Konnig (ilflLcedina.ceae). Con­>iclered by I'lha rples no the ('H II RC of blue black spot on crepe.

The abol'e waR nireaelv written when an article eutitled "Dis­{'ase SC'arc " appcared i n" " The India-Rubber Jonrnal" of 15th \ orember ] nH) jJage 21 . The. itua ion i 'rell summed up in the first bm paragraphs as foll o,,'s :-

c. \\'e do llot think that an yone ('ould " isi.t anI' part of the East \\'ithou t ueing impressed ":ith the havoc whieh' dl sea§es have wrought on rnbbel' t rces. Even i I' a yi sitor to the tropics does not 'ce many rubbc r c~tates he is fai 1'11' educated on the subject by the Ea tern Press. There is a pos. ibilitx that many individuals who hare ris ited the 'i~ast for the first time 111>1 v be led to take an cxaggerntecl yiew of the dan <Yer from diseases, so far as rubber estates arc ('oncern ccl. We do not, a. our readers know, wish to minimise the impoTta ncc of the subject ill TClation to the future {Jf i~n tern plan tation.- hut ,ye feel bouncl to ay that in many cases the number of t rees a fl'ecteil on particu'lar estates seem to bear some ratio to t he netil' itv of the Press and the number of investi­gator. who hare repo rted on t he properti es.

c. SonIC estates which lllwe not allowed mycologists to visit them dec-laTe that t hel' are free fl 'om ,lisease. While snch a condition llJay be possible ' \\,e have "ery gra ve doubts as to whether any pro-

192 , perty of considerable age is free from the various bark and root diseases so prevalent throughout the Eas t . We beliel'e that Olllllo t plantatiol1S there are plen ty of affected specimens to be found if the staff is f,'ec to search fOT them. We have gellerally founel that thc keener t.he managers and assistants ar~ the larger the muuber of eases reporteel ill the usual monthh- statement."" ,

It is a matter for considera tiou as to whether the term « Scares" should be applied to the recording of the e elisea es whi ch are obviously always with us but oDly occasionally reported accorcling to the. opportunity the scielltist has to investigate then; or as they assume undue prominence. They may probably pro\ide a « ,'caTe " for the outside mall who is nervous anel over allxiou about his investment but they should hardly be considered in that light by competent experienced managers for with the assistance of these same scien tists who TecOl'd these diseases, they should feel quite capable of dealing with them aod holding them in check.

T. F . CRIPP.

Tuba-Root (Derris elliptica).

As AN I NSECTICIDE .

Readers of Georg'c Maxwell's "In Ma l.ay Forests" will re­collect the graphic account of a fishing expcd i tion where the Malays used the root of the TlLba-plant as fish POiSOll.

Many plants ~xi st in the Tropics, and notabl., in Inilia, "'hieh can be put to the saIne purpose of ki lling fish, and Watts' Di ction­ary gives a fairly long list of them . Throughout the Malay Archi­peIago Tnba-root a.ppea.rs to be the poi son most in use, ami a y eT)"

ciIecti ve Olle it is in the hands of expert nati ves.

The inte.resting quest ion arises whether the toxic properties of this .root are also effectual for the dcstruction 0:[ insect life; for, if such were the case, its application to agriculture is naturally aU inclicated.

The OhLnese appear to have sohed the question to their sa.tis­faction, fo r ' we knolY that they employ tuba extensil' cly for the protection of their ·crops against in jurious insects. In Samwak. thc Chinese pepper planters always have, or hacl (for the writer' visit dates far hack) a few bushes of tuba growing alongsidc tbeir "ines."

Beyond that Ju, 0\\,1 eclge, however, the enquiry suggests itself ,yhethcT the maceTa ted tuba-Toot, a used by the hinese, acts as a stoma<)h -poison to chewing insects, when taken with their food . as it c10es in the case of grasshoppers and beetles, or as. a contact poison for insects whi ch obtain their food by suckin g.. as bugs and plant-lice generally do, or whetheT its toxicity is effective both a c. ::ion tad and .a. stomach poison.

,

* Tuba.-root IS now largely g!:own in Singapore.