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In the present study, in vitro selection technique using pathogen culture filtrate of Colletotrichum falcatum Went was employed with the aim to identify associations (if any), between selection at the cellular and plant level for red rot resistance in sugarcane (Saccharum sp.). Five to eight months old sugarcane calli of genotypes CoJ 88 and CoJ 64 were screened in vitro against pathogen culture filtrate for two selection cycles. Effect of pathogen culture filtrate on callus survival and/or proliferation was observed to be directly related to its concentration in the selection media. Calli survived and exhibited further proliferation at 5, 10 and 15% v/v pathogen culture filtrate concentrations whereas, at higher concentrations (20 and 25% v/v) proliferation was completely inhibited. Shoot regeneration percent was higher in calli selected on 5% pathogen culture filtrate concentration than those selected on 10 and 15% concentrations. In vivo screening of field transferred somaclones against two pathtypes (Cf 03 and Cf 08) showed considerable variation for red rot resistance. Somaclones regenerated from resistant and/or tolerant calli exhibited better resistance than the parental genotypes. The results indicated that in vitro selection for red rot resistance was effective and expressed when somaclones were screened in the field. This indicated a positive association between in vitro and in vivo methods of selection for disease resistance in sugarcane.

A new genusUnguiculariella under the family Hyaloscyphaceae, order Helotiales of the inoperculate Discomycetes is proposed for material collected from Bhutan. The species,Unguiculariella bhutanica Thind and R Sharma gen. et. sp. nov., is described and illustrated.

Ethylene is a gaseous plant hormone (phytohormone) that play an important role on in vitro shoot morphogenesis in many plant species. The aim of the present investigation was to critically analyse the role of an ethylene inhibitor i.e. silver nitrate (AgNO3) on shoot organogenesis in sugarcanecvs. CoJ 83 and CoH 119. Different concentrations of silver nitrate were tested in the medium: 1 mgl−1, 3 mgl−1, 5 mgl−1 and 10 mgl−1. Genotypic dependence was observed between cvs. CoJ 83 and CoH 119 with different concentrations of AgNO3 tested in the medium. Among the varying concentrations (1–10 mgl−1) of silver nitrate tested, per centage of leaf roll segments responding were improved giving highest number of shoots per explant on MS medium + Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA; 5 mgl−1) + Kinetin (Kin; 0.5 mgl−1) + AgNO3 (3 mgl−1) in cv. CoJ 83 and on MS medium + NAA (5.5 mgl−1) + Kin (0.5 mgl−1) + AgNO3 (5 mgl−1). The number of shoots formed per explant increased to two-fold and the shoot length was also increased as compared to control. Data recorded on the number of roots and root length also showed a significant increase over the control in both the varieties.

SUMMARY This paper records 10 taxa of the genus Rosellinia from India, viz.: R. aquila, R. thelena, R. himalayensis, R. apiculata var. macrospora, R. corticium, R. sublimbata, R. indica, R. thindii, R. mammiformis and R. medullaris. In addition to the morphology of the stromata, anatomy is also described for each species. A key to the taxa included is given. Of these R. himalayensis, R. indica and R. thindii are described as new species, R. apiculata var. macrospora as a new variety. The remaining six species are new records for India. De Notaris (1844) described the genus Rosellinia (Xylariaceae, Sphaeriales), based on Sphaeria aquila Fr. Subsequently several pyrenomycetes with globose ascocarps, with or without well-developed stroma, were included in the genus. Saccardo (1882) divided the genus into 10 subgenera based mainly upon the features of perithecia and subiculum. Miller (1928) for the first time showed the presence of a definite stroma around the perithecium in species of Rosellinia and considered them close to species of Hypoxylon. Martin (1967) suggested also that there were close affinities of species of Rosellinia with Miller's section Primocinerea of Hypoxylon. Martin proposed a new section, Entoleuca in the genus Hypoxylon, embracing species of Rosellinia, species of section Primocinerea of Hypoxylon, and a few other species of different groups. We have treated Rosellinia and Hypoxylon as separate genera following Dennis (1968) and Mfiller and Arx (1973). Rosellinia was previously represented in India by 13 species. None was reported from the northwestern Himalayas except for two incompletely known species, R. andurensis Ces. & de Not. and R. bonaerensis Speg. These two species are listed in the "Fungi of India" by Butler and Bisby (1931), and are stated to be reported from Dehradun and Nainital respectively. The original material of both these collec

This paper gives an illustrated account of 7 species, 2 varieties and one new form of Clavariaceae collected from Dalhousie Hills (North-Western Himalayas) and Darjeeling Hills (Eastern Himalayas). All these are new records for India.

Three new species of Helotiales collected from the Northwestern Himalayas are described. These are Helotium filicinum, H. epiphylloides and Belonioscypha sessilis.

Three new species of Pezizales,Boudiera parvispora from Darjeeling,Cheilymenia simlensis from Simla andC. chandigarhii from Chandigarh, are described.

(1957). The Myxomycetes of the Mussoorie Hills. IV. Mycologia: Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 128-133.

This paper gives an illustrated account of 6 species ofXylosphaera Dumortier from the various localities in the North-Western Himalayas. Out of these 4 are new records for India.

Trace element studies were carried out on six species ofHelminthosporium—H. sativum P. K. B.,H. avenae Eidam,H. teres Sacc.,H. oryzae Br. de Haan,H. turcicum Pass., andH. sacchari (Br. de Haan) Butler. The trace element contaminants from glassware, water, basal medium and inoculum were removed by various usual means. In addition, disodium salt of Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) was used to remove trace elements from glassware and water. Out of the 16 trace elements tested, Fe, Zn and Mn were found essential for the growth of all these species ofHelminthosporium; Cu for the growth ofH. avenae, H. oryzae, H. turcicum andH. sacchari but not for the growth ofH. sativum andH. teres; Mo and Ca for the growth ofH. oryzae andH. sacchari but not for the growth ofH. sativum, H. avenae, H. teres andH. turcicum. No other trace element was found essential for the growth of any of these fungi. Optimum concentrations in ppm of the essential trace elements for these fungi were as follows:H. sativum: Fe 10·0, Zn 0·0001, Mn 100·0,H. avenae: Fe 1·0; Zn 10·0; Mn 0·1, Cu 0·1;H. teres: Fe 0·01, Zn 10·0, Mn 0·01;H. oryzae: Fe 0·001, Zn 10·0, Mn 0·1, Cu 0·0001, Mo 0·0001, Ca 750·0;H. turcicum: Fe 0·1, Zn 0·1, Mn 1·0, Cu 0·1;H. sacchari: Fe 1·0, Zn 10·0, Mn 100·0, Cu 0·01, Mo 0·0001, Ca 250·0. Concentrations higher than the optimum were inhibitory to the respective fungi.

Trace element studies were carried out on five pathogenic fungi—Cercospora hibiscina Ellis and Everh.,C. withaniae H. and P. Syd.,C. crotalariae Sacc.,Monochaetia sp., andPestalotia theae Sawada. The trace element contaminants from glassware, basal medium, water, glucose and inoculum were removed by various usual means. In addition, EDTA was used for the removal of trace elements from glassware and water. Out of the 15 trace elements tested, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn were found to be essential for the growth of these five fungi while Mo was found essential only for the growth ofC. crotalariae andMonochaetia sp. No other trace element was found to be essential for any of these fungi. Optimum concentrations in ppm of essential trace elements for these fungi were found to be as follows:C. hibiscina: Fe 0·2, Zn 0·01–0·1, Cu 0·01 and Mn 1·0;C. withaniae: Fe 1·0, Zn 1·0, Cu 0·1 and Mn 10·0;C. crotalariae: Fe 0·01, Zn 10·0, Cu 0·001, Mn 0·1, and Mo 0·001;Monochaetia sp.: Fe 1·0, Zn 0·1, Cu 0·1, Mn 0·1 and Mo 0·01; andPestalotia theae: Fe 10·0, Zn 0·1, Cu 0·01 and Mn 0·01. Concentrations higher than the optimum were inhibitory to the respective fungi.

Duosporium cyperi gen. et sp. nov., collected on Cyperus iria Linn., is characterized by the production of 2 types of conidia, macroconidia and microconidia. The macroconidia are straight, cylindrical, triseptate, with their middle cells dark brown, long, thick-walled, and end cells much paler or subhyaline, short, thin-walled, the middle and the end cells being equally wide. The microconidia are nonseptate, spherical, dark brown, prominently verrucose, and produced apically on the conidiophores like the macroconidia; occasionally also formed as secondary conidia on germinating 3-septate macroconidia in culture. The formation of 2 distinct types of conidia in Duosporium and the features of its macroconidia characteristically differentiate it from its close relative Helminthosporium, although Duosporium cyperi is not unique among fungi in producing 2 types of conidia.

Three new species of Thelephoraceae, Peniophora indica, P. fibuligera, and Aleurodiscus toxicola, from the northwestern Himalayas are described and illustrated.

This paper records additional species of the Helotiales from the Mussoorie Hills (5000-7500 ft altitude in the North Western Himalayas) as a part of the study of the fungus flora of that region undertaken by the senior author and his students. The first contribution (2) described eight known species. This second contribution deals with three new species belonging to Midotis, Helotium and Rutstroemia. The fruit bodies are described from fresh material as well as from that

Out of fifteen trace elements tested, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu were found to be essential for the growth as well as sporulation ofClaviceps microcephala andMicroxyphiella hibiscifolia; Mo forC. microcephala but not forM. hibiscifolia; Ca forM. hibiscifolia but not forC. microcephala. No other trace element was found to be essential for either of these fungi. Optimum concentrations in ppm of essential trace elements were found to be as follows:C. microcephala, Fe 0·2, Zn 0·1, Mn 1·0, Cu 0·01 (0·01–0·1) and Mo 1·0;M. hibiscifolia, Fe 0·01 (0·01–0·1), Zn 10·0, Mn 1·0, Cu 10·0 and Ca 10·0. Concentrations higher than the optimum were progressively inhibitory to the respective fungi.

This paper records 10 more taxa of the genusRamaria (Fr.) Bonorden subgenusLaeticolora Marr and Stuntz collected from different localities in the eastern Himalaya and adjoining hills.Ramaria synaptopoda, Ramaria rasilispora var.scatesiana, Ramaria sandaracina andRamaria suecica are new records for the Himalaya whileRamaria flaviceps var.cremea, Ramaria flavobrunnescens, Ramaria flavobrunnescens var.formosoides, Ramaria flavobrunnescens var.aurea, Ramaria obtusissima andRamaria camelicolor are being recorded for the first time from the eastern Himalaya. Type/authentic collections of the first 3 taxa have also been examined.

In this paper an account of 12 taxa of the genusRamaria (Fr) Bonorden collected from various localities in the eastern Himalayas and adjoining hills is given. Of the taxa includedR. rubella varhimalaica is described as new;R. rubrievanescens, R. rubripermanens, R. botrytis, R. strasseri andR. flaccida varlongiramosa are now records for the Himalayas; whileR. clarobrunnea, R. flaccida, R. pusilla, R. concolor andR. apiculata are the first records of their occurrence in the eastern Himalayas.

Three strains of TRIC agent were isolated in embryonated eggs from 82 patients with clinical trachoma. These strains fixed complement with Psittacosis-Lymphogranuloma-Trachoma group-specific antiserum.

(1957). The Pezizaceae of the Mussoorie Hills (India). V. Mycologia: Vol. 49, No. 6, pp. 831-836.

(1959). The Myxomycetes of the Mussoorie Hills (India). X. Mycologia: Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 159-162.