Aspergillus Fumigatus, A. Nidulans, A. Terreus N. Sp. And Their Allies

Wehmer in one of his keys based upon single characters has brought together some short-stalked species of Aspergillus!without indicating that the number of correlated characters found might justify more than an arbitrary grouping.He calls this section '"Schwachwuchsige"' or weak growers in spite of the fact that its best-known members, A. fumigatus and A. nidulans, are cosmopolitan and aggressive forms.If we substitute for this designation the designation short-stalked Aspergilli with calyptriform heads, we will * Published by permission of the Secretary of Agriculture. 1 Wehmer, C., Die Pilzgattung Aspergillus in morphologischer, physiologischer, und systematischer Beziehung unter besonderer Berticksichtigung der Mitteleuropaeischen Species.Mém.Soc.Phys.Hist.Nat.Genéve 337: 1-156.Pls.1-5.1901.This paper is commonly referred to as Wehmer, Monograph (Monogr.). ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS, A. NIDULANS, A. TERREUS N. SP. 85The conidia found are mostly globose and range in diameter from 2.5 to 4.5 mb.A species in the avellaneus series which has been intensively studied will be discussed first.The name Aspergillus terreus is proposed for this species, which has been under observation for about five years.It was first studied from soil cultures made by Prof. W. M. Esten in Connecticut.It was afterward found in soil cultures by Mr. F. M. Scales in Virginia and California, by Mr. S. A. Waksman in New Jersey, and by Mr. F. C. Werkenthin in Texas.It has been isolated from feces by Mr. G. W. Turesson at Seattle, Washington, from decaying avocado in Florida by Prof. H. S. Fawcett, and by the writers from decaying forage in Kansas, from cornmeal ground in Indiana, from musty tobacco, from waters bottled on the American mainland and in Porto Rico, as well as from numerous chance inoculations.It is readily recognized and not uncommon in routine cultures from decaying and soil-contaminated substances.Some of the cultures obtained reproduce the morphology and reactions of the strain first studied within the degrees of variation found in successive transfers of the same pure culture.With the accumulation of material, however, we find ourselves with a series of related strains rather than a single organism.These vary in colony characters and in details of reaction but present close resemblances in essential characters which render separate descriptions for most of them impossible, as in the case of the forms of A. miger.? It is entirely possible that investigation, strain by strain, might show equally conspicuous differences in their activities as among the black forms.