POPULATION VARIATIONS OF EPIPHYTIC BACTERIA

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Abstract
Stained bacteria were observed on the surface of bleached leaves. On most plants in Puerto Rico, bacteria were absent during dry weather and were found in varying numbers with the onset of a rainy period. In Ohio, there were a few or no bacteria on leaves of crop plants sampled at different times during the growing season. Drops of sterile water were placed on individually boxed leaves of field cucumber plants that were brought to the laboratory. Areas of leaves that had been covered by drops for 24–72 h carried sizable populations of bacteria. On adjacent leaf areas not covered by drops and subjected to a high relative humidity, bacteria were absent or few. Similar results were obtained in the laboratory with boxed, detached leaves from field-grown plants. We conclude, therefore, that a probable reason for the sparsity of epiphyllous bacteria in Ohio is that free water usually does not remain on leaves for a long enough time to permit the formation of significant bacterial populations.

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