Contributions to a Mycological Flora of Local Soils

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Abstract
Isolations of fungi from twenty-two samples of Illinois soil have been made. The soils ranged in type from pure sand of the shore of Lake Michigan to humus of wooded areas. Samples were taken from cultivated and uncultivated areas, at the surface and at depths of 5, 15, 25, 45, 60, 90 and 120 centimeters. Examination of pure cultures of the fungi yielded thirty-nine species and one variety, belonging to eighteen different genera. In addition, four Actinomyces and several yeasts were observed. Fungi were most numerous at the surface of the soil, decreasing markedly with depth. A few forms, however, were found to be present at depths heretofore unexamined; namely, Actinomyces spp., Penicillium sp., Trichoderma Koningi, and Zygorrhynchus Vuilleminii at 60 centimeters; Penicillium sp., Verticillium lateritium, and Zygorrhynchus Vuilleminii at 90 centimeters; and Chaetomium subterraneum, Penicillium sp., and Trichoderma Koningi at 120 centimeters. In tilled areas species of Mucor were dominant; in untilled areas they occurred only sparsely. In surface soil species of Mucor, Aspergillus and Penicillium were most numerous; in sub-surface soil, Penicillium spp., Trichoderma Koningi, and Zygorrhynchus Vuilleminii appeared more frequently than other forms. The following eight species are herein reported for the first time as occurring in the soil: Chaetomium subterraneum Swift & Povah, sp. nov., Circinella simplex van Tiegh., Mucor griseolilacinus Povah, Myrothecium convexum Berk., Stysanus medius Sacc., Trichosporium nigricans Sacc. f. lignicola, Trichurus terrophilus Swift & Povah, sp. nov., and Verticillium lateritium Berk. Chaetomium subterraneum and Trichurus terrophilus are described as new species. The conclusions of previous workers with regard to the genera found most commonly in the soil: namely, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Trichoderma, and Zygorrhynchus, are confirmed by the present work.

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