Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


 FELTY FUNGUS
 Caused by Septobasidium pseudopedicellatum Burt.
 In Florida and the tropics the twigs and branches of citrus
trees are frequently encircled by growths of the felty fungus.
This fungus also occurs on a number of other trees. It causes
little, if any, direct damage to citrus trees. The fungus appears
 most frequently on the twigs, some-
 times extending along the leaf-stalks
 and bases of the leaves. It appears
 as a soft, felt-like covering, light
 brown to gray in color, which en-
 circles the twig on which it may be
 growing and envelops it for a dis-
 tance of from one to three or more
 inches (Fig. 49). The surface of
 the growth is smooth and compact or
 membrane-like, while beneath this
 the mass is soft and spongy. The
 fungus grows over the surface and
 does not appear to penetrate the bark
 tissue. Patches of it occasionally oc-
 cur on the leaves. The development
 of this fungus is thought to be related
 S.to the occurrence of scale-insects.
 The felty fungus occurs chiefly in
 the more moist situations, especially
 in groves in low hammocks. It is so
 rare and the injury so insignificant
 that it scarcely warrants any control
 measures. It may be eliminated, how-
 ever, by cutting out the twigs and
 branches bearing the fungus.
 L FLYSPECK AND SOOTY BLOTCH
 Caused by Leptothyrium pomi
 Fig. 49.-Felty fungus en- (Mont. & Fr.) Sacc. and
 circling live grapefruit
 twig. Gloeodes pomigena (Schw.) Colby
 The flyspeck fungus occurs occasionally on citrus and other
 fleshy fruits in Florida. This fungus (Leptothyrium pomi) de-
rives its name from the minute black specks consisting of closely