MENNINGER: TAIWANIA—A NEW EVERGREEN 417 level of illumination and decreased proportion Comparison of the total free amino acids leads ally with decreasing light intensity. The sugar to the conclusion that they too are depleted in contents and pH of petals were not greatly the absence of adequate light. It is notapparent, influenced by degree of illumination. however, from the data at hand whether proteins In addition to the easily measurable categories were being degraded at the higher light intensi of data in Table 2, observations were made of the ties. It is likely that they were fairly well condition of flowers relative to illumination. exploited at the lower light intensities as indi Poorly illuminated flowers (13 foot-candles and cated by McNew (4). Amino acids do not, how less) had black or white centers, rather than the ever constitute a very efficient source of energy normal pink, and deteriorating peduncles unable per unit weight. to support flower heads. Vase-life of the cut-flowers inthis experiment was prolonged by lighting up to the time the

Discussion experimental plan called for the conclusion of the experiment. During the course of the study, The decline of photosynthetic capacity of repeated observations indicated that flowers leaves of chrysanthemum cut-flowers (Table 1) properly cared for could be maintained in useful with storage under conditions of relatively low condition three to four times as long in the light light intensity (less than 50 foot-candles) may be as in darkness. caused by the degeneration of chlorophyll under Flowers were benefited by light (Table 2) but conditions of organic nutrient stress, as well as not as much as leaves (Table 1). Anthocyanin atrophy resulting from the imbalance of regen content of petal tissue was greater under the high erative processes requiring light. The decrease in light intensity than under low; however, this con respiratory activity relative to lower light inten stituent was not reduced nearly as much as sities is interpreted as a manifestation of the chlorophyll was in the leaves relative to lack of lack of respirable substrate. light. Sugars in flowers apparently were main Contents of sugars (Table 1) are drastically tained under low light intensity atthe expense of reduced in the absence of adequate light. The leaves. chrysanthemum cut-flower apparently does not store enough carbohydrates in the leaves to meet LITERATURE CITED the requirements of the inflorescences and the 1. Aarts, J. F. T. 1957. Over de houdbaarheid van snijblomen. Pub. No. 174 lab. voor Tuinbouwplantenteelt, leaves themselves for very many days. Oxalic acid, Landbouwhogeschool, Wageningen, Holland. 2. Arnon, D. I. 1949. Copper enzymes in isolated chloro- the only organic aciddetected in large amounts plasts. Polyphenoloxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiol. with the aliquots applied to the paper for chroma- 24:1-15. 3. Block,R. J., E. L. Durrum and G. Zweig. 1958. tography, was affected in the same manner as Paper chromatography and paper electrophoresis. Academic Press, Inc. 710 pp. sugars by light intensity. Although the amounts 4. McNew, G. L. 1964. The ever-expanding horizons of oxalic acid found appear to be of consider for plant research. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 77 rXXVIII- able magnitude, this metabolite is rather low- 5. Woltz, S. S. and C. D. Leonard. 1964. Effectof atmospheric fluorides upon certain metabolic processes in grade as a substrate for respiration. Valencia orange leaves. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 77:9-15.

TAIWANIA-A NEW EVERGREEN CONIFER FOR FLORIDA

Edwin A. MENNiNGERi another tree from the Far East that may offer untold possibilities in ornamental use. A brand new evergreen tree for ornamental The name of the new tree is Taiwania crypto- landscape use in Florida is an event. The inva merioides Hayata. As its generic name suggests, sionof the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria ex- it is a native of the island of Taiwan, formerly celsa R. Br.) thirty years ago started a craze that called Formosa. The epithet indicates that it has grown to dominate the conifer section of the looks a lot like a Cryptomeria because of its nursery industry. Now quite unheralded comes closely packed, drooping, almost tassel-like branch tips. Its foliage however, is not soft as in Cryptomeria but hard, almost harsh. l Stuart. Florida. 418 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1965

This 15-foot specimen of Taiwania cryptomerioides grows on the front lawn of the Edward A. Gleason property, 823 Madison Ave., Stuart. Native to elevations of 6,000-8,000 feet in Taiwan (Formosa), it is probably the only specimen of this tree in the United States. SOBERS: ALTERNARIA CHRYSANTHEMI 419

In its native land, according to Hui-Lin-Li lished in the United States grows on the front (1), it is a tree to 200 feet and up to 10 feet in lawn of the residential property of Mrs. Edward diameter, with a straight trunk. It is of pyrami A. Gleason, 823 Madison Avenue, Stuart, Florida. dal shape when young but when old it develops It is now about 15 feet tall. It came as a seedling a dome-shaped crown and has.few branches. In from Clifton W. ("Possum") Long's kitchen- young trees the leaves are linear, Vz inch long, door nursery in Stuart, presumably from seed sharp-pointed. On older trees they become scale- brought from the Far East by a returning serv like, acute, triangular, very sharp and hard to ice man. Long had been a teacher of agriculture, touch. Mature cones found at the branch tips had taught hundreds of Future Farmers of are 1 inch long, brown, contain 12-20 scales with America by whom he was held in high regard. two seeds under each. Long and his nursery are now only memories and Confusion surrounds this tree in some refer no record of his introductions survive. No other ence books. Lee (2) says that Taiwania is a record of .this tree's introduction is available and monotypic genus, and that T. cryptomerioides is the Stuart specimen may be the only one of its a native of Yunnan, China, where it is only 8 kind in this country. feet tall. Hui-Lin-Li disputes this, insisting that LITERATURE CITED this tree is from Taiwan and that the Yunnan 1. Hui-Lin-Li: Woody Flora of Taiwan. Narberth, Pa. tree is Taiwania floussiana Gaussen. 1963. The first Taiwania tree reported as estab 2. Shun-Ching Lee: Forest Botany of China. Com mercial Press, Ltd., Shanghai. 1935.

ALTERNARIA CHRYSANTHEMI IN FLORIDA

E. K. Sobers1 regarding a control for the disease, and because it was apparent that descriptions of A. chrysan- Introduction themi had not been validly published.

In March, 1963, several diseased shasta daisy Review of Literature plants were received from a Gainesville, Florida nursery for diagnosis. Numerous leaf and petiole Alternaria chrysanthemi was first observed lesions were observed, and .some of the more by Crosier and Heit (1) in 1953 on shasta daisy severely affected leaves had withered as an seed originating in the Netherlands. Although apparent result of infection. The diseased plants the fungus was initially identified as an "unusual were traced to a nursery at Ormond Beach, Stemphylium of shasta daisy," it was subse Florida where more than 25 percent of approxi quently described as Alternaria chrysanthemi mately 2000 shasta daisies were found with leaf (2), but was not effectively published because the and petiole symptoms similar to those associated authors failed to provide a Latin diagnosis. In with the Gainesville specimens. Additional col oculation studies (2) revealed that the fungus lections of diseased leaves were received from was pathogenic to shasta daisy leaves, but not to Deland, Gainesville, Miami, Ormond Beach, and leaves of bachelor-button, calendula, calliopsis, Tampa during the spring of 1964 and 1965. An cape marigold, carnation, chrysanthemum (an Alternaria, identified as A. chrysanthmi Sim nual), cosmos, English daisy, strawflower, sun mons & Crosier, was consistently isolated from flower, and sweet sultan. diseased leaves and petioles. In 1958, Schmidt (7) reported Alternaria An investigation of this problem was initiated chrysanthemi sp. nov. from Austria. Disease in 1963 when available literature failed to pro sympotms were described briefly, successful vide an adequate description or information reproduction of the disease by leaf inoculations was reported, but a Latin diagnosis and type Approved by the Director, Georgia Coastal Plain Experi designation of the fungus was not included in ment Station as Journal Series No. 192. the presentation. lFormerly Plant Pathologist, Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture; presently Assistant Leach (3, 4, 5) reported on the effect of light Plant Pathologist, University of Georgia, Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton. on sporulation of A. chrysanthemi in culture,