Observations on a giant race of the stem eelworm, Anguillulina dipsaci, attacking broad beans, Vicia Faba L.

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Debray and Maupas (1896) described a disease of broad beans, Vicia Faba L., occurring in and around Algiers, N. Africa, caused by the stem eelworm, Anguillulina dipsaci, the adults of which were considerably larger than from any other host plant attacked by this species; the females being 1·758 mm. to 2·216 mm., and the males 1·716 mm. to 2·016 mm. long. As far as the writer is aware, from the time their paper appeared to the present time no further record of such giant forms of A. dipsaci has been published. During the past few years the writer has encountered similar large forms in diseased broad bean stems, first in material originating in Portugal and on two later occasions in bean plants grown under ordinary field conditions in this country, and it seems desirable to put on record a short account of his observations.