Further observations on Bensingtonia ciliata

Mutant strains of Bensingtonia ciliata have been obtained from old cultures. One of these failed to give rise to aerial hyphae, but formed prostrate pseudoballistospores as well as aerial ballistospores. In both the normal and pseudoballistosporic strains, ballistospores germinating close to a parent colony gave microcolonies in which the initial yeast phase was much reduced or eliminated. Mutant strains were also isolated which were entirely yeast-like and did not form ballistospores.