Abstract
The present paper deals with the results of the writer's investigations on the cellulose-decomposition by Lenzites abietina FE., L. subferruginea BEER., L. trabea (PERS.) FR. and L. saepiaria (WULF.) FR., and the relation between their ability to cause decay and cellulose-decomposing one.
At the first experiment, a synthetic mineral-salt-solution and potato extracts, being inserted with a piece of filter paper as the carbon source, were used as the culture medium. The filter paper showed some changes by the developments of mycelium on it. A careful examination of the filter papers inoculated with these fungi had been done under a microscope. Taking the results of this experiment, L. trabea was clearly recognized as having the power of decomposing cellulose, but the other fungi showed generally a tendency of the poor growth of mycelium and were not recognized the power of decomposing cellulose.
At the next experiment, the writer cultured these fungi on the media containing colloidal cellulose for 7 days. This colloidal cellulose was prepared from filter paper by use of the sulphuric acid method. The cellulose decomposing abilities of these fungi were compared by means of measuring the ratio of the area of no-coloured portion appeared around the developed colony by ioden-solution and the area of the fungi colony. As far as the writer's experiment was concerned, it may be said that all fungi tested, more or less, able to decompose cellulose. Such fungi, as L. abietina No. 3, L. abietina No. 4 and L. subferruginea No. 5 showed the most active ability, while L. trabea No. 3 was the weakest. The other fungi were insetted between the above two groups. In this experiment, the cellulose-decomposing abilities seemed to be almost parallel to that in their virulences and the fungi, which were strong in their virulences, showed generally the active ability in the cellulose-decomposition in the case of L. subferruginea, L. trabea and L. saepiaria, but not in the case of L. abietina.
