5 
— = 
a 
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MurRILL: POLYPORACEAE OF NorTH AMERICA 433 
tematic position. The name I have chosen for the genus refers to 
this resemblance. There is only one species known. 
Porodiscus pendulus (Schw.) 
Pesziza pendula Schw. Syn. Fung. Car. 92. no. 1183. 1818. 
Cyphella pendula Fr. Syst. 2: 203. 1822. 
Sphaeria pocula Schw. Proc. Acad. Sci. Phila. 4: 189. pl. 2.7. 
6. 1834. 
Enslinia pocula Fr. Summ. Veg. Scand. 2: 399. 1849. 
Polyporus pocula Berk. & Curt. Proc. Am. Acad. Arts & Sci. 4: 
ig2. 1850. : 
Polyporus cupulaeformis Berk. & Curt. Grevillea, 1: 38. 1872. 
This species has been much confused because of its similarity 
to members of other groups. Schweinitz at first called it Pestsa 
digitalis Alb. & Schw. (Consp. Fung. 315, no. 943. pl. 5. f 7. 
1805), a European plant which it outwardly resembles, but in pub- 
lishing it he adds “nisi nova, minor, durior, pendula a me nomi- 
nata.”” That this name pendula was unpublished previous to this 
time is indicated by the fact that he cites this as the place of its 
publication under Cyphella pendula in Proc. Acad. Sci. Phila. 4: 184. 
1834. That it was in common use may be judged from the fact 
that Fries got it in manuscript from Schwaegrichen, a friend of 
Schweinitz and the editor of his work on the fungi of Carolina. 
When Schweinitz received more mature specimens of the same 
Species from Dr. Torrey collected on branches of ash, he named it 
Sphacria pocula, at the same time stating that the plant was entirely 
similar to his Cyphella pendula, except for the presence of peri- 
thecia. A southern form on sumac was later named /olyporus 
cupulaeformis by Berkeley and Curtis. Te confusion that has 
arisen is partly due to the small size of the plant and the changes 
that take place in it as it develops. On emerging from the bark 
of its host it is erect, sessile and depressed at the center without 
the appearance of a Polyporus. Later, the central depression is 
occupied by a porous hymenium and a stipe develops, which varies 
in length and is more or less curved according to its position on 
the branch. The surface could hardly be called tomentose, but is 
uniformly covered with a brown powder, which bleaches and 
partly disappears in age. 
