Vol. 28 



No. 4 



BULLETIN 



OF THE 



TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB 



APRIL 1901 



A preliminary Contribution to a Knowledge of the Hyd 



By H. J. Banker 





It is the purpose of the present paper to review our knowledge 

 of the American mesopus forms of the genus Hydnum, with a 

 view to call attention to these plants and prepare the way for 

 an ultimate thorough revision of the group. In the present 

 chaotic state of our knowledge of these plants, accuracy in the dis- 

 crimination of species or in the formulation of a synopsis is often 

 impossible ; it is hoped, however, that the paper may be found of 

 some service to the field botanist. The writer has found himself 

 greatly hampered in his work by the difficulty of obtaining suffi- 

 cient material for his purpose. It has seemed best, therefore, to 

 prepare this contribution, imperfect though it must be, to en- 

 courage the cooperation of collectors in the accumulation of 

 material and notes for a more thorough study of the group. 

 Thus far the work has been based to a great extent on 

 herbarium material, which, particularly in the fleshy forms, 

 has proven very unsatisfactory. It is important that the 

 plants should be studied in the living condition and ample 

 notes made of their characteristics. Unquestionably there are 

 many species at present confounded under a single name. This 



seems 



H. imbricatum, H. ft 



and H. zonatum. It is probable that this is due partly to the 

 scattered and inaccessible character of the literature on this group 

 but chiefly, doubtless, to the fact that the forms have not received 

 a careful comparative study, which can only be accomplished with 



[Issued 18 April] 199 



