318 PODISOMA MACROPUS, 
cesses formed by sporidia with the peduncles, (natural size). 
g. One of the masses magnified, shewing the ruptured cell 
(from surface of Cedar apple). 
The fungus described by Dr. Wyman is clearly Podisoma macropus, 
Schwein. in Am. Phil. Trans. vol. 4, p. 307. No figure has hitherto, as 
` far as I know, been given of it. Dr. Wyman's communication, therefore, 
though not containing any absolute novelty must be regarded as very 
acceptable. As Dr. Schweinitz's notes on the subject do not appear to be in 
the hands of many botanists, we think it may be agreeable to our readers 
to have a translation of them. 
. It may be as well to state first, that the species was published in the 
earlier memoir on the fungi of Carolina, p. 74, under the name of Gymnos- 
porangium. Juniperi Virginiane. Link changed the name to Gym. macro- 
pus, and in his later memoir, Schweinitz refers it to the genus Podisoma, 
retaining, however, the specific name given to it by Link, _ 
** The species,” says Schweinitz, * is rather rare in those parts of Upper 
Carolina with which I am best acquainted, but very common in Pennsyl- 
vania infesting, especially, clipped trees of Juniperus Virginiana and com- 
monly known by the name of the ** Cedar Apple,” under which it is sold 
inthe markets as a powerful but fabulous anthelmintic. Link expresses 
his sorrow that I have not investigated the anatomy of the lower part of 
the sporidochium. I willingly give here what information I have on the 
subject. First then the base is by no means to be regarded as a sporido- 
chium, if one isto regard as sporidochium what is usually so termed in 
Podisoma Juniperi. That gelatinous body composed of the matted pe- 
duncles of the sporidia exactly agrees with the tremelloid ligules of our 
Podisoma macropus. The basilar globe in question is of quite a different 
nature, It is, however, never absent. It always precedes our fungus; 
shewing itself in the most delicate branches of J. virginiana of about the 
size of the head of a good sized pine, gradually increasing and generally 
swelling into a more or less regularly turbinate, plicate head which is 
traversed by the branch in an unaltered condition, and attaining a diameter 
of one or two inches, The substance in the dry and old plant is fibroso- 
suberose as in Fistulina but not succoso-carnose, as if from fibres radiating 
from a broadly obconic stem, but then preserving its somewhat woody 
habit. On the contrary, when flourishing, it is easily cut and eaten like 
an apple, and becomes hard when dried. Externally there is an epider- 
mis-like bark of a brown purplish lilac tint, and altogether juiceless like 
the peel of an apple. The whole surface is regularly dotted with polygo~ 
nal usually pentagonal foveola which are at first plane, but presently 
dimpled and umbonate ; at length the bark being ruptured in the centre, 
the ligulate tremelloid sporidochia burst forth in moist weather, about an 
inch in length of the most beautiful orange colour, adorning in the course 
