Thelephoraceee 



FAMILY IV. THELEPHORA'CE-ffi Fr. 



Gr. a teat; Gr. to bear. 



Sporophore erect and stipitate, with a central stem, effused, with the 

 upper portion free and bent backward, or entirely resupinate. Hyme- 

 nillin perfectly even or radiately wrinkled, glabrous or minutely bristled 

 with projecting cystidia; basidia normally 4-spored. Spores without 

 a division, colorless or colored. Massee. 



In Thelephoraceae are shapes closely resembling those found in Hyd- 

 naceae, Polyporaceae and Agaricaceae. The genus Craterellus is closely 

 allied to Cantharellus, and, though the spore surface is much less 

 wrinkled or veined, resembles it in several of its species. Other types 

 show likeness to Merulius in Polyporaceae ; others to Tremellineae and 

 Clavariaceae. Many puzzles are presented by its species, but the solv- 

 ing is interesting. 



Though populous it contains but few edibles. The best of them is 

 Craterellus cornucopoides. 



SYNOPSIS OF GENERA. 



A. SPORES COLORED. 

 Spores smooth. 

 CONIOPHORA. 



Resupinate, dry and pulverulent. (No edible species reported.) 



ALDRIDGEA. 

 Resupinate, soft and subgelatinous. (No edible species reported. ) 



Spores warted or echinulate. . 



THELEPHORA. 

 Dry and fibrous, hymenium rugulose. (No edible species reported.) 



SOPPITTIELLA. 



Subgelatinous, effused or variously incrusting, hymenium even. (No 

 edible species reported.) 



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