262 ARTHUR-BISBY— TRANSLATION OF SCHWEINITZ'S 



cussed by me, upon this point, I gladly add here. In the first 

 place this very puzzling base ought by no means to be regarded 

 as a sporidochium, if by this term it is intended to designate the 

 structure so called in Podisoma Juniperi. That body, which is 

 gelatinous and composed of the interwoven stalks of the spores, 

 corresponds exactly with the tremellose ligules of our P. viac- 

 ropus. On the other hand the basilar capitulum, the part in 

 question, is of a wholly different nature. Never, moreover, is it 

 wanting. In fact it always constitutes the first evidence for our 

 fungus ; showing itself in the earliest stage on the slender 

 branches of J. virginiana of the size of a rather large pinhead, 

 enlarging gradually, usually without altering the affected 

 branch, and swelling into a more or less regularly turbinate and 

 plicate capitulum, — reaching a diameter of an inch, or even two 

 inches. Its texture when dry and old is fibrous-corky, as in Fis- 

 tulina but not succulent-fleshy, as if composed of fibers radiating 

 from the broadly obconic pedicel — otherwise presenting at the 

 time a somewhat woody condition. The immature capitulum, 

 on the other hand, may be easily cut like an apple, or even eaten. 

 Externally it has an epidermis-like cortex from lilac to fuscous 

 purple in color, entirely juiceless like the skin of an apple. Over 

 the whole surface appear regular pits, polygonal or mostly 

 pentagonal, at first merely applanate, soon impressed and umbo- 

 nate ; finally during wet weather, the cortex rupturing in the 

 center, the ligular gelatinous sporidochia an inch long are pro- 

 truded — bedecking all the trees during a rainy spring night as it 

 were with the richest crop of ripe oranges. If the wet weather 

 continues for some days, the ligules in this condition begin to 

 dissolve. In the sunshine, however, the ligules are soon dried 

 out — and they never again revive. The capitulum persists 

 through the year. Old specimens are internally not unlike ex- 

 crescences of trees. Yet never can a capitulum be found with- 

 out ligules, at least at first, nor ligules without a capitulum. It 

 is usual where trimmed juniper trees are forced artificially into 

 a pyramidal or other shape for this fungus to attack them in in- 

 credible abundance — but according" to my observations carefully 

 made during ten years, such trees are not destroyed, nor do 

 they appear even to be harmed. There are therefore many 

 people, and not a few educated ones, who thoroughly believe this 

 fungus to be the inflorescence or genuine fruit of the juniper. 

 I am thoroughly convinced by careful study that the base has 

 nothing to do with insect work. Yet it is not to be positively 

 asserted that it is fungous. It seems to me to be a very ab- 

 normal growth, concerning which there is nothing more to say — 

 but it should be further studied. 



Note. — The structure of the base of this fungus in its young state 

 before it protrudes the gelatinous ligule. accidentally omitted in its proper 



