[Vol. 12 

 336 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 



Specimens examined : 

 Florida: Snapper Creek Hammock, W. A. Murrill, 226, comm. by 



N. Y. Bot. Gard. Herb, (in Mo. Bot. Gard. Herb., 62083). 

 Louisiana: St. Martinville, A. B. Langlois, 1947 and 100, type, 



comm. by Lloyd Herb., 277 L 



105. P. similis (B. & C.) Massee, Linn. Soc. Bot. Jour. 25: 

 147. 1889. 



Corticium simile Berk. & Curtis, Linn. Soc. Bot. Jour. 10: 337. 

 1868; Sacc. Syll. Fung. 6: 631. 1888. 



TjT^e: in Kew Herb, and Farlow Herb., and a fragment in 

 Burt Herb. 



Fructifications broadly effused, adnate, becoming light buff to 

 cream color in the herbarium, somewhat velutinous, cracked, the 

 margin thin; in section marguerite-yellow and darker next to 

 the substratum but with yellow color bleached by action of 

 potassium hydrate solution on the sections, 200-500 [j. thick in 

 the type but finally up to 2 mm. thick, composed of densely ar- 

 ranged, erect hyphae 3 (x in diameter, and of great numbers of 

 cystidia; cystidia incrusted, not colored, conical or fusiform, 

 15-25 X 6-8 [JL, very numerous in all regions; spores hyaline, 

 even, allantoid, 4 X 1 ;a, borne 4 to a basidium. 



Fructifications ''spreading for several inches." Fragmentary 

 specimens examined are 1-4 cm. in diameter. 



On under side of frondose logs and fallen limbs. Florida, 

 Mexico, West Indies, and Japan. October to March. Prob- 

 ably common. 



P. similis closely resembles Corticium portentosum in aspect, 

 and I am unable to distinguish it from the latter except by exam- 

 ination with the microscope which reveals the abundant, small, 

 colorless cystidia. P. tephra is closely related but does not 

 form as thick fructifications, and its fructifications are less 

 cracked, darker-colored in section, with darker, thicker-walled, 

 more erect and more crowded hj-phae, and slightly larger spores. 



Specimens examined: 

 Florida: Cutler Hammock, W. A. Murrill, 63, comm. by N. Y. 



Bot. Gard. Herb, (in Mo. Bot. Gard. Herb., 62093); Royal 



Palm Hammock, W. A. Murrill, 112, 113, 119, 122, 125, all 



