[Vol. 2 

 732 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 



I have looked through these collections very carefully to sort 

 out, without examination now of everything by microscopic 

 methods, just those specimens which ought to be studied at 

 once for citation in this part, but some of the specimens most 

 desirable for citation have undoubtedly been deferred for the 

 present as probable Corticiums. 



As it is really a nice microscopical task to recognize longi- 

 tudinally septate basidia when they are not at their best, 

 some notes, based on my experience, may be helpful. Species 

 of Tremellodendron are the most easily recognized, for a 

 little of the moistened and softened hjTiienium may be picked 

 out with a scalpel, placed in a drop of water, stained with 

 aqueous solution of eosin, 7 per cent potassium hydrate solu- 

 tion added, and then crushed do^vn by pressure on the cover 

 glass. In the detection of species of Eichleriella and Sebacina, 

 thin vertical sections of the fructification are necessary. After 

 the sections have been made turgid and clear by potassium 

 hydrate solution, the latter should be drained off and the sec- 

 tions stained by merely a sufficient amount of solution of 

 Gruebler's eosin soluble in alcohol, and mounted in water for 

 temporary examination. It may be necessary to spread apart 

 the tissues of the preparation somewhat by pressure upon 

 the cover glass. If the preparation is to be preserved per- 

 manently in glycerin, a drop of dilute solution of sodium 

 chloride should be run under the cover glass before the 

 glycerin is added to insure a permanent stain by the Gruebler 

 eosin. 



Longitudinally cruciately septate basidia are simple and 

 pyriform or subglobose when young, but so are the pro- 

 basidia of Septohasidium, the possible storage organs of 

 Corticium polygonium, and the basidia of some species of 

 Corticium. The basidia of the latter are likely to form a 

 layer at the surface of the fructification and are certainly 

 simple if any can be detected bearing sterigmata and perhaps 

 spores while still non-septate. In a fructification having longi- 

 tudinally septate basidia, the hymenial surface is usually com- 

 posed of paraphyses and of long, slender sterigmata arranged 

 side by side; in this surface layer — but sometimes at a con- 



