56 The Irish Naturalisi. March., 1917. 



in the following note which has been kindly communicated hv ^liss 

 Wakefield of the Kew Herbarium : — 



" This fungus is not uncommon in Britain, and has been previously 

 recorded under the name Thelephora mollissinia , Pers. There has been 

 much confusion as to nomenclature in connection with it, and probably 

 T. mollissinia, Pers., T. penicillata (Pers.) and T. Crustacea, Schum. are 

 synonyms of T. spicnlosa, Fr. The reasons for adopting the latter name 

 are explained in a note which it is hoped will appear in the next number 

 of the Transactions of the British Mycological Society. This plant 

 is somewhat variable, but among British species is readily recognised 

 by its habit. It grows on the ground, spreading over dead leaves wi 

 decumbent or slightly ascending fan-like clusters of branches, or en- 

 crusting the base of grasses and other small plants in the same way as 

 Sehacina incrustans (Pers.) Tul. The slender cylindrical branches nto 

 which the margin of the sporophore divides have conspicuous whitish 

 fringed tips, from which character the specific name is derived." 



The only previous Irish record for Thelephora spicnlosa appears to be 

 Rademon, Co. Down (Lett, as 5. moUissima). 



R. Lloyd Praeger. 



Dublin, 



Elymus arenarius on the North Bull. 



In his interesting note in last month's Irisii Xatiiralist on the appearance 

 of Elymus arenarius on the North Bull Mr. Colgan places the probable 

 date of its introduction after the closing of the Bull to the public in 191 4. 

 I can, however, push back the date a few 3ears. In June, 1909, I gathered 

 Elymus arenarius on the North Bull on the exact spot described by Mr. 

 Colgan. The specimens are now in the Herbarium of the National 

 Museum. My note-book says there were two patches. T looked for it 

 again early in the following season, but unsuccessfully. However, in 

 the autumn of that same year Miss M'Ardle (now Mrs. Patman) and 

 I came across it again. Shortly afterwards Dr. Pethybridge independently 

 found the grass and brought specimens to the Herbarium.. He also 

 reported having seen only two clumps so that the colony seems to be on 

 the increase as !Mr. Colgan records four patches. At the time I made 

 some enquiries as to the probable source of origin, and amongst others 

 I wrote to Mr. Campbell to ask if Elymus arenarius was grown in the gardens 

 at St. Anne's ? I received a very interesting letter in replv, which I do 

 not think I can do better than quote, since it supplies an explanation of 

 the presence of the grass on the North Bull. ]Mr. Campbell says " with 

 reference to Elymus arenarius I have not got it here, but I think I can tell 

 you iiow it has appeai^ed on the North Bull. The late Mr. Burbidge for 

 years before his death used to fill his pockets with all sorts of seeds whi^h 

 he thought likely to grow there and on the cliffs at Howth. He told me 

 so himself, and I have no doubt the above is the result." 



Matilda C. Knowles. 



National Museum. Dublin. 



