1918] 



BURT THELEPHORACEAE OF NORTH AMERICA. X 309 



Illustrations : Broteria 5 : pi. 2. f. 3. 



Fructifications with several to many pilei borne on very 

 short branches of a common central stem at or near its apex ; 

 stem cylindric, velutinous with setae, hazel to Brussels-brown; 

 pilei coriaceous, thin, expanded, drying strongly inrolled, even 

 or sometimes rugose, silky and antique brown when young, 

 finally glabrous except for setae which are scattered over the 

 upper surface and more abundant towards the stem, bister, 

 concentrically zonate, with narrow, dark zones near the 

 margin; hymenium a little darker than the upper surface, 

 Prout 's brown to Mars brown, abundantly and conspicuously 

 setulose; in structure 250-400 /x thick, composed of a setig- 

 erous layer up to 150 /x thick and of a hyphal layer 

 constituting the remainder, and not bordered on either side 

 by a denser dark zone; setae 90-150x9-15 ii, emerging up to 

 40 /i, tapering upward from the base, starting from all parts 

 of the setigerous layer; spores not found. 



Fructifications 5-8 cm. high, 2-3 cm. broad; individual 

 pilei up to 2 cm. broad and 2 cm. long in specimens seen ; stem 

 3-5 cm. long, 2-4 mm. in diameter in dried specimens. 



On the ground and buried wood. Guadaloupe and Honduras 

 to Brazil. October. 



I have seen only two collections which seem referable to 

 H. formosa and the one of these from Honduras contains a 

 young, bright-colored fructification which affords the details 

 concerning the young stage given in the body of the above 

 description and does away with the distinction as to zonation 

 of pileus upon which Leveille founded H. formosa, the orig- 

 inal description of which appears to have been based upon 

 an old form of H. damaecornis at a period in mycological work 

 when mere form differences were over-emphasized. I give H. 

 formosa with full description in the hope that more ample 

 collections may be accumulated which are not confined to a 

 single stage of development. 



Specimens examined : 

 Exsiccati : Rick, Fungi Austro-Am., 10. 

 British Honduras: M. E. Peck (in N. Y. Bot. Gard. Herb., 



and in Mo. Bot. Gard. Herb., 55551). 



