Clavarias of the United States and Canada 107 



Clavaria crocea Pers. Comm., p. 57 (189). 1797. 



Plates 28 and 84 



Growing separately or in clusters of 2-4, with the stems ap- 

 proximate but not fused. Plants very delicate, 1-1.5 cm. high, 

 6-8 mm. broad, stalk distinct, about % to >4 the entire height, 

 minutely furfuraceous, branched in an open way 3 or 4 times, the 

 angles lunate, tips acute, the branches terete; color throughout a 

 rich chrome-orange or in one form golden yellow ; texture tender, 

 but quite elastic and not brittle ; flesh color of surface ; taste and 

 odor none. In drying the color becomes more intense — a deep 

 red-orange in the orange form, while in the yellow form it be- 

 comes dull ochraceous. 



Spores (of No. 21, print) white, subspherical, obscurely as- 

 perulate, 2.5-2.7 x 3-3. 3[x. Basidia (of No. 4660) about 3[u thick, 

 4-spored; hymenium about 20[x thick; threads of flesh 2.5-5.5[a 

 thick, clamp connections present. 



The above description, except for mention of a yellow form, is 

 drawn from our collection from Redding, Conn. (No. 21), which 

 may be considered the typical form. The plants were growing in 

 a fine colony covering an area of less than a square foot and the 

 individuals were remarkably regular in size, color and form. 



We do not think there can be any doubt that our plants are cor- 

 rectly referred to this species, which is unsurpassed for delicacy 

 and beauty, and is one of the rarest of Clavarias. Persoon's 

 description is in perfect agreement and his colored figure is of the 

 same shape and size although of slightly different color (distinctly 

 more reddish). Except the next there is no other earth-growing 

 American species of such extreme delicacy. Clavaria crocea has 

 been reported only a very few times since Persoon's day. Berke- 

 ley includes it as British in his Outlines (p. 280), but Cotton and 

 Wakefield place it among excluded species. The plants at Kew 

 on which Berkeley based his record are very delicate, long- 

 stemmed, branched above, about 1 cm. tall, ochraceous in dry state. 

 It may be correctly determined, but we could find no spores. 

 Schweinitz reports it as very rare at Bethlehem (Syn. Fung., p. 

 181 ) , and there is a good plant so labelled in his herbarium. Brit- 

 zelmayr's figure of what he calls C. crocea is something quite dif- 

 ferent from Persoon's plant (Hymen. Sitdb., Clavariei, fig. 24). 



