44 Clavarias of the United States and Canada 



In the dried state our plants agree well with plants from Ithaca 

 (see below) that Bresadola considered C. nigrita, and the spores 

 are the same. We find the spores to be smooth, ovate, 2.2-3 x 

 4.5-6.6(j-. However, Bresadola's description does not agree very 

 well (Fungi Trident. 1: 62, pi. 67, fig. 4). He describes it as 

 brittle, hollow, flattened, with a central channel and with a fari- 

 nose odor. No mention is made, moreover, of the remarkable, 

 close-set ridges that distinguish our plants. However, the orig- 

 inal description would not exclude our plant. It is described 

 as cespitose, black, long-clavate, 1.9 cm. long, 4 mm. thick, flexuose, 

 subcompressed, apex attenuated, at times erect, at times reflexed, 

 substance fragile, hollow inside, when dry superficially subcorru- 

 gated. This is very like ours except for being hollow and fragile. 

 There is in the Schweinitz Herbarium a collection from Bethlehem 

 labelled C. nigrita Pers. Its spores are few and uncertain and 

 mixed with others, but some seem about like those of our plant. 

 The little dried up plants do not help much. There is also a 

 fragmentary collection from Schweinitz at the Kew Herbarium. 

 Clavaria striata Pers. is excluded by its much lighter color and 

 constantly hollow club which is only sparsely striated ; and C. litm- 

 bricoides Wiggers (Primitiae Florae Holsaticae, p. 107. 1780)* 

 differs in light color (sordid white, then grayish ash, then lead 

 color) and hollow club (which is not said to be ridged). The 

 latter may be what we are calling C. fumosa. 



Clavaria cinereo-atra Rick (Broteria 5: 12. 1906) resembles 

 the present species in its simple, rugose, blackish cinereous clubs, 

 but is quite different in its large subglobose spores, 15[a in diame- 

 ter. Clavaria Greleti Boud. (Bull. Soc. Myc. Fr. 33: 13, pi. 4. 

 1917) is of the same size and color as C. nigrita, but has sub- 

 spherical spores 7-8[x thick, and is not said to be sulcate. 



Illustration : Bresadola. Fungi Trid. 1 : pi. 67, fig. 4. 1884. 



North Carolina: Chapel Hill. No. 2794. Many plants in scattered 

 colonies in moss and thin grass under elms and crepe myrtle in Dr. 

 Mangum's lawn, July 28, 1917. 



New York: Ithaca. Atkinson. (Bresadola Herb.). "Sp. hyaline, sub- 

 stramineous, 5-6 x 3//,." In the dry state this looks like ours and has 

 the same spores. 



* This name does not appear in Saccardo. The book is extremely rare and was 

 published at Kiel, Germany, as a doctor's dissertation. Dr. Barnhart has a copy. 



