Clavarias of the United States and Canada 81 



states except our own. The basidia in American plants are cer- 

 tainly 4-spored and so are the British, according to Cotton and 

 Wakefield (Trans. Brit. Myc. Soc. 6: 181. 1919). Patouillard's 

 figure shows but two sterigmata ( 1. c, fig. 564). 



Fries considered C. cornicidata the same as C. muscoides, and 

 plants in the Persoon Herbarium (collected by Persoon) under the 

 former name have all the appearance of the latter ; another collec- 

 tion from Chaillet is different The types of C. pratcnsis in the 

 herbarium of Persoon are C. muscoides, with spores subspherical, 

 4.5 x 4.8-5. 5{x. In the Persoon Herbarium is one lot of C. vitcllina 

 (type). They are small, crowded, nearly simple, cartilaginous- 

 looking plants with spores like C. muscoides, 4-5. 5y. thick. Cla- 

 varia fastigiata is only a more open and spreading form with 

 blunter tips. Clavaria fellea and C. similis Pk. (C. Pcckii Sacc.) 

 are also the same, the plants looking exactly alike in the dried state 

 and the descriptions agreeing well. Spores of the types have been 

 examined and agree with C. muscoides. Clavaria muscoides var. 

 obtusa Pk. is a form with tips thicker than usual. The scurfy base, 

 abruptly translucent tips (when dry) and stalks fused from the 

 ground are just like C. muscoides and the spores are identical. 

 Moreover, there are just such forms in other herbaria and all 

 gradations occur between this and other smaller, more yellow 

 forms. 



No differences of any importance between C. straminea and C. 

 muscoides appear from Cotton's description of the former. Simple 

 plants of the latter are not at all rare (pi. 9, fig. 3) and could 

 hardly be better described than by Cotton's diagnosis for C. stra- 

 minea. An authentic collection from Cotton (Haslemen, October 

 15, 1913) studied by us confirms the identity of the two species. 

 From the description and figures C. tcncUa Boud. (Bull. Soc. Myc. 

 Fr. 33: 11, pi. 4, fig. 1. 1917) strongly suggests this species, and 

 as there are no discrepancies we suspect their identity. Near this 

 species seems also C. umbrinclla Sacc. (=C. umbrina Berk. See 

 Sylloge 6: 695. 1888), which differs in color and more branched 

 habit. A bit of the type from Kew Herbarium has spores smooth, 

 nearly pip-shaped, 4-5 x 5-6;x ; basidia about 6.2[/. thick, with 4 long 

 sterigmata; hymenium about 40jx thick (pi. 92, figs. 9 and 10). 



