Clavarias of the United States and Canada 127 



New York: Lake George. Coker, No. 15. Prospect Trail, under chestnut 

 in clay loam, September 3, 1917. (U. N. C. Herb.). 

 Sand Lake. Peck. (Albany Herb., type). 



Clavaria formosa Pers. Icon, et Descr. 1: pi. 3, fig. 6. 1798. 

 C. densa Pk. Rept. N. Y. St. Mus. 41 : 79. 1888. 



Plates 41, 42, and 86 



A medium sized to large (rarely small) plant up to 13 cm. 

 high by 1 1 cm. broad. The main branches typically remain par- 

 tially free from each other all the way to the ground, being 

 separated at the surface by channels, and looking like several par- 

 tially fused plants which spring from the same spot. Just at the 

 ground they are all suddenly pinched together into the little, in- 

 conspicuous rootlet from which they arise; branchlets upright, 

 ending often in minute cusps, axils rounded. Surface smooth or 

 distinctly rugose in places ; base white and glabrous, the main body 

 in youth usually a creamy flesh color but often a clearer pink 

 (about salmon-buff of Ridgway), the tips distinctly yellowish for 

 a variable distance, (often for about 5-10 mm., at times only ab- 

 ruptly at the apices) ; towards maturity the color fades to a creamy 

 tan then to light leather and finally a darker ochraceous tan or 

 leather color, the tips becoming concolorous. Flesh distinctly pink 

 in youth, almost white after maturity, or often with a tinge of 

 flesh color even in age after the surface has changed color, deli- 

 cate but only moderately brittle, not breaking with a clean snap 

 when bent at 45°, faintly and pleasantly sweetish-bitter. 



Spores ochraceous, usually distinctly roughened, 4-5.3 x 8.3- 

 12. 2[/., rarely shorter, the great majority about 4.5-5 x 9-11. 3f/.. 

 Occasionally there are nearly smooth spores among the rough ones 

 and rarely they are all nearly smooth. Basidia (of No. 4636) 

 7.4-9. 3[i. thick, club-shaped and usually distinctly swollen at distal 

 end, with 2-4 sterigmata; hymenium 80- 1 1 Ojx thick; threads of 

 flesh very irregular and variable, 4.4-9.3^ thick, with many septa 

 and a few clamp connections ; minute crystals present. 



In the dried state this species and C. siibspimdosa, which 

 seems nearest, are easily recognized by the soft and chalky- 

 friable flesh which is so brittle and fragile as scarcely to bear 

 transportation. In herbaria they nearly always appear in a frag- 



