Clavarias of the United States and Canada 147 



branches quickly divided into a heavy mass of branchlets which 

 finally terminate in blunt tips; surface even, not rugose, some- 

 times channelled ; color pale cream when young, then creamy tan, 

 the tips concolorous until maturity, then fading to reddish brown, 

 the base whitish or nearly concolorous ; flesh rather brittle, but not 

 so much so as in C. formosa, not rigid, white, soft, taste distinctly 

 bitterish, odor mildly rancid, becoming somewhat like old ham in 

 drying. A pink form of this seems to occur in the north, as we 

 have a collection from Vaughns, N. Y. (Burnham, No. 96), that 

 has the same spores and appearance, but that was flesh colored 

 when fresh. 



Spores (of No. 2866) ochraceous, long rod-elliptic, often bent 

 or swaybacked, smooth, 3.7-4.4 x 11-1 3.8[x. Basidia 7.4-9.3fji 

 thick, 4-spored ; hymenium 90-lOOfj. thick ; hyphae roughly parallel, 

 3-8[x in diameter, clamp connections frequent but inconspicuous. 



This is much like C. rufescens in shape, taste and spores, but 

 is without the wine colored tips and stains of this color on the 

 stem, and the spores are without the striations seen in those of 

 C. rufescens. 



We have examined the type of C. obtusissima and find it the 

 same as our plants, with spores 4-5 x ll-14.8[x. From examina- 

 tion of the type of C. albida at Albany, we find it to all appear- 

 ances the same. The spores are indistinguishable, except for 

 slightly larger size, smooth, 3.8-5 x 14-1 5jx. The variety minor 

 is a small form. We have examined also the plant in the 

 Schweinitz Herbarium labelled C. spinulosa which is referred to 

 by Berkeley in establishing C. secunda, and find it to be not that 

 but the present species. The spores as well as other appearances 

 in the dried state are the same. There is also a bit in the Curtis 

 Herbarium from Schweinitz with similar spores (4.5-5.3 x 

 14-16.5^). 



Illustrations: Burt. Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 9: pi. 4, fig. 18; pi. 3, fig. 16 



(as C. albida). 1922. 



North Carolina: Chapel Hill. No. 577. Woods near Dr. Pratt's home, 

 October 7, 1912. Spores smooth, 3.3-4 x 10.5-13^. No. 2860. Mixed 

 woods, October 4, 1917. Spores 3.7-4 x 11-14/x. No. 2866. Pine, 

 oak and cedar woods, October 4, 1917. No. 2867. Pine and frondose 

 woods, October 4, 1917. Spores 3.7-4.4 x 10-12.2/*. No. 2870. Mixed 

 woods, October 5, 1917. Spores 3.7-4 x 11-14^. No. 2896. Mixed 

 woods south of athletic field, October 8, 1917. Odor in drying dis- 



