Clavarias of the United States and Canada 203 



fragile. Hymenium glabrous, covering the branches. Basidia 2- 

 4-spored; spores white, smooth. Growing on wood or fallen 

 leaves and twigs. 



The genus is the same as Merisma Lev. (Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot., 

 3rd. ser., 5: 157. 1846). See the Genus Pterula ( C. G. Lloyd. 

 Myc. Notes No. 60: 863. 1919). 



This genus is mostly tropical, and only two or three species 

 are known from the United States and Canada. Our Chapel Hill 

 plant can hardly be different from the Schweinitz and Peck 

 species, as the divaricating habit is well shown in some of our 

 specimens and we are very near the place where Schweinitz found 

 his plants. We have not studied the types. Pterula densissima 

 B. & C. from New England (Grevillea 2: 17. 1873) is a much 

 denser plant and is apparently distinct (see Lloyd, 1. c, tig. 1469). 

 Lloyd treats as distinct another plant that he calls C. penicellata 

 (from a mss. name of Berkeley). Pterula setosa Pk. (Rept. N. 

 Y. St. Mus. 27: 105. 1875) is a minute plant growing on dead 

 Polyporus elegans. Patouillard transfers it to Hirsutella (see 

 p. 7). We have not seen it. Pterula multifida E. P. Fries of 

 Europe has much the same appearance as the present species but 

 is said to grow only on coniferous substrata. Pterula merisma- 

 toides (Schw.) Sacc. and P. tenax (Schw.) Sacc. are both Tre- 

 mellodendron (see Burt, Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 2: 740. 1915 and 

 9: 67. 1922). 



Pterula plumosa (Schw.) Fr. Linnaea5: 532. 1830. 



Pterula divaricata Pk. Rept. N. Y. St. Mus. 32 : 36. 1879. 



Plate 77 



Plants small, slender, brush-like, 2.5-4 cm. high, the slender 

 main stalks about 0.5-1 mm. thick and springing from a distinct, 

 hair-like, grayish brown mycelium ; several or many stems arising 

 close together, main branches dichotomously divided about four 

 times into long slender twigs which end in simple sharp points; 

 color of main stems a soaked wood-brown, the remainder of the 

 plant a lighter gray-brown which dries to a light gray or brownish 

 gray; texture not fragile, but elastic and toughish, with a taste 

 like musty wood. As the branches dry they shrink to mere hairs 

 in diameter. 



Spores white, elliptic, 3-3.7 x 6.5-7 A[u. 

 843. On twigs and rotting leaves, by Howell's branch, September 26, 1913. 



