CLASSIFICATION OF FOSSIL FUNGI 485 



been identified as Pleosporites shirianus Suzuki. Other represen- 

 tatives include Didymosphaerites bethel ii Cockerell on Tvpha 

 leaves from the Miocene and Leptosphaerites lemoinii Richon. 



IV. Basidiomycetes 



Among the fossilized Basidiomycetes are two of outstanding 

 interest. One was described by Conwentz [Seward (1898)] from 

 petrified wood preserved in amber and identified as Polyporus 

 vapor arins Fr. f. siiccinea. The other, a beautifully silicified shelf 

 fungus, was collected in the site of the dinosaur beds from the 

 lower Cretaceous of Montana by Wieland (1934) and identified 

 by him as Poly pontes brovonii. 



As is the situation in other classes of fossil fungi, identifications 

 have been questioned. Poly pontes bovcmanii Lindley et Hutton 

 from the Carboniferous of England may be a ganoid fish scale. 

 James (1893) suggests that Rhizomorpha sigillariae Lesquereux 

 bears a strong resemblance to insect burrows, like those of Bostry- 

 chus. Renault's Teleutosporites milloti from the Permo-Carboni- 

 ferous, in the macrospores of Lepidodendron, is rejected by 

 Seward (1898) as a fossil Puccinia. 



1. Tilletiaceae 



Spores from coal resemble those of modern Tilletia and Uro- 



cystis. 



2. Coleosporiaceae 



Coleosporium-like spores have been identified in coal. 



3. Pucciniaceae 



From the upper Cretaceous come Puccinites lanceolatus Et- 

 tingsh., P. cretaceous Velen., and P. Whitfordi Knowlt. Whit- 

 ford (1916) described P. cretacewn from Cretaceous leaf tissue as 



new. 



4. Hypochnaceae 



Meschinelli has described a species of Hypochnites on wood 

 overlain with amber. 



5. Clavariaceae 



From the Quaternary has been described the little-known spe- 

 cies Clavaria turbinata Murr. 



