THE AMERICAN BOTANIST, 55 



Puff-ball Culture. — Since all the puff-balls are 

 edible, and many of them well flavored and of large size, it 

 is remarkable that nobody has yet attempted to grow 

 them commercially. A single puff-ball is often large 

 enough to furnish a meal for an entire family, and if the 

 family is small or the puff-ball unusually large it is even 

 possible to carefully cut off as much as is needed, returning 

 at another time for the rest which will remain in good 

 condition for some days. The person who first makes 

 puff-ball growing easy may be sure of rich rewards. 



Specimens of Fungi Wanted. — Mr. C. G. Lloyd of 

 Cincinnati, Ohio, having built a museum especially for the 

 housing of his botanical library and puff-ball collection 

 now^ announces that he would like to receive specimens of 

 any of the fungi that are firm in texture and retain their 

 characteristics when dry, such as the well known bracket 

 fungi (Polvporus) and allied species. In return he offers 

 to send his Mycological Notes. This is an exceedingly 

 useful serial publication with numerous excellent illustra- 

 tions and no doubt any plant lover will consider it an 

 adequate return for cutting off a few bracket fungi from 

 old logs when next in the woods. Be sure to send him 

 plenty of each kind. Mr. Llo3^d will name any puff-ball 

 sent him but does not agree to name the other fungi with- 

 out further study. 



Variation in Round-leaved Orchid. — In the summer 

 of 1903 while making a collection of native orchids, I noted 

 with interest an oblong leaved form of Habenaria orbicu- 

 lata which seems not to have been generally known as no 

 mention of such a variation is made in books on the sub- 

 ject. I referred the matter to Prof. L. R. Jones of the 

 University of Vermont asking if it was not as true a 

 variety as H. Hookerii var. oblongi folia, and suggesting 

 that it ought to be generally known either as a named 

 variety or as a variation. He replied that he had never 

 seen it but does not consider either this or the variety of 

 H. Hookerii worthy of varietal rank. He says further, 

 "Although not recognized by name it is no less important 



