442 COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY OF FUNGI 



tions are mostly strongly branched, as in Clavaria (fructifications fleshy) 

 and Pterula and Lachnocladium (fructifications cartilaginous or horny). 

 Simple undifferentiated forms are also found, however, as in Clavaria, 

 section Holocoryne (fructifications single, e.g., C. pistillaris) and section 

 Syncoryne (fructifications connivent at the base, e.g., C. fragilis). More 

 important economically are members of the third section, Ramaria, with 

 coralloid, branched fructifications, of which many species are used for 

 food. Many of the larger species, as C. aurea, C. amethystina and C. 

 formosa, develop from large, compact, spherical masses of mycelium 

 which may live for more than one year (Weir, 1917). 



In Sparassis, the branches are flattened instead of terete and often 

 crisped. The fructifications of S. crispa {S. ramosa) attain a cross- 

 section of half a meter and are prized as food. S. radicata causes a yellow 

 root rot of fir {Pseudotsuga taxifolia), spruce (Picea Engelmanni) and 

 pine {Pinus monticola). The fructifications, as those of *S. spathulata, are 

 thinner than in S. crispa. The perennial rooting base usually is attached 

 to the deeper lateral roots of the host and may become 30 to 50 cm. long. 

 The peripheral hyphae in the soil are modified into a hard, resinous 

 encrusting layer. The mycelium at the base of the stalk cements the soil 

 particles into a stony body, often of very large dimensions. The central 

 cylinder is composed of a compact cellular tissue of longitudinal hyphae 

 which become looser above. The mycelium lives in the bast until the 

 root is killed, when its rhizomorphs invade and completely destroy the 

 sapwood. The heartwood is attacked in spots. Apparently the decay 

 never extends above the level of the soil (Weir, 1917). 



Dictyolaceae. — This family corresponds to the Cantharellaceae in the 

 stichobasidial group (p. 533) and consists of species which, on account of 

 their chiastobasidia, have been removed from that family. Neurophyl- 

 lum corresponds to the stichobasidial Craterellus, Dictyolus to Cantharellus. 

 The family is apparently connected to the Clavariaceae and merges with 

 it. Neurophyllum pistillaris {Craterellus pistillaris) is difficult to distin- 

 guish from a specimen of Clavaria pistillaris with a wrinkled hymenium. 

 Dictyolus bryophilus and D. glaucus were shown by Maire (1902) to 

 belong to the chiastobasidial group. In Dictyolus ? umbonatus {Cantha- 

 rellus umbonatus) because of the loose character of the hymenium one 

 may see the tufted arrangement of basidia which is characteristic for 

 primitive genera. Such an arrangement is common in the lower Corti- 

 ciaceae (Juel, 1916). Only Neurophyllum clavatum {Craterellus clavatus) 

 is used for food. 



Radulaceae. — As understood here, this family includes most of the 

 species placed in the Hydnaceae by the earlier writers. The family is 

 distinguished from the Corticiaceae by the presence of spines or reticula- 

 tions on the lower surface of the fructification, covered by a hymenium. 

 The family includes all developmental stages from resupinate crusts to 



