THALLACEAE ' 



Colus Schellenbergiae Sumstine 



This species has been collected but once, and this is the only record of a Colus in 

 the northern hemisphere. We copy below the original description (Mycologia 8: 

 183. 1916): 



"Volva dark-brown, smooth, globose, 2-3 cm. in diameter, breaking at maturity 

 into several irregular segments; receptaculum stipitate, the stipitate portion cylindric, 

 hollow, reticulate-pitted, white below, orange-colored above, slightly enlarged upward, 

 dividing into three arms; arms arched outward, united at the apex, transversely 

 wrinkled, cylindric or sometimes compressed so as to appear triquetrous, orange- 

 colored, attenuate upward, 3-6 cm. long; gleba dark green, borne on the inner side of 

 the arms, foetid; spores hyaline, ellipsoid-ovoid, 4.5-5.5 x 2-2.5^." 



The species is near C.javanicus (See Penzig, 1. c, p. 160) and may be the same, as 

 no important differences appear from the descriptions. Colus Garciae Miiller from 

 Brazil has much the same appearance, but differs principally in the absence of chambers 

 in the wall of the stem, a remarkable peculiarity for a Phalloid. 



Pennsylvania. Pittsburg. Sumstine, coll. (Carnegie Mus. and N. Y. B. G. Herb, and U. N. C. Herb.). 



SIMBLUM Klotzsch 



Receptaculum formed of a distinct, hollow, delicate stalk which is transformed 

 above into a somewhat larger inflated network which bears the gleba slime on the inside. 

 Yolva watery white; receptaculum bright colored, red (in our species) or yellow, rarely 

 whitish; odor offensive. 



Only a few species are known and only two are North American. For literature 

 see under the family. 



Simblum sphserocephalum Schlecht 

 Simblum rubescens Gerard 

 5. rubescens var. Kansensis Cragin 



Plates 2, 3 and 105 



Stalk long, club-shaped, hollow, spongy, tapering downward to a narrow attach- 

 ment in the bottom of the large, white, toughish, inflated volva; terminated above by 

 the subglobose structure of thick, anastomosing strands that holds the dark slime con- 

 taining the spores. Color bright red above, fading to pale below; odor strong and re- 

 pulsive. The entire plant is about 7-9 cm. high and the stalk about 1-1.6 cm. thick 

 above, its honeycombed wall 3-4 mm. thick near the top and only 1 mm. thick below. 



Spores (of No. 1427) elliptic, smooth, 1.4-2 x 3.7-4.4/*. 



This is a rare plant in the United States and has not been reported before from 

 North Carolina (for distribution see Lloyd's Myc. Notes, p. 220. 1905). It is said 

 to be common in South America. The only other North American species is S. texense 

 which differs from the present one in its yellow color and longer spores, which are 

 3 x 7 M (see Long, 1. c, p. 112, pi. 106, fig. 11). 



