HYMENOGASTRACEAE 47 



7469. On damp soil by Battle's Rranch. August 4, 1"24. 



7580. By a tulip poplar, Nov. 27, 1924. One of the plants in section showed a distinct, hyaline, 

 central columella. 



Hymenogaster Thwaitesii Berk, and Br. 



Plate 109 



A plant collected by Mr. A. H. \V. Fovah among roots of sedges at Syracuse, New 

 York, has been determined and reported by Lloyd as Hymenogaster decorns (Myc. 

 Notes, p. 1166). We have a bit of this collection and on comparing it with Tulasne's 

 original description we are convinced that it is not that species but rather an American 

 form of II. Thuaitcsii, a plant described from England and which has apparently not 

 been found since. 



The New York plants are very small, in the dry state about 3 mm. or less. The 

 interior is not at all purplish but sordid ochraceous. The chambers are comparatively 

 large, about 3-4 to a mm. and rounded and largely empty. Surface glabrous, pallid 

 ochraceous or paler, much wrinkled on drying. 



Spores oval to subelliptic, with distal end rounded or somewhat pointed, surrounded 

 by a hyaline sheath, the body of the spore 9.2-11 x 11-17.3/u. 



The spores agree very well both in size and structure with those of the type of H- 

 Tkumiesii, a preparation of which was kindly sent us by the Director of Kew Gardens. 

 We find the latter to be 8.5-11 x 14-20/z, not counting the irregularly crumpled, hyaline 

 sheath surrounding them, more or less pointed at each end. The English plant has 

 spores prevailingly more pointed than the American, as will be seen from our figures, 

 but the general characters are so similar that the American plant had best be considered 

 only a form. The original description of H. Thwaitesii gives the spores as globose, 

 but this is not the case. Tulasne's figures also taken from the type are drawn somewhat 

 more globose than we find them to be. The spores of decorus are much larger and the 

 gleba is purplish. Also the plant itself is much larger. 



Illustrations: Tulasne. Fungi Hypogaei, pi. 10, fig. 11. 



New York. Syracuse. Povah, coll. "Among the roots of sedges in oak woods within an inch of the 

 surface of the ground." 



OCTAVIANIA Vitt. 

 (Including HYDNANGIUM Wallr.) 



Fruiting bodies subglobose, oblong or lobed; exposed or underground. Peridium 

 thin, nearly smooth, not netted with veinlike strands. Gleba fleshy, elastic, intimately 

 connected with the peridium and not separable from it; cavities rather large, hollow 

 (at least when young) ; sterile base present or absent. Basidia 1-4-spored; spores spheri- 

 cal or subspherical, with warted to reticulated walls. 



Two species have been reported from the eastern United States and we are adding a 

 new one. To separate this genus from Hydnangium has proved practically impossible. 

 We agree with Lloyd (Myc. Notes, p. 269; also p. 1139) that it is best to unite them and 

 have done so in the above description. In this last publication Lloyd reunites the 

 genera and treats all the species known by him. 



