132 THE GASTEROMYCETES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 



Spores (of No. 2028) minute, spherical, 2-3n, usually appearing under high power 

 as if very minutely punctate or asperulate. Capillitium threads unbranched, about 

 3m thick. Both spores and capillitium very pale yellow-brown (whitish). 



This is a very distinct and well marked little species and is the smallest known 

 Geaster, the inner peridium of a full-grown plant seldom reaching over 5 mm. in di- 

 ameter. They have the unique habit of growing in moss on tree trunks, as cedar, 

 hickory, elm, etc., and usually from about four feet from the ground up, most of our 

 collection coming from a height of ten to twenty feet. It is not at all uncommon in 

 Chapel Hill, which is the only known station, and is distinctly a cold weather species, 

 appearing in mild wet spells in winter and early spring and often associated with Lyco- 

 perdon acuminatum. The flocculent white mycelium penetrates the old bark and ex- 

 tends itself abundantly between the planes of cleavage. The species is distinguished 

 from G. coronatus, which is nearest, by the much smaller average size, smaller and 

 nearly white spores, and capillitium, and peculiar habitat. For the original descrip- 

 tion, see Bot. Gaz. 36: 306. 1903. 



681, 1085, 1479, 1537, 2028, 2029, 2466, 3222, 3231, 6052, 7586. All on mossy bark of living elm, hickory 

 or cedar during winter or early spring. 



Geaster pectinatus Persoon 

 G: multifidum var. a Pers. 



Plates 74, 75 and 115 



Mycelium universal and forming a soft, flocculent coat that holds trash to the 

 entire outer surface of the plant as in G. rufescens; rays few to numerous, typically 

 reflexed but the tips often incurved, central region concave below and elevating the 

 spore sac; mycelial layer with attached earth tending to peel off after expansion as is 

 also the brown fleshy layer, so that the thin, pale fibrous layer may be left almost 

 naked in old specimens; spore sac subglobose to urn-shaped, with or without an apophy- 

 sis, the lower part with radial lines or ridges that in some cases may be quite faint; 

 stalk slender, typically rather long, up to 5 or 6 mm., often with a collar or ring near 

 center or base; surface when fresh covered with a fine powder which is whitish against 

 the spore sac and brown without so as to give the spore sac a whitish bloom where it is 

 thin and a brown-drab color where it is thicker. Mouth long, narrowly conical, prettily 

 sulcate-striate, brown. 



Spores (of plant from Jamesville, N. Y.) very dark, with large blunt warts, 4.2-5.5/x 

 thick. Capillitium threads up to 7ju thick. 



A rare plant apparently, and Schweinitz's record is so far the only one from North 

 Carolina. The length of stalk is very variable, e.g., in one good lot from Surrey, 

 England, at the New York Botanical Garden Herbarium (as G. limbatus), the stalk 

 is only 2 mm. long. The species runs into two extremes that are most conveniently 

 treated as species, though intermediates occur. The smallest of these is G. Schmidelii, 

 which also approaches G. Smithii (G. ambiguus, sense of Hollos). The other is G. 

 Bryantii which is distinguished by a deflexed collar around the base of the spore sac. 

 Specimens of G. pectinatus (Upsala) in the Curtis Herbarium are labelled G. limbatus 

 by E. P. Fries. 



A part of the type collection of G. biplicatus (Proc. Am. Acad. Arts and Sciences 

 4: 124. 1860) in the Curtis Herbarium (Bonin Isles) is so pressed as not to show the 

 base of the spore sac; peristome truly sulcate; spore sac reddish brown with a grayish 



