MURRII.I. : Poi.VPORACEAE OF NoKTH AmKRICA 39 



the mart,nn of the pileus. Sometimes they are long and rigid, 

 sometimes short and flexible ; they usually disappear at early ma- 

 turity, but occasionally persist until the plant has passed its prime. 

 It is doubtful if Montague himself knew of these variations, and it 

 is certain that Berkeley was much confused by them. In dealing 

 with the types of this plant it is best to consider the Cuban spec- 

 imens only, since plants from elsewhere were later included in the 

 species concept, which are in reality different things. Likewise, in 

 examining Berkeley's specimens of Pol y poms similis, one must con- 

 fine himself to the Brazilian plants, since the Cuban ones are only 

 P. TricJioloma with the cilia gone. In the same way P. flcxipcs, 

 P. stipitaruis and a few other species have undoubtedly become 

 confused with P. Tricliolouia in the minds of not a few mycologists 

 and many collectors. 



The following collections are in the herbarium of the New 

 York Botanical Garden : Jamaica, Earle ^02, ^g2. Underwood 

 ^953 ; Cuba, Undeitvood and Earle 2^6, ^yg, J44, 8ji ; Mexico, 

 C. L. Smith; Nicaragua, C. L. Smith; Cozumel Island, J////- 

 spangh 1356. 



19. Polyporus Cowellii sp. nov. 



A small light-colored plant resembling an agaric, having a 

 very thin translucent context, minute pores and a slender central 

 stipe. Pileus orbicular, convex to plane, umbilicate, 1-2 x 0.02 

 —0.05 cm.; surface nearly glabrous, minutely concentrically ru- 

 gose, straw-colored to isabelline, becoming darker and hygropha- 

 nous around the margin or in blotches or even over the entire 

 surface, often faintly radiate-striate about the center with delicate 

 white or brown lines ; margin very thin, straight or inflexed, 

 somewhat irregular in outline, finely denticulate, the teeth pro- 

 longed into short fugacious cilia : context extremely thin, mem- 

 branous, 0.1-0.2 mm. thick, white or pallid, partially or entirely 

 translucent; tubes 0.2-0.4 mm. long, 3-6 to a mm., larger by 

 confluence, adnate, pallid, polygonal, edges very thin, subcntire, 

 becoming fimbriate with age ; .spores ellipsoid, smooth, hyaline, 

 binucleate, 2.5 x 5//: stipe central, solid, very slender, equal, 

 concolorous or slightly darker, pruinose to glabrous, smooth, 

 longitudinally striate, 2-3 cm. long, 0.3-1 mm. thick, soft and 

 milk-white at the center. 



This species is described from dried plants collected in the 

 island of St. Kitts by Britton and Cowell during September and 



