194 N. TAN AK A. 



Towards the end of last year, I obtained specimens of mul- 

 berry trees attacked by the disease, but unfortunately the speci- 

 mens were so far advanced in decomposition that the course of the 

 mycelium of the fungus in its relation to the internal tissues of its 

 host was not clearly definable, and also the fructification of the fungus 

 could not be found. Since then I have examined many other speci- 

 mens, up to the beginning of April of this year, and at length found 

 the perfectly developed condition of the fungus. Its specific characters 



are as follows : Pi lens sessile, resupinate, somewhat orbicular 



or oblong, often iircgnlarly lobecl, 5-10 cm. across, 2-4 mm. 

 thick, at first velvety and membranaceous, then subcoriaceous, some- 

 what convex, incrustate, purplish brown, at length albo-pruinose ; 

 hymenium wdiite ; basidia curv( d, 1-o-septate, tetraspored ; sterig- 

 mata elongated ; spores ovoid, curved, hyaline, 10-12 n. long, 5-7 

 U. broad. 



By the above characters, especially ])y its peculiar form of b.asidia 

 and by its nature, I consider that this fnngus belongs to the genus 

 Helicohasidium in the fiimily Thelephoreœ of the Hiimenomifcetes. It 

 has much resemblance in its characters and hal^it to many species of 

 its allied genera ; but it can be distinguished from Thelephora and 

 Gorticeum chiefly by having an intermediate stratum in the pileus, and 

 from Stereumhy hny'ing a usually superior hymenium. Of the s[)ecies 

 of the genus Hclicobasidiuni liut few are known ; in Saccardo's Sylloye 

 Fungonim * only two species, H. purpureum (Tul.) Pat. and H. 

 cirratum Pat. et Gail.^ ru-e given. By comparing my description oî 

 the fungus with that of the above named species, it can be distin- 

 guished from the forniei- chiefly by the colour of the pileus and the 

 number of spores borne on a basidium, and, from the latter, by the 

 diameter of the pileus, the number of spores borne on a basidinm, 



* Vol. VI. p. 666. 



