418 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



specific limits. The confusion has heen increased by the fact that 

 the genus has been thrice named, and each time confusion intro- 

 duced into the synonomy of the species. The synonomy is 

 Manma Scopoli 1772, Hericiwm Persoon 1794, and Medusina 

 Chevelier 1826. The synonomy of our American species has 

 been discussed by Banker. 4 



2. M. FLAGELLATUM Scop. {Hydnum laciniatum Leers, 

 H. coralloides "Ant.") 



One of our commonest and most variable species. The speci- 

 mens range from large and rather stout to comparatively slender 

 and delicate forms, probably fairly well representing the vari- 

 ations of the species in Iowa. This species is easily distinguished 

 from the next by the distribution of the spines on the branches 

 of the pileus. In the present species they are evenly distributed 

 from tip to base of the branches while in the next they are 

 grouped at the tip, leaving the under side of the branch bare 

 at the base. However, this is the species which is commonly re- 

 ferred to by American mycologists as Hydnum coralloides and 

 figured under that name by Hess and Vandivert, 5 The 

 confusion arises from the fact that two closely related species 

 have been assigned the same binomial by different authors, nor 

 is its persistence a matter of surprise as the present species 

 is decidedly more coralline in appearance than is the next. 



Johnson county (Macbride) ; Wildcat Den, Muscatine 

 county (Shimek); Highlandville, Winneshiek county (Shimek). 



?>. M. CORALLOIDES (Scop.) Banker. {Hydnum coralloides Scop.) 



Apparently a much less common species than the preceding. 

 This may be due to a failure to discriminate between species 

 in the field, but this appears improbable as one would expect 

 equally common species to be more equitably represented even 

 though their distinctive characters might have escaped notice 

 at the time of collection. American mycologists have sometimes 

 confused this species with the more massive Hydnum Caput- 

 ursi. But two specimens seen, one of them from an oak stump. 



Iowa City, Johnson county (Wilson); Hesper, Winneshiek 

 county (Shimek). 



4 Banker, Type Studies in the Hvdnaeeae : I. The Genus Martina. Mycologia, 

 4, 1912, 271-278. 



s Loc. cit.. p. 186, pi. 16, fig. 2. 



