1920\ The Lower Basidiomycetes of North Carolina 127 



the thick wliite crusts in January, their eggs were apparently in good 

 condition, being plump and juic}'. The species is common in Chapel 

 Hill on willow oak, water oak and hornbeam, and we have found it 

 on privet, apple, alder, white oak, pin oak. Ilex decidua and Cornus 

 amomuiu. 



3923. On live branches of privet by President 's home and by Raleiyh road, 



January 9, 1920. 



3924. On a recently dead limb of ironwood (Carpinus caroUniatius) in Arbo- 



retum, January, 9, 1920. 

 3936. On branches and trunk of Qucrcus nigra by Morgan's Creek, opposite 



Laurel Hill, January 11, 1920. Photo. 

 3943. On live limb of Avillow oak in Arboretum, January 15, 1920. 

 4015. On alder limbs by branch below Cobb's Terrace, January 24, 1920. 

 4112. On young, living ironwood near Battle's Branch, February 13, 1920. 

 4157. On apple bark (living) in Dr. Herty 's yard, February 21, 1920. 

 4286. On live branches of Q. Phellos, Rocky Ridge Farm, April 25, 1920. 



2. Septobasidium retiforme (B. & C.) Pat. 



Plates 65, 66^ axd 67 



Plants forming resupinate, firmly attached, rather hard and tough, 

 thickish crusts with the surface rugose-veined very much like some 

 foliaceous lichens; margin thinner, irregular and whitish; color deep 

 drab brown and finally darker brown, the margin paler. Substance 

 about 2.3-0,5 mm. thick, brown, the central part less dense and com- 

 posed of upright fibers somewhat loosely packed, but appearing solid 

 under a hand lens. In old crusts this central part collapses first, leav- 

 ing the outer and inner layers. 



In the S. C. collection, made in December, the basidia were just 

 appearing as undeveloped thickenings. Burt found only one spore 

 in his material, so that the spore characters remained uncertain until 

 we found spores plentiful in our No. 4279. Resting cells when mature 

 oval, sprouting in April to form apical basidia. Spores (of No. 

 4279, print) long, M^hite, curved, 3.8-.5.5 x 17.3-27.5jit, if kept damp 

 dividing soon into about six to eight cells and sprouting by minute 

 sterigmata into oval sporidia, mucli as in S. pseudopedicellatiun. 

 Basidia 7-8x52-60^, arising from the tip of tlie resting cells, 4-eelled 

 remarkable in that they fall from the resting cells as soon as fidly 

 formed, at least if formed in water; sprouting after falling 

 otf into the foui- spores from lateral sterigmata. In the distal 

 cell the sterigma may be terminal or nearly so. 'I'li(> plant, like 

 tlie preceding species, gi-ows on plnnt lice, whicli are vei\\- obvious in 



