1920] The Lower Basidiomycetes of North Carolina 149 



individual patches tending to take an elliptic form like half of a foot- 

 ball. Surface granular and irregular, not typically convoluted; the 

 outer \sLyer nearly black, quite tough and forming a kind of crust ; 

 the inner tissue more gelatinous and a lighter purple under the mi- 

 croscope ; hyphal threads with numerous clamp connections, each 

 thread distinctly purplish. Basidia near the surface, subspherical to 

 oval, 12-14.5jLi thick, colorless when young, purple when mature, di- 

 vided often irregularly into four cells. Spores said by Peck to be 

 color of hymenium when mature, globose, 12.7-17.7/x in diameter. His 

 figures are evidentlj' wrong, and he probably took the younger basidia 

 for spores. We have not been able to be sure of the spores in any of 

 the herbarium specimens examined. Spore-like material present was 

 badly mixed and much collapsed. 



If a true Tremella, this species is evidently an aberrant one. It 

 is easily recognized by the blackish-purple color, practically black 

 in herbarium specimens except under the microscope. 



We include the following notes for the convenience of students : 



Tremella tremelloides (Berk.) Mass. (Sparassis tremelloides Berk.). The follow- 

 ing is adapted from Massee (.Jour. Myc. o:18-4, Fl.U, fig. 1. 1889). Tre- 

 melloid, lobes fasciculate, elongated, suberect, almost free to the base or 

 variously united, compressed, springing from a small contracted base, surface 

 scabrid, dull orange; spores elliptic-oblong with a minute oblique apiculus at 

 the base, 11-12 xo/i. On wood, Lower Carolina (Type in Herb. Berk., Kcav). 

 Forming large tremelloid tufts, always springing from a very small basal 

 portion Avhich penetrates the matrix; lobes suberect, 3-4 inches high in well 

 grown sj^ecimens, sometimes smaller, in some specimens variously plicate and 

 almost free to the base; in others the lobes are united laterally and form a 

 gyrose tuft, always much compressed. The distinctly scabrid surface is very 

 characteristic, and is due to thickly scattered papillae, which give a very harsh 

 feel to dry specimens. Basidia large, sterigmata developed in succession. From 

 Massee 's figure of the spores this is probably an Exiilia. 



Tremella fjigantea B. Sc Cooke, is, according to Massee, a gelatinous lichen (.Tour. 

 Myc. 6: 182. 1890). 



Tremella rufolutca B. ix, C. See my note under T. pinieola, also see Massee (Jour. 

 Myc. 6: 183. 1890). 



Tremella enata B. & C. is represented in the Curtis ITerl)ariiiin hy Xo. 24.')6 on 

 oak from Society Hill, S. C, a number mentioned in tiie original description. 

 On examining it T found nothing to indicate that it is either a Tremella or a 

 Dacrymj'ces. It is a|)parently not related to either. JFassee, however, has 

 studied the other Mumi)er mentioned in tlie original description, Xo. 4307, at 



