1931] The Thelephoraceae of North Carolina 191 



about 1-1.5 mm. thick, pliable, easily water-soaked, color of the 

 surface both when wet and when dry. In our plants there was no 

 noticeable odor in the fresh state, but the dried plants have a faint, 

 not unpleasant drug-Uke odor. The species is said by Berkeley to 

 have a foetid odor, and Burt noticed such an odor in the dried state. 



Spores (of No. 3432) smoky brown, subspherical, flattened on 

 one side, covered with sharp spines, 7.4-9 x 7.4-1 Ijjl. 



The black color of the plants (both dorsal surface and hymenium) 

 in the damp growing state is not mentioned in the descriptions. It 

 is the most conspicuous field character. If dropped in water after 

 drying the dorsal surface and context absorb water and change color 

 instantly as in T. terrestris and T. alhido-hrunnea, but unlike those 

 the hymenium absorbs water much more slowly and becomes black 

 only after several minutes. This, with the blacker color (when wet), 

 furnishes an easy mark of distinction. 



3432. On bark of oak tree, Battle's Park, and some from below Meeting of the 

 Waters, August 1.5, 1919. 



9. Thelephora albido-brunnea Schw. 



Plates 28 and 35 



Caps tough and elastic, horizontal and irregularly bracketed or 

 sometimes centrally stipitate from an amorphous, resupinate, often 

 spore-bearing base, extensively fused together, the individual caps 

 not often more than 3.5 cm. wide, or extending more than 1.8 cm.; 

 often encircling and climbing up sticks or shrubs or small saplings 

 for several inches and in such case thicker and more amorphous; 

 surface fibrous-spongy, tomentose when young, distinctly or obscurely 

 zonate, dull cinnamon or buffy cinnamon, or when young pale brown 

 to whitish, becoming paler when washed out in age by the weather, 

 margin blunt, white in growing stage, later concolorous. Flesh 

 about 1-2.5 mm. thick in the distinct caps, thicker in the amorphous 

 masses; felty and soft, the fibers extensively furnished with clamp 

 connections at the joints, color of surface or a darker rust color. 

 Hymenium when fresh brownish drab to wood brown, fleshy-looking, 

 when old and dry very hght fleshy brown, smooth, no setae, easily 

 wearing off and exposing the rust-colored flesh below. 



Spores (print of No. 4409) smoky brown, irregularly angled, 

 echinulate, 7-10 x 7.4-1 1[jl. 



