194 Journal of the Mitchell Society February 



1. Sparassis Herbstii Pk. 



Plates 29 and 35 



A large and very pretty plant of a complicated growth, that occurs 

 on wood that is usually under or at the surface of the ground. It is 

 composed of many upright and spreading, flat, rather thick, anas- 

 tomosing branches with blunt ends that spring from a single large 

 fleshy base. The entire plant is approximately globose or flattened- 

 globose and is of variable size, in No. 1363 being about 14 cm. high 

 and 15 cm. broad. The apices of the branches are whitish and tomen- 

 tose, the lower parts cream colored, water-soaked, and smooth. The 

 texture of the whole is very tough and elastic. The plate-like branches 

 bear spores only on the outer surface, and in fresh specimens the 

 texture of the two surfaces can be seen to be different. 



Spores (of No. 1363) white, nearly spherical to short-eUiptic, 

 smooth, one large oil drop, 3.4-4.2 x 4.6-6.8^1. 



This is possibly not different from the next. 



524. In pine woods northwest of Mr. Weaver's house across railroad, October 6, 



1912. Photo. 

 787. Woods south of athletic field, September 17, 1913. 

 1363. Growing from between the bark at foot of a pine stump in the new road 



to Piney Prospect, October 16, 1914. 



2. Sparassis spathulata (Schw.) Fr. 



Stereum carolinense Cooke and Rav. 



This is possibly not different from *S. Herbstii Pk. but I give below 

 the original description (translation) : 



"Erect, coriaceous, paUid brown, concrescent from upright blades, 

 with spathulate branches wavy at the apex and rounded zones. 

 Rare in grassy places, also sent from Georgia; reaching six inches 

 in height, growing in large groups, with concentric horizontal zones. 

 Of doubtful genus and said to be uncertain as to whether it is more 

 nearly related to Clavaria crispa or Spathularia." 



To this scanty diagnosis I add the original description of Stereum 

 carolinense Cooke and Ravenel (Journ. Myc. 1: 130. 1885), which 

 Cotton has shown to be almost certainly Sparassis spathulata. (Trans. 

 Brit. Myc. Soc. 5: 336. 1911.) 



"Pileus multiplex, infundibuliform, deeply incised, forming lobes 

 variable in size, all confluent at the base in a common stem. Whole 

 plant six inches high, 4-5 inches broad, ochraceous, with faint zones 



