130 Journal of the Mitchell Society [September 



bark thick and fibrous in general appearance like a pine root. Within 

 the substance is uniformly whitish to flesh-colored with an odor like 

 a mushroom. They are flesh-colored when they attain their growth, 

 and are considered by the natives as possessing medicinal properties. 

 They are found in Carolina especially among pine forests. ' ' 



The sclerotia which I have examined show considerable variation 

 in size and shape as shown in plate 34. The largest specimen taken 

 was an oval body 27 inches by 19 inches in circumference and its 

 weight was 3161 grams or approximately 7 pounds. Another was 

 slender and elongated and measured 41 inches in length. When first 

 taken from the earth these masses are of such a consistency as to be 

 easily cut with a knife but on drying they become extremely hard 

 and horn-like and the interior becomes variously cracked and fissured. 

 This Assuring is not perceptible from the exterior, however. 



The cortex of the sclerotium possesses the roughed furrowed ap- 

 pearance and color of pine roots. This appearance is simulated best 

 in specimens in which flakes of bark constitute a portion of the 

 sclerotial cortex. When examined microscopically, this cortex is 

 seen to consist of densely compacted fungous cells making a quite 

 well-defined layer 100-150/x in thickness (fig. 7). The interior is 

 whitish or tinged with pink when fresh and becomes grayish when 

 dry. The cells which compose this portion are extremely variable 

 .in size and shape as shown in fig. 2. 



Origin op Sclerotia 



As has been recorded by the several botanists Avho early described 

 tuckahoe, the habitat of these sclerotia is invariably among the roots 

 of pine trees, Finns taeda and Pinus rujida. It Avould appear improb- 

 able that such an association is purely accidental. That they are 

 parasitic, however, seems very probable in the light of the following 

 facts : 



1. All of the sclerotia which I have found are in part i)ine root 

 tissues, but there is, however, neiflier hypertrophy or hyper]ilasia of 

 these tissues. In respect to the inclusion of host tissue Pachyma 

 Cocos differs from all other known large sclerotia. 



In some cases the xylem portions of the pine root extend entirely 

 through small sclerotia and the root is free from bark inside the 

 tuber. If the sclerotium merely surrounded the root, or attached 



