238 JouRXAL OF THE ^IiTcnELL SociETY [May 



Simblum sphaerocephalum Schleeht 

 Siinbhim ruhcsccms Gerard 



Plates 72 and 73 



Stalk long, club-shaped, hollow, spongy, tapering downward to a 

 narrow attachment in the bottom of the large, white, toughish. in- 

 flated volva; terminated above by the siibglobose structure of thick, 

 anastomosing strands that holds the dark slime containing the spores. 

 Color bright red above, fading to pale below; odor strong and re- 

 pulsive. The entire plant is about 7-9 cm. high and the stalk about 

 1-1.6 cm. thick above, its honeycombed wall 3-4 mm. thick near the 

 top and only 1 mm. thick below. 



Spores (of No. 1427) elliptic, smooth, 1.4-2 x 3.7-4.4/it. 



This is a rare plant in the United States and has not been reported 

 before from North Carolina (for distribution see Lloyd's Myc. Notes 

 No. 19 : 220. 190")). It is said to be common in South America. The only 

 other North American species is 8. texense which differs from the 

 present one in its yellow color and longer spores, which are Sxlfi 

 (see Long, 1. c, p. 112, pi. 106. tig. 11). 



Our plate 73 shows an abnormal variation of two plants s]>ring- 

 ing from one volva and fused at their tips. This is apparently of not 

 rare occurrence as a similar example is shown in Lloyd's Myc. Notes 

 No. 24, fig. 133, from a photograph of a Brazilian plant by Rick, and 

 another such is illustrated by Gerard in his plate 2 (as cited below). 



Illustrations: Gerard. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 7: 8, pis. 1 aud 2. 1880. 

 Long. 1. c, pi. 106, fig. 10. 



1426. In apple orchard, October 26, 1914. 



1427. In grass on campus, fall of 1902. A large number of plants. 

 5910. On ground in pasture, November 20, 1922. 



5917. On ground in pasture by branch, November 22, 1922. Several plants. 



MUTINUS 



Receptaculum formed of a distinct, delicate, hollow stalk as in 

 SitHhIum, but differing in the spore slime being borne on the outside 

 of the upper part of the stalk itself, which is smooth and more or less 

 pointed, the tip often perforated. Color rosy red above (under and 

 below the deep olive slime), fading downward. Volva soon collapsing 

 against the base of the stalk. 



For literature see under the iainily and sjiecies. 



