102 Journal of the Mitchell Society [August 



run in the humus and connect the fruit-bodies on different roots; 

 rarely some of these branching threads may run along and cohere 

 with the surface of the fruit-body; color of both mycelium and the 

 fruit-body varying from a light ochraceous salmon to a warm buff at 

 all ages until decay sets in. Peridium of mature plants duplex, 

 50-130/i. thick, the outer layer a spongy mass of loosely woven threads 

 that collapse when the plant is cut or bruised or when decay sets in; 

 the inner layer more closely woven, lighter in color and intimately 

 connected with the internal hyphae ; threads of the peridium soft and 

 delicate, 2.6-10.4/;i thick, in young plants more closely woven. 



Gleba when fully formed containing many cavities that are minute, 

 irregular, 20-200;U, broad, hollow and lined with the hymenium. Septa 

 40-115/x thick, delicate and intimately connected with the peridium, 

 the threads that compose them much branched, segmented, thin-walled, 

 without clamp connections, 2.6-10.4^ thick and having much the ap- 

 pearance of those of the peridium. The hymenium contains no obvious 

 specialized cystidia, but certain cells among the basidia are of more 

 fusiform shape and these have not been seen to bear spores. One 

 such is shown at the top of figure 7 on plate 7. 



Spores brown, fusiform, smooth, 3-3.5 x 7.8-10.4/*. Basidia short- 

 clavate, 5 x 17/x, 2-4-spored, with slender sterigmata, which are 

 2.5-3. 5/A long. 



Gregarious and often crowded in large numbers in connected col- 

 onies in humus just under or at the surface, and parasitic on rootlets 

 of pine in damp places. 



3990. On roots of Finns ecliinata and Pinus taeda, by branch south of Pritchard's, 



January 10, 1920. 

 5383. Same place as No. 3990, July 22, 1922. 

 6051. Roots of Finus taeda, edge of swampy place north of cemetery, January 



19, 1923. 

 6057. Same place as No. 3990, January 28, 1923. 



The fruit-bodies arise from a thin, flocculent weft of mycelium 

 that surrounds the succulent roots and follows and covers the lateral 

 rootlets, causing them to form a dense glomerulus of very short 

 branches around and in which the fruit-body is formed. The fungal 

 coats of several rootlets soon coalesce into a light buffy mass of various 

 forms and sizes, the ends of the rootlets covered over with the fungal 

 threads give a convoluted appearance to the surface of the young 



