308 Seaver: Color variation in some fungi 



these minute organisms is worthy of record at all, as the true lover 

 of science will admit they are, they should deserve just as careful 

 study through all the phases of their life history as do the higher 

 plants, which on account of their large size force themselves upon 

 our attention. 



One of the first observations of color variation to come under 

 the eye of the writer was in connection with the study of Nectna 

 purpurea (L.) W. & S. (Jour. Myc. 13 : 51), which is more com- 

 monly known under the name Nectria cinnabarina (Tode) Fries. 

 While collecting in the vicinity of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, on No- 

 vember 10, 1905, a brush pile was found to be almost entirely 

 covered with the plants of this species, which showed the charac- 

 teristic cinnabar-red color and a collection of the material was made 

 at this time. A few months later the same spot was visited again 

 with the hope of making a second collection of the same species. 

 The old plants still persisted but were so changed in color as to be 

 scarcely recognizable, the perithecia having become very dark 

 brown and in some cases entirely black. A second collection 

 was made at this time and when compared with the first showed 

 such a marked difference that, were color alone considered, they 

 would constitute two well-defined species. Yet, these two speci- 

 mens were known to represent the same species collected at dif- 

 ferent times. A careful study of this species in the laboratory and 

 field has shown the range of coloration to be from bright cinnabar- 

 red when collected in good condition to dull red, light brown, dark 

 brown and finally black, with an infinite number of intermediate 

 shades, the change coming about through weathering and varyii 

 conditions of moisture. The originally bright color of the plants 

 and their xerophytic nature, which enables them to persist for a 

 long time, often several months, after maturity, are sufficient to 

 explain the cause of these variations. 



Nectria 



paratory 



in previous North American monographs had been tabulated in 

 the notes of the writer as "suspicious characters" on the ground 

 that the descriptions were too brief and indefinite to give any con- 

 ception as to the real nature of the specimens described and m 

 most cases gave no character which could be considered as dis- 



