MurrRILL: POLYPORACEAE OF NortH AMERICA 39 
the margin of the pileus. Sometimes they are long and rigid, 
sometimes short and flexible ; they usually disappear at early ma- 
turity, but occasionally persist until the plant has passed its prime. 
It is doubtful if Montagne himself knew of these variations, and it 
is certain that Berkeley was much confused by them. In dealing 
with the types of this plant it is best to consider the Cuban spec- 
imens only, since plants from elsewhere were later included in the 
species concept, which are in reality different things. Likewise, in 
examining Berkeley’s specimens of Polyporus similis, one must con- 
fine himself to the Brazilian plants, since the Cuban ones are only 
P. Tricholoma with the cilia gone. In the same way P. flexipes, 
P. stipitarius and a few other species have undoubtedly become 
confused with P. 77icholoma in the minds of not a few mycologists 
and many collectors. 
The following collections are in the herbarium of the New 
York Botanical Garden: Jamaica, Earle 502, 592, Underwood 
2953; Cuba, Underwood and Earle 246, 579, 744, 851; Mexico, 
C. L. Smith; Nicaragua, C. L. Smith; Cozumel Island, Mi/- 
Spaugh 1556. 
19. Polyporus Cowellii sp. nov. 
A small light-colored plant resembling an agaric, having a 
very thin translucent context, minute pores and a slender central 
stipe. Pileus orbicular, convex to plane, umbilicate, I-2 x 0.02 
—0.05 cm.; surface nearly glabrous, minutely concentrically ru- 
gose, straw-colored to isabelline, becoming darker and hygropha- 
nous around the margin or in blotches or even over the entire 
surface, often faintly radiate-striate about the center with delicate 
white or brown lines; margin very thin, straight or inflexed, 
somewhat irregular in outline, finely denticulate, the teeth pro- 
longed into short fugacious cilia: context extremely thin, mem- 
branous, 0.1-0.2 mm. thick, white or pallid, partially or entirely 
translucent ; tubes 0.2—0.4 mm. long, 3-6 to a mm., larger by 
confluence, adnate, pallid, polygonal, edges very thin, subentire, 
becoming fimbriate with age; spores ellipsoid, smooth, hyaline, 
binucleate, 2.5 x 54: stipe central, solid, very slender, equal, 
concolorous or slightly darker, pruinose to glabrous, smooth, 
longitudinally striate, 2-3 cm. long, 0.3-1 mm. thick, soft and 
milk-white at the center. 
This species is described from dried plants collected in the 
island of St. Kitts by Britton and Cowell during September and 
