MurrRILL: PoLyporaAcEAE OF NortH AMERICA 343 
1. Coltricia cinnamomea (Jacq.) 
Boletus cinnamomeus Jacq. Collect. 1: 116. plo 2. 4786. 
Strilia cinnamomea S. F. Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 1: 645. 1821, 
Polyporus oblectans Berk. Lond. Jour. Bot. Bi-§ i 8S4s. 
Polyporus splendens Peck, Rept. N. Y. State Mus. Nat. Hist. 26: 
68. 1874. 
Polyporus subsericeus Peck, Rept. N. Y. State Mus. Nat. Hist. a3: 
a7, 1880. 
Polystictus cinnamomeus (Jacq.) Sacc. Michelia, r: 362. 1878.— 
Atkinson, Stud. Amer. Fungi, 192. 4. 782. 1900. 
This species appears to be truly cosmopolitan, being found in 
both hemispheres in tropical as well as in temperate regions. In 
habitat it differs from its nearest American allies in growing more 
commonly on mossy soil or much-decayed wood and rather spar- 
ingly on sandy soil, thus showing a preference for almost pure 
humus rather than for sterile soil very poor in humus. In ap- 
pearance it is small, slightly depressed, silky and shining, well de- 
serving the name, P. splendens, assigned to it by Peck. Its first 
name, however, refers to its cinnamon color and dates back to the 
days of Jacquin, who received it from Westhofen in the month of 
September. His description plainly refers to our plant : 
** Totus cinnamomeus, etiam in substantia interna. Stipes solidus, teres, villosulus, 
plus minus uncialis, erectus, calamo graci Pileus in centro infundibuliformis, in 
limbo planus, lineam unam alteramve crassus, aiuaeea uncialis, supra sericeus nitidus 
et ad tactum holoserici ae mollis, subtus poris angulatis totus refertus. Sponte ex- 
iccatus colorem servat, nec putrefecit, haces dumtaxit evadit, et parumper limbo cris- 
patur. Crescit inter muscas in humo 
Only two characters in ee pees need comment. While 
the species is usually slightly depressed, it is sometimes more or 
less infundibuliform, as our own plants show, and Jacquin seems to 
have got some of the latter kind. The term /ragi/is seems to 
have been incorrectly or rather freely used. Fries questions its 
Correctness, while S. F. Gray stumbles over it into erecting the 
genus Srrz/a, which differs from Coltricia only in being fleshy in- 
Stead of membranaceous. 
P. oblectans was described from Australian ‘adhered Berke- 
ley’s description, though unusually complete, does not differ ma- . 
terially from that of Jacquin and the type plants cannot be distin- 
Suished from American specimens. Soon after Peck named the 
