BOT.— VOI-. I.] HARKNESS—CALIFORNIANHYPOGMI. 245 



as truffles. A Terfezia has recently been discovered in 

 the valley of the Red river of Louisiana ; this was recently 

 distributed by Mr. ElHs in his " Centuries" (No. 1728) as 

 Terfezia leonis. To what extent they are utilized as food 

 in that locality we are not informed. Should the fungus 

 again appear in the Sacramento valley in the same abund- 

 ance as upon previous occasions, it will be sought for, as it 

 is not only of value when fresh, but any excess of the 

 product maybe dried and would be an addition to any soup, 

 and of value for many culinary purposes. 



With these preliminary observations, which I trust may 

 be of service in showing the methods pursued in the quest 

 of material and its geographical distribution, I submit this 

 monograph to the verdict of those who may be interested 

 in this department of botany. 



I should be lacking in courtesy did I fail to give due 

 credit to my friend. Dr. Gustav Eisen, who has prepared 

 the accompanying illustrations. The obligation is increased 

 when I take into consideration the fact that his time was 

 fully occupied in an entirely different line of biological in- 

 vestigation. 



Hymenogaster Vitt. 



Hymenogaster Vitt., Monog. Tub., p. 20. 



Peridium fleshy or thin, running down into an absorbing base. Cavities at 

 first empty, radiating or irregular. Trama composed of elongated cells, but 

 not of byssoid flocci, and therefore not easily separable. Spores various. 

 (Berk. Outlines Brit. Fung., p. 295.) 



I. Hymenogaster versicolor, sp. nov. 



Subglobose, 2 cm. in diam.; color white turning to pink; common in- 

 tegument thick, corrugated, flakey externally, pinkish beneath, closely adhe- 

 rent; gleba firm; cavities sinuous, minute; spores ovate, attached by a slender 

 but somewhat elongated pedicel, 5x8//. 



Type, No. 174, Harkness Coll. 



Under small oaks, Bishops, Mill Valley, Marin County, 

 Calif., April. 



