SOME FUNGI THAT ARE RARE OR HAVE NOT PRE- 

 VIOUSLY BEEN REPORTED FROM ILLINOIS 



W. B. McDouGALL^, University of Illinois. 



With two exceptions the mushrooms described below 

 have not, to my knowledge, been previously reported from 

 Illinois. The exceptions have only recently been reported 

 by Mr. C. G. Lloyd, one of them as a new species, his report 

 in each case being based on collections made by me. They 

 are included here because they are of special interest. 



My object in reporting these species at this time is two- 

 fold. In the first place, if I am not mistaken about their 

 not having been reported from Illinois, they ought to be 

 placed on record as occurring in this state. In the second 

 place I have hopes that I may stimulate others to collect 

 these larger fungi and especially to report what they have 

 found. I am not myself so much interested in the system- 

 atic or taxonomic study of these mushrooms as in their 

 distribution and ecology and what I have found has been 

 the result of chance rather than of long hunting. But no 

 one has ever collected the higher fungi extensively in this 

 state and I am convinced that were a competent person to 

 do so it would result in the discovery of a considerable 

 number of undescribed species. 



ASCOMYCETES 



Bulgaria inquinans Fr. (Fig. 1) — This plant is not rare 

 but is easily overlooked and is not often found in lists of 

 collected fungi. It grows on partly decayed and usually 

 partly buried oak sticks in woods. The larger specimens 

 become 4.5 cm. broad and 3 cm. high. The receptacle is at 

 first closed but soon opens, forming a cup, and may later 

 become a nearly plane disk. The stem is short or some- 

 times entirely lacking. The plant is dark brown or almost 

 black and rough or wrinkled on the outside. The disk of 

 the cup is smooth and lighter colored. But the most strik- 

 ing characteristic of the plant is that it is very tough and 



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