1918] 
BURT—THELEPHORACEAE OF NORTH AMERICA. X 319 
a feature which it shares with H. Cacao. H. rigidula differs 
from H. Cacao by having its intermediate layer bordered by 
a prominent dark zone on its outer side, by being effuso- 
reflexed, and with less black in the color of its hymenium. In 
dried condition it is more rigid than H. tabacina and the 
other species of its group with the exception of H. rubiginosa, 
from all forms of which it may be distinguished at sight by 
less conspicuous setae when viewed with a hand lens and by 
the much thinner, setigerous layer when sections are ex- 
amined. So few spores of H. rigidula have been seen in the 
preparations that the spore dimensions given are very doubt- 
ful. My belief in the specific identity of H. fulvella is based 
upon the similarity of sectional preparations; since noting 
this similarity of structure, I have not had an opportunity 
to confirm my opinion by placing the original specimens side 
by side and comparing them with regard to general aspect. I 
did not find H. pulcherrima when I was at Kew, and in reply 
to my letter to Miss Wakefield concerning the original Fendler 
number for this type, Sir David Prain has written, ** With re- 
gard to H. pulcherrima Mass., the specimen indicated by 
Massee as No. 3721a was removed by him from a gathering 
of H. fulvella B., the label of which, in Berkeley's handwrit- 
ing, is ‘Stereum fulvellum B. & C. 173, Venezuela.’ Massee 
named it on the sheet *H. scruposa,’ but evidently he changed 
the name before publishing it."—It seems probable that in 
the year following the publieation of H. pulcherrima, Cooke 
saw the specimen upon which it was based, still labelled with 
only the herbarium name H. scruposa Massee and published 
the latter. I have studied the specimen in Curtis Herbarium 
labelled ‘‘ Stereum fulvellum B. & C., Fendler, 173. Venezuela’’ 
and found it to have the characteristic structure of H. rigidula 
and H. fulvella and to agree well with the published deserip- 
tions of H. fulvella, H. pulcherrima, and H. scruposa. 
Specimens examined: 
Cuba: C. Wright, 529, type (in Kew Herb. and in Curtis 
Herb.); Herradura, Earle € Murrill, 170, comm. by N. Y. 
Bot. Gard. Herb.; San Diego de los Baños, Earle Ф Mur- 
rill, 219, comm. by N. Y. Bot. Gard. Herb. 
