[Vor. 7 
222 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 
73. S. versiforme Berk. & Curtis, Grevillea 1: 164. 1873; 
Sacc. Syll. Fung. 6: 580. 1888; Massee, Linn. Soc. Bot. Jour. 
27:193. 1890. Plate 6, fig. 73. 
Peniophora Ellisii Massee, Linn. Soc. Bot. Jour. 25: 144. 
1889; Saec. Syll. Fung. 9: 237. 1891.—An Thelephora obscura 
Persoon, Myc. Eur. 1: 146. 1822 (in **** Corticium)? See 
Peniophora obscura (Pers.) Bresadola, I. R. Accad. Agiati Atti 
III. 3: 1183. 1897. 
Type: in Kew Herb. and Curtis Herb. 
Fructifications at first thin, effused, resupinate, adnate, 
orbieular, becoming confluent, finally thickening, cracking, and 
becoming narrowly reflexed and some- 
what complicate and curling away from 
the substratum, the upper side uneven, 
plieate, somewhat fuscous or blackish; 
hymenium velvety, Prout's brown to 
bister, somewhat papillate; in structure 
200-400 » thick, composed of densely ar- 
ranged, ascending and interwoven hyphae, 
some of which are colored; hymenium 
usually simple but sometimes with one or 
l l two additional zones in some places, con- 
Pad 44 S. versiforme. taining heavily incrusted, cylindric cysti- 
ystidium, c, and para- ] 3 š A 
physes, p, X 665. dia 45-75X12-24 y, starting in various 
parts of the hymenium and subhyme- 
nium, wholly buried below the surface of the hymenium or 
emerging up to 15 uw; hymenial surface velvety, with very 
numerous colored paraphyses with bushy-branched tips; spores 
hyaline, even, curved, 5-7 X 2-3 y. 
Fructifications 2-10 mm. in diameter, confluent over areas up 
to 7X1-2 cm.; margin reflexed about 1 mm. usually, rarely up to 
2 mm. 
On the bark of dead limbs of oak, chestnut, birch, and other 
frondose species. Canada to Alabama and westward to Iowa 
and Arkansas. July to February. Common. 
S. versiforme is distinct among the Stereums by its Prout’s 
brown, velvety, or at least dull, hymenium, barely reflexed 
margin, and colored, bushy-branched paraphyses, among which 
are scattered large, incrusted cystidia. The presence of these 
