a close study of the microscopic features and discovered a number of 

 new points in the structure, as the hyaline, septate threads of Lyco- 

 perdon Wrightii. He also gave the best illustrations that have been 

 given. He depended too much for his determinations on an inaccurate 

 monograph that had then recently appeared in Europe, and his nomen- 

 clature is not as correct as the previous papers. 



None of these writers have had an intimate knowledge of the Eu- 

 ropean species, but drew their conclusions from books and descrip- 

 tions, but fewer errors resulted than would have been expected from 

 these conditions. Prof. Peck and Morgan have kindly placed their 

 plants conveniently for my study, and Morgan has most of the plants 

 of Trelease so that I am conversant with the specimens on which their 

 papers were based. Under each species, I give the names of the plants 

 as they have been published in these three American papers, but I will 

 not in this article introduce the confusing synonymy of Europe. 



SECTIONS OF THE GENUS: We would divide the Lyco- 

 perdons of the United States into the following sections. 



"ATROPURPUREUM" SECTION. Spores large, rough, 5-8 

 mic. Gleba dark purple when fully ripe. Capillitium colored. 



"GEMMATUM" SECTION. Gleba brown when mature. Colu- 

 mella prominent. Capillitium light colored, whitish to the eye when 

 tree from late spores. Spores small or medium 4-5 mic., smooth or 

 slightly rough. 



"PRATENSE" SECTlON.-Gleba brown, distinct from the ster- 

 ile base. Capillitium hyaline (or light colored), often septate. Snores 

 small or medium, 4-5 mic. smooth. 



"POLYMORPHUM" SECTIOX.-I'lants of a decided yellow 

 cast. Gleba olive then brown. Capillitium deeply colored. Sterile base 

 compact, of minute cells. Spores small or medium 4-5 mic smooth 

 or in some species slightly rough. 



"SPADICEUM" SECTlON.-Characters as in the previous sec- 

 tion excepting the sterile base is composed of large cells 



/// 'I cllarac " "<* be referred to 



do is to localc them in the 



The "Atropurpureum" Section. 



and 



wi fe most puzzlin * indccd - however. 



222 



