As Polystictus pinsitus was originally from Brazil, I think we are justi- 

 fied in concluding that this was the original of Polystictus pinsitus. 



As to the dark-pored plant, usually called Polystictus pinsitus, we 

 have another name for that, and it is ancient enough to suit the most 

 rabid priorist. Swartz named a collection from Jamaica Boletus vil- 

 losus, and it was among the first foreign polyporoids to be named. His 

 type is at the British Museum and was stated to be the same as Poly- 

 stictus pinsitus by Berkeley years ago, and it surely is very close, ex- 

 cept that it has dark pores. 34 The close resemblance of these two plants 

 will be noted from our photographs, and one could still call both Poly- 

 stictus pinsitus and not be far wrong. However, there is a difference 

 between them, and Polystictus pinsitus not only differs in having white 

 pores, but is more strongly zoned. If we distinguish them by different 

 names, then Polystictus pinsitus should be restricted to the plant with 

 white pores. 



FOMES TORULOSUS IN AMERICA. 



A most interesting addition to our knowledge of our American 

 Fomes is the finding of Fomes torulosus by Mr. C. W. Edgerton on 

 the trunk of a live oak in Audubon Park, New Orleans. 



Fomes torulosus is a species of Europe, quite frequent in the 

 neighborhood of Paris. It was named by Persoon and included in his 

 published account in his "Traite les Champignons Comestibles." It 

 was not included by Fries in any of his works, and of course was 

 not compiled in Saccardo's Sylloge, as Saccardo began his compilation 

 of the Polyporei with Fries' Epicrisis. Recently the plant was dis- 

 covered to be a new species by both Quelet and Boudier, the former 

 calling it Fomes rubriporus and the latter Fomes fusco-purpureus. A 

 full account of these "discoveries" has been given in French on page 

 470 of Mycological Notes. It is a marked species with abundant, large, 

 colored setae and hyaline, globose spores about 4 mic. in diameter. The 

 pores of the fresh plant are of a decidedly purplish color, well named 

 by Boudier, but in old specimens they are disposed to lose their purplish 

 tinge and become dark. The spores of Fomes fusco-purpureus are de- 

 scribed as fulvous in Saccardo, but that is an error, as the plant has 

 hyaline spores, and was so originally stated by Boudier and shown in 

 his plate. We call attention particularly to this, for the spore colors 

 are the best means of distinguishing this class of plants. The plant 

 not having been recorded in America, it was of course not compiled in 

 the North American Flora, nor does it appear, I think, in any of 

 the numerous "new species" that have been discovered in this section. 



I was very much pleased to receive this plant from Mr. Edgerton, 

 and it is a most interesting addition to our flora. 



34 Mr. Murrill, who never saw Swartz's specimen, guessed it to be a plant that he should 

 have called Polystictus versatilis, a very common plant in the tropics, with no real resemblance 

 to Swartz's specimen. I see no advantage in crossing the Atlantic if one does not take the 

 trouble to look up the historic specimens in the museums, for just as good guesses could have 

 been made in New York, certainly none worse. 



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