LETTER No. 41 



BY C. G. I/I,OYD 

 WIDELY DISTRIBUTED PLANTS. Schizophyllum commune. 



Notwithstanding the vast hordes of so-called "new species" 

 that are brought out every year, no one truth is more prominent than 

 that the species of fungus are few and widely distributed. It so devel- 

 oped with my work on the puff balls of every country of the world, 

 and is so developing with my work on the Polyporoids. It is so shown 

 in the few critical paper we have on the subject. In L/ister's exhaus- 

 tive work on the Myxomycetes, very few species are considered valid 

 and listed that he does not record from such remote countries as Ceylon, 

 America, Europe, Cuba, India, South Africa, etc. 



While it is probable that in most cases species of fungi are 

 widely distributed, the distribution is uneven and plants that are rare 

 in one country are common in another. Some of our most frequent 

 species in the United States are extremely rare in Europe. For instance, 

 Polystictus pergamenus, Bovistella Ohiensis, Urnula Craterium, Poly- 

 porus albellus, Polyporus dichrous and others. Some plants are very 

 common in Europe and rare in the United States, as Polyporus squa- 

 mosus and Polyporus amorphus. Sometimes the distribution is very 

 peculiar. Thus Archanion album is not infrequent in the United States, 

 but in Europe is known from one single collection, made by L,. Badet 

 in Italy. The genus Matula is only known from Brazil and Ceylon. 

 Polyporus volvatus is not rare in the United States and was recently 

 found in Japan, but is absent as far as known from Europe. Hydno- 

 fomes tinctorius I have received from the west coast of America and it 

 has also been found in Japan. 



One of the commonest plants we find in our American woods, 

 is Schizophyllum commune. One can hardly go into the woods during 

 the collecting season without noticing it. But it is not confined to the 

 United States. The fungi of temperate countries in general are different 

 from those in the tropics, but Schizophyllum commune makes no clim- 

 atic distinction. It is essentially at home in the tropics as well as the 

 temperate regions. 



Notwithstanding that there have been several new species" of 

 Schizophyllum discovered, I think there is in reality only one species, 

 and but very few collections are entitled to a seperate name even as a 

 variety. Generally sessile, it sometimes develops from position of 

 growth, a distinct stipe. Usually entire, at least in the United States, 

 in the tropical world it is more or less lobed. However, these cannot be 

 looked upon even as valid varieties for the same collection will often 

 show all three forms. 



There are ninety-two collections in our museum as indicated 

 below and in the entire lot there is but one collection that impresses 

 me as being entitled to a separate name even as a variety. Usually the 

 plant is white; if it is discolored it is due to age. We have one collec- 

 tion from L. J. K. Brace of the Bahamas, that is dark umber, which 

 we would call Schizophyllum commune, var. umbrinum. We think it 

 has been named Schizophyllum umbrinum as a new species, but it is 

 only a variety at the best. 



We beg to thank the numerous collectors who have sent us speci- 

 mens illustrating tke- vn'de distribution of this plant, as per the list 

 on the following page: 



JAN 5 01942 



