base a species in this section, for while stipe insertion is generally uniform in a species 

 I know cases ol Polyporus lucidus, usually pleurcpodial, with mesopodial stipes, and I have 

 a collection oi Polyporus auriscalpium with both stem insertions in specimens of same 

 collections. I should therefore consider Rev. Rick's plant as a pleuropodial specimen 

 of roJyporiu; Henmngsu ot Africa. 



NOTK 255. The spores of Pomes graveolens. It was to be expected that Murrill 

 would find Fomes jrraveolens to be a "new genus" and hence there Jf no nec^essity for 

 this Purpose to iurther invent that it had "globose, ferruginous spores." I nave never 

 found the t: pores although Overholts writes me that in a specimen he has recently gotten 

 the spores are abundant. "They are cylindrical, hyaline and measure 9-iO x 2V--3V7 mic 

 They are very abundant in the sections, attached to the basidia, so there was no possibility 

 of getting them wrong. 



Now that this fairy story about the colored spores of Fomes gr^veolens has been 

 interned, I think there is another delusion regarding it that should be investigated by 

 some one who nap an opportunity to watch its development. It has always passed unques- 

 tionably as a Form's, but I have an idea it is a Polyporus and it is developed from a "mycelial 

 core" in the same manner as Polyporus corruscans. My first impression regarding Fomes 

 graveolens was that it was a plant of very slow growth, persisting for years, but since 

 the nature cf the "mycehal core" of Polyporus corruscans has been shown, I expect it 

 will be found that instead of being of slow growth, Fomes graveolens is of very rapid 

 growth as is Polyporus corruscans. Polyporus corruscans becomes hard and indurated 

 in its later stages and has been taken for a Fomes. In fact it is one of the six different 

 plants that have been called Fomes fulvus, Scop." 



In a subsequent letter Mr. Overholts writes me that he has observed the fruiting 

 bodies of Fomes graveclens persisting for three seasons, hence it must be a perennial, but 

 its manner of growth is as much a mystery as ever. Certainly it does not increase by 

 -addition of pore layers as most Fomes do, and I cannot understand how it can grow by 

 enlargement of the core without disarranging the pileoli. 



NOTE 256. Polyporus (Amaurodermus) costatus. Pileus mesopodial, 8 cm broad 

 2-3 cm. thick. Surface dull, reddish brown, slightly laccate. Stipe slender, with smooth 

 laccate surface, hollow, with pale isabelline context. Pileus context very scanty the pores 

 reaching the crust. Pores medium small,. % mm. with thin walls, 3 cm. long-, pore tissue 

 pale buckthorn brown. Spores (fig. 710) most peculiar, globose or slightly elongated 12 

 mic with longitudinal ribs, which are connected by a few smaller transverse ribs. 



This was received from the Philippines, No. 20289, collected Prov. Neuva Viscaya, 

 Luzon by R. C. McGregor. It was labeled Gandodermus renidens, which is a very 

 different species of Brazil. Pclypores characterized by peculiar spores are rare. We only 

 know three species and each of them is known from a single collection, viz. Polyporus 

 Lloydii Africa, Polyporus longipes, South America, and this from Philippines. 



At our request Miss E. M. Wakefield at Kew has prepared the accompanying figure and 

 notes on the spores : 



"The spores are very curious. I enclose a sketch in which I have endeavored to give 

 my idea of them, but they are most difficult to draw properly. The thickening appears 

 to me to be chiefiy in the form of ribs running the long v.-ay of the spore, which is somewhat 

 lemon-shaped. These longitudinal ribs are connected here and there by small transverse 

 ones so as to form a net work. Thus if you look down on the spore end-wise, you see 

 the ribs radiating out from the center, as I have shown in ore figure, and at the margin 

 a series of hyaline blocks, due to the transverse bands which are seen at various levels 

 connecting the ribs. Seen from the side, the long ribs appear running from end to end, 

 and owing to the roundness of the spore, the center and sides are not in focus at the 

 same time, so that you may only have the central bands clear and the spore would appear 

 keeled. I hive also drawn one other view which shows both end and sides the spore being 

 half turned over." 



NOTE 257.- Isaria atypicola. Regarding I.aria unnamed in Letter 54, Note 223, we 

 have received advice from Prof. Yasuda, as follows. 



"I will propose the name Isaria atypicola as it. is a new species, taking Atypus the 

 host as its specific name. I will publish this name in the Botanical Magazine at Tokyo 

 of next month. 



Isnria atypicola grows on Atypus Karschi Doenitz, which makes a long tube under 

 the ground. The spider lives at the bottom of a tube. At first Isaria attacks the living 

 Atypus, which falls sick and soon dies. After the death of the animal, the mycelium of 

 Isaria reaches to its perfect development, growing as well on the inner side as on the 

 outer side of the host. At last the mycelium envelops the .nimal body like a white down, 

 and then produces a club-shaped stroma, which projects its top 1 cm. or more from the 

 mouth of the tube. The upper part of the stroma is light purple, and shows a velvety 

 appearance, bearing many cylindrical conidia." 



There probably occurs in Japan a Cordyceps corresponding to this Isaria form. We 

 trust our Japanese friends will look out for it. It is rather unusual that the Isaria form of 

 a species should be known and the Cordyceps form unknown, for it is usually the other 

 way. 



NOTE 258. Laschia auriscalpium. A tiny, little species with pileus about 1 mm. 

 in diameter and slender hair like stem, 3 mm. long. The pileus surface and stem brown, 

 large, ovate, deeply colored cellular glands which give the plant the color. There are no 

 crested hyaline cells. Spores 5x8 ovate. Basidia hyaline, 8 x 20. 



I am pleased to get this little species from Rev. Torrend, Brazil, for examination and 

 photograph (Fig. 711). The material in the museums of Europe is so scanty I never 

 dared to cut it. Our figure is enlarged six diameters which shows graphically how small 

 the plant is in natural size. Laschia rubra (type at Belin) is for me a synonym, 



9 



