with the common, Eastern, tropical plant. The entire section (Microporus), so frequent in 

 the East, is very rare in American tropics. 



NOTE 311. Xylaria axifera, from Rev. C. Torrend, Brazil. There are two similar 

 and most beautiful little species of Xylaria in Brazil that have been confused and given 

 (in error) by Theissen a.s synonyms. Both were named by Montagne, viz : Xylaria axifera 

 and Xylaria aristata. Both have filiform stems which are prolonged beyond the little 

 globose or subglobose heads. They can be distinguished as follows : 



Xylaria axifera has always smooth, globose heads, pale stems, indistinct ostioles, and 

 few perithecia, and grows on the dead stems of herbaceous plants. 



Xylaria aristata has usually oblong, tubercular heads, black stems, prominent ostioles, 

 and grows on dead leaves. 



I found no spores in sections of either that I examined. I have a nice collection of 

 Xylaria aristata from Madame Anna Brockes, and of Xylaria axifera from Rev. C. Torrend. 



NOTE 312. Lenzites deplanata, from Rev. C. Torrend, Brazil. I have always sup- 

 posed deplanata was the same as the common Lenzites repanda of the tropics as are the 

 many specimens I have seen so named in the museums. There is no type of deplanata 

 in existence; This specimen is surely not Lenzites repanda, and as it agrees with the 

 description of L. deplanata, which carne from Brazil, we are justified in taking this name. 

 It differs from Lenzites repanda in the gills, which are exactly the same as those of 

 Deadalea gibbosa. 



NOTE 313. Lachnocladiuro tubulosum, from Rev. C. Torrend, Brazil. This was the 

 original species of Lachnocladium, and the one from which the idea of the genus was 

 drawn. The stems and branches are clothed with a dense, velutinate coat of matted 

 hyphae. At the present day there is hardly a definite idea connected with the genus. The 

 spores are piriform, hyaline, 6x12 mic. The branches of this collection are more slender 

 than those of the original specimens at Upsala, but surely the same. 



NOTE 314. Polyporus altoccdronensis, from Rev. C. Torrend, Brazil. This is so close 

 to the eye to Polyporus leucospcngia (cfr. Polyporus Synopsis, page 322) that in my 

 pamphlet I gave them as synonym?. I was aware at the time that it was improbable that 

 a plant growing in Cuba should be the same as plant only known from the high altitudes 

 in America. With the nice specimen from Rev. Torrend I WHS enabled to make a micro- 

 scopic comparison, and find that they are not the same. The spores are different, 3-3 \'i 

 globose, appearing slightly rough hi altocedronensis, 6-8 mic. smooth in leucospongia. The 

 pores in the type at New York appeared to me about the same as those of leucospongia, 

 but in Rev. Torrend's specimen they are smaller. 



NOTE 315. Polyporus graveolens. From observations on the growing plant, L. O. 

 Overholts finds that this is an annual plant as I suspected (cfr. Note 34, Letter 43, also 

 Note 140, Letter 49), and hence should be called Polyporus graveolens, not Femes graveo- 

 lens. He has observed many sporophores on a snag where he had collected all a couple of 

 years ago. A considerable number were dead, and in no case was there any evidence that 

 the fungus is perennial. It is evidently a plant of rapid growth. If ever observed grow- 

 ing, it will be found that first it forms its "mycelial core," around which a little context 

 is formed and then the pileoli. There are only two polypores known that have this "myce- 

 lial core," viz: Polyporus graveolens and Polyporus rheades. The mycelial core is a 

 different texture from the context. For a long while after I observed it I thought it was 

 diseased condition, and Mr. Long first gave me a suggestion as to what its true nature is. 



NOTE 316. Hydnum imbricatum and related species. In Sweden the large, dark 

 Hydnum (H. imbricatum) with conspicuous scales is "ubique vulgare" in the pine woods. 

 In the young plant the scales are firm and rigid, but when old sometimes detersive. The 

 only specimen I have from the United States that corresponds exactly is from James R. 

 Weir, Montana. 



Our usual plant is paler with smaller scales. This is Hydnum subsquamosum, as I 

 found it (once only) in Sweden. My Swedish specimens are young, but seem the same 

 as our American plant. Professor H. C. Beardslee has observed the development of this 

 plant and favored me with a series of specimens collected from the same group at different 

 ages. When old it changes much. The pileus becomes smooth, the teeth remarkably long, 

 % inch. It hardly seems possible that it is the same plant, and yet Professor Beardslee 

 presents specimens and photographs to prove it. The yoting condition of this plant was 

 called Hydnum Underwoodii by Banker : the old condition is the basis of most of the 

 records of Hydnum laevigatum. We have labeled our young specimens Hydnum subsqua- 

 mosum, and the old, long-spined specimens, Hydnum laevigatum, reserving the question 

 of their being one species. Barla's figure of Hydnum laevigatum seems to be Beardslee's 

 old plant, and I am sure that I have Hydnum subsquamosum right in Europe. I wish 

 some one in Europe would watch their development. 



There is another plant in the Unitod States of which the dried specimens, as to surface, 

 scales, color, and paler spines, look much like Hydnum subsquamosum. This is Hydnum 

 fuligineo-violaceum (cfr. Letter 123, Note 49). This is usually more slender and when 

 fresh has blue at the base of the stem. The latter character disappears in dried specimens 

 so that they are difficult to distinguish. 



NOTE 317. Neuman's Polyporaceae of Wisconsin. "What is your opinion about this 

 book? I have just received a copy." O. M. O. 



Our opinion is that it is a very fair presentation of the traditions and mistakes of 

 American Mycology that were current about fifteen or twenty years ago. A great deal 

 has been learned on the subject since those days, and the author has apparently not 



