XXVIII. OBSERVATIONS ON PHYSALACRIA 

 INFLATA (S.) PECK. 



Jessie M. Polley. 



This rather rare and interesting club fungus was rirst 

 described by Schweinitz in 1822, under the name of Leotia 

 injlata (1). In 1828 Fries described it as Miirula injlata (2), 

 and it was again described by Cooke in 1879 as Sfathularia 

 injlata (3). 



The first accurate description however, and the first appre- 

 ciation of the true position of this fungus, was given by Peck 

 (11) in 1882. His description is as follows: 



" Physalacria gen. nov. 



("From (pvoaxcc, a bladder and axpa, the top.) 



" Club subglobose, inflated, thin, somewhat tenacious, every- 

 where covered by the hymenium, supported on a distinct, 

 slender stem. 



" Distinguished from Pistillaria by the thin, inflated bladder- 

 like club and the distinct slender stem. The following is at 

 present the only species known : 



" Physalacria inflata. 



"White, becoming tinged with yellow; club subglobose, 

 submembranaceous, glabrous, flaccid, more or less uneven with 

 irregular depressions or wrinkles, two to four lines broad ; stem 

 slender, equal, firm, straight, solid, four to nine lines high, mi- 

 nutely hairy or subfurfuraceous, mostly cespitose ; spores minute, 

 narrowly elliptical, colorless, .00016-. 0002 of an inch long 

 and about half as broad. 



" Decaying wood and bark in woods and shaded places. 

 It occurs especially in mountains or hilly districts in sum- 

 mer." 



Two years later. Farlow (8) collected a few specimens in the 

 White Mountains and identified them with Peck's description. 

 His account is as follows : 



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