REVISION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN HyYDNACEAE 115 
The plant seems to be most commonly a saprophyte on beech 
logs but I have recently found it growing on hickory. It has 
usually been referred by mycologists to М. coralloides Scop. 
Boccone, however, as early as 1697 figured the two forms as 
distinct. They are undoubtedly closely related, and intermediate 
forms are to be found difficult of assignment exclusively to either 
category, but this may also be said of H. coralloides and H. caput- 
ursi, ог of H. caput-urst and Н. Erinaceus. In fact all the species 
of this group are so closely related and so highly variable in them- 
selves as to lead to much confusion. 
There appear to be at least two distinct forms of this species. 
In the one the branches divide freely into a multitude of fine ter- 
minal branchlets which are often upturned and more or less erect 
at the ends. The teeth become shorter toward the ends of the 
branchlets and frequently stand out in various directions like 
thorns, but the majority are somewhat pendent.  Mcllvaine's 
figure is an excellent one of this form and shows clearly the 
peculiar character of the tips of the branches. Atkinson’s figures 
are evidently also of this type. Тһе other form has the branches 
usually longer and more slender, branching less freely, frequently 
curved or serpentine, the ultimate branchlets curving downward, 
the teeth frequently longer toward the tip of the branch and always 
pendent. This is undoubtedly the plant figured by Bulliard as 77. 
ramosum. I cannot, however, regard these two forms as distinct 
species as I have found them both growing from the same log and 
apparently from the same mycelium. 
2. Некісіум CORALLOIDES (Scop.) Pers. Com. Fung. Clav. 155. 
1797 
Hydnum coralloides Scopoli, Fl. Carn. 2: 472. 1772. 
Hydnum crispum Scopoli, Fl. Carn. 2: 473. 1772. 
Medusina coralloides Chevallier, Fl. Gen. des Env. de Paris 1: 
279. 1826, in part? 
Dryodon coralloides Karsten, Rev. Myc. 3': 19. 1881. 
Friesites coralloides Karsten, Medd. Soc. Faun. et Fl. Fenn. 5: 
27. 1870: 
Plant white throughout, branched from a single stipe-like base ; 
branches stout, consisting of nearly sterile primary branches 2-6 
