138 REVISION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN HyDNACEAE 
down with an incongruous mass of forms having only one common 
characteristic, that is a toothed hymenium. Several attempts have 
been made to evolve from this chaos something like a generic homo- 
geneity. These efforts have not been without success but have 
unfortunately been in most cases largely vitiated by a failure to 
regard any definite principles of nomenclature. 
In 1878 Quélet, in the Clavis Hymenomycetum proposed to 
restrict the name Hydnum to the resupinate forms of the genus 
and then suggested the name Sarcodon for the fleshy mesodopous 
forms. His treatment of Hydnum asa genus of resupinate species 
has no justification in any rational system of nomenclature, since 
not one of these forms was recognized under the original Lin- 
naean genus or even its prototype, the Zrzzaceus of Dillenius. 
Moreover, Quélet failed to establish his genera in accordance with 
any rational principles* and his work might be wholly ignored but 
for the fact that his absurd perversion of nomenclatorial principles 
was taken up by so careful and discriminating a botanist as Kar- 
sten who, strangely repudiating his own far more logical work,T 
gave to Quélet’s labors a recognition that their intrinsic merit did 
not deserve. In this Karsten has been followed by Patouillard, 
Schroeter and Hennings, much of whose work is, therefore, built 
nomenclatorially upon a foundation of sand. 
The genus as here treated is closely related to Hydnum L. on 
the one side, and to Hydnellum Karst. on Ше other, differing 
from the former in the generally dark color of the plants and 
especially in the character of the spores ; from the latter it differs 
chiefly in the brittle fleshy substance. 
Synopsis of the Species 
Spores pale ; teeth connected at base by anastomosing ridges. - 
я I. 5. reticulatus. 
Spores colored ; teeth not connected by ridges. 
Pileus densely tomentose or strigose. 
Pileus smooth, subpubescent, or scaly. 
Pileus glabrous, grayish. 
3. S. cristatus. 
lant large, 8-12 cm. wide ; stem scabrous, 2. S. scabrifes. 
Plant medium, 2-6 cm. wide ; stem smooth. 4. S. Blackfordae. 
* See p. 102. 
T Symb. ad Myc. Fenn. in Medd. Soc. Faun. et F]. н 5: 26. 187. 
