REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST 1908 35 
spores white, oblong or ellipsoid, .00035-.0005 of an inch long, 
.00024—.0003 broad. 
Dry gravelly soil near clumps of lamb kill, Kalmia angus- 
-tifolia L. South Acton, Mass. October. S. Davis and-G. E. 
Morris. 
Allied to Clavaria ligula Fr. from which it may be 
separated by its smaller size, pallescent color externally and lemon- 
yellow color within, glabrous pale yellow stem and its broader 
spores. It is apparently a rare species. 
Clava simplex, laxe caespitosa vel aliquando gregaria, in alti- 
tudine uncialis, clavata, obtusa, plerumque teres, mollis, fragilis, 
farcta cavave, ochroleuca, pallescens, intus citrina; stipes distinctus, 
brevis (2-4 mm) citrinus; sporae albae, oblongae vel ellipsoideae, 
6-8 x Q-12 pz, 
Galera besseyi. 
PLATE V, FIG. 15-20 
Pileus thin, ovate or oval, rarely subglobose, obtuse, glabrous, 
never expanding, isabelline or pale dingy ochraceous, the margin 
abruptly contracted and closely embracing the stem; lamellae thin, 
close, ascending, adnate, ferruginous brown; stem slender, slightly 
flexuous, hollow, glabrous, even or slightly striate, colored like the 
pileus; spores broadly ellipsoid, .oo055-.00065 of an inch long, 
.CO04—.0005 broad. 
Pileus 2.5-6 lines long, 2-5 lines broad; stem 1-2 inches long, 
5-1 line thick. 
Sandy soil. Garden of the Gods, El Paso co., Col. August 
1908. C. E. Bessey and E. A. Bessey. 
This is a well marked and readily recognized species, having 
two very peculiar and interesting characters. The permanently 
closed pileus and the abruptly contracted amplexicaul margin are 
features not found in any other known species. The persistently 
clasping margin, surrounding the top of the stem like a sheath, 
strongly emphasizes the generic character, “margin at first straight, 
appressed to the stem.” Being an inhabitant of an arid region we 
may suppose the persistently closed pileus to be a character de- 
signed to promote the conservation of moisture in the pileus till 
the spores can be fully developed. That it is not due in this 
instance to an unusually dry season and therefore an unusual 
occurrence may be inferred from the fact that rain had preceded 
the discovery but a short time, for water was seen in the surface 
2 
