REPORT OF THE BOTANIST. 



To the Honorable the Board of Regents of the University of the State 

 of Neiu York : 



Gentlemen — I have the honor to communicate to you the following 

 statement of the work of the Botanist during the past year : 



The investigation of our State flora and the collection and preparation 

 of specimens to properly represent it in the State Herbarium, a work 

 which had been partly interrupted foi two years, has been fully renewed 

 and actively prosecuted during the collecting season. Specimens were 

 collected in the counties of Essex, Warren, Fulton, Lewis, Saratoga, 

 Albany and Rensselaer. Of the collected specimens, those representing 

 one hundred and ninety-two species have been prepared, mounted and 

 added to the Herbarium. One hundred and sixteen of these, of which 

 a considerable number are species of fungi not before published, were 

 not previously represented therein. The remainder are species now 

 more completely and satisfactorily illustrated in their different forms 

 and varieties or by more perfect specimens. 



Specimens of about one hundred and forty species of plants, mostly 

 fungi, have been contributed by various botanists and correspondents. 

 Of these there are two species of this State new to the Herbarium and 

 not among my collections of the past season. These added to the 

 number already given make a total of one hundred and eighteen added 

 species. A list of their names is marked A. Also a list of contributors 

 and their respective contributions is given and marked B. 



Notices of plants not before reported, together with a record of the 

 localities where they were found, also descriptions of such as are deemed 

 new species are in a part of the report marked C. These descriptions, 

 in nearly all cases, have been drawn up with the fresh plant before me. 

 The microscope has been taken with me on my collecting trips, and 

 the microscopical details studied at the time of collecting, in order to 

 insure greater accuracy. 



A record of observations on species not new to our flora has been 

 made and is marked D. It contains remarks upon any matters of in- 

 terest in connection with the variation, distribution, locality or habitat 

 of the species. 



A descriptive manual of our Hymenomycetous or fleshy fungi, among 

 which are the mushrooms and mushroom-like Agarics, is greatly needed. 

 The number of those desirous of becoming acquainted with our native 

 species of these plants is constantly increasing, but a proper and con- 

 venient manual for their study and identification is wanting. Accidents 

 from the use of poisonous kinds for food, by those, who, ignorant of the 

 true characters of the species, have mistaken them for the edible mush- 

 room occur from time to time. These accidents might readily be avoided 

 by a better and more common acquaintance with the characteristic 

 features of our edible species and their less valuable associates. As a step 

 in this direction monographs of the different genera represented in our 



