6 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



mushroom which is found in China and Japan growing on oak 

 branches. A cabinet case about 4 feet long and 2 feet wide, con- 

 taining four oak branches bearing specimens of the mushroom in 

 place and showing their mode of growth, forms a part of the con- 

 tribution. There are certain marks on the branches indicating that 

 the mushroom is cultivated. These specimens had been on exhi- 

 bition at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St Louis and at the 

 close of the fair they were presented to the New York State her- 

 barium by the Osaka Mushroom Merchants Association. The 

 botanical name of the mushroom is Pleurotus bret- 

 schneideri, the common Japanese name is Shiitake. 



The number of species added to the flora of the State is 82. Some 

 of these have before been recorded as varieties of various species, 

 but recently they have been raised to specific rank and they are 

 herein reported as species. Of the 82 additions, 41 are considered 

 new species and are described as such in this report. Of the new 

 species, 19 belong to the genus Crataegus and are described in a 

 chapter entitled "Species of Crataegus found within 20 miles of 

 Albany." The remaining 22 are fungi. A chapter on species not 

 before reported contains the names of the species new to our flora, 

 descriptions of the new species not elsewhere described in this report 

 and remarks concerning the others with the names of the places 

 where and the times when the specimens were collected. 



A record of new stations of rare plants and of persistence in old 

 stations, descriptions of new varieties and remarks concerning pe- 

 culiar and distinguishing features of closely related species may be 

 found under the title " Remarks and observations." In this chapter 

 38 species are noticed. 



The investigation of our species of Crataegus has been continued. 

 In the study of our species in the vicinity of Albany I deem myself 

 fortunate in having had the expert aid of Prof. C. S. Sargent, our 

 highest authority on this, our largest and most difficult genus of 

 trees and shrubs. He has visited with me some of the most prolific 

 and interesting localities and personally examined the trees and 

 shrubs in their place of growth and has kindly identified others 

 from specimens sent him. He has named and described the new 

 species reported in the chapter on species of Crataegus found within 

 20 miles of Albany and has prepared the bibliographic references 

 of the others. Specimens collected in other parts of the State have 

 not yet been fully identified. The number of species of this genus 

 already identified and known to belong to our flora is 89. 



