Notes and Brief Articles 



47 



sometimes called Trametes serpens Fries and sometimes Poly- 

 porus Stephensii Berk. & Br., an identical European species de- 

 scribed from plants collected by Stephens on privet twigs near 

 Bristol, England, in 1847. 



The American plant ranges northward into South Carolina and 

 southward to Brazil, showing considerable variation in the size, 

 shape, and obliquity of its tubes, which are always smaller, how- 

 ever, and otherwise distinct from those of the true European T. 

 serpens. The following collections I have examined will indicate 

 the distribution : 



Ellis & Ev. N. Am. Fungi 1707; Rav. Fungi Am. 112; Rav. 

 Fungi Car. 4: 7; South Carolina, Ravenel; Louisiana, Langlois 

 161 2, 2512, 2559; Florida, Calkins 47, 51, 60, 68, 116, 130, Lloyd 

 2129, Ravenel, Rolfs 7, Mrs. Russell, Small & Mosier 5407; 

 Cuba, Earle 1591, Earle & Murrill 117, 124, 144, 148, 152, 200, 

 505, 321 , 459, 475, 476; Jamaica, Earle 469, Murrill & Harris 

 1020; Porto Rico, Stevens 8988; St. Thomas, Raunkiaer 180; 

 Mexico, Murrill 642, Smith 205; Colombia, Baker; Bolivia, Bang 

 2310; Brazil, Mbller. 



There has come to me recently from the Philippine Islands a 

 specimen named Elmeriana setulosa (P. Henn.) Bres., which 

 seems to match very closely our American plant. Another 

 Philippine specimen named Poria straminea Bres. does not appear 

 to be distinct from E. setulosa except in the obliquity of its tubes. 

 A fine Philippine collection made by Mr. Williams, however, dif- 

 fers from both the above in its much larger and more shallow 

 pores, suggesting in their size the plant with which we began this 

 discussion, but evidently much more American than European 

 ir» its affinities. 



W. A. Murrill. 



The Genus Poria 

 The name Poria was used generically by Dr. John Hill in his 

 "History of Plants," published in 1751, to include certain large 

 pileate species such as Fomes Laricis and Fistulina hepatica. 

 On page 28, the genus was described as follows : 



" Poria is a genus of Fungus's growing horizontally, but having its under- 

 side not formed into lamellae, but full of little holes or pores . . ." 



