CALIFORNIA HYPOGAEOUS FUNGI— 

 TUBERACEAE 



Harold E. Parks 



The hypogaeous fungi of America form a large, important and 

 little known group. Practically nothing is known of the range of 

 species or their distribution, their edibility or their life histories. 

 Their occurrence in most cases has been noted rather by accident 

 than through any careful or systematic search for them. In Cali- 

 fornia there has been some definite attempt at extensive collection 

 and study of the many different species. 



The work was pioneered by Dr. H. W. Harkness. His work 

 was left incomplete, however, at the time of his death and subse- 

 quently much of it was lost. It was successful in demonstrating 

 the great variety and extent of the group. The work was then 

 taken up by Dr. W. A. Setchell and Prof. N. L. Gardner, of the 

 University of California, at Berkeley. The only literature avail- 

 able as a guide to the Californian species is the paper of Dr. Hark- 

 ness, which is, unfortunately, not easily procured. The work is of 

 little value in many ways, as the descriptions have been abbrevi- 

 ated. Dr. Helen M. Gilkey has made a careful " Revision of the 

 Tuberales of California," which is an excellent account of asco- 

 mycetous forms. Drs. Zeller and Dodge have also recently pub- 

 lished some accounts of the various Hymenogastrales in which are 

 included numerous Californian species. 



All of the recent publications will in time have to be revised 

 more or less to include numerous additional species and allow of 

 a modification of the published species. Aside from the paper of 

 Dr. Harkness, there is no literature published which would be of 

 service to the collector in the field. As in the case of the writer, 

 the collectors ' must go at the work more or less blindly until ex- 

 perience has been gained. With all due allowances for seasonal 

 differences, it is hoped that the following account will be of value 

 to other collectors. 



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