DuRAND : Peziza proteana var. sparassoides in America 3 



In his most recent work Boudier speaks of this plant, as fol- 

 lows " This curious production, which I can regard only as a 

 luxuriant state of Galactinia proteana has all its anatomical char- 

 acters save the margin and external form ; it is to my mind an 

 hypertrophied state of this species, excessively analogous to that 

 which one finds in Disciotis venosa, reticulata and Aleuria vesicu- 

 losa var. saccata. It is remarkable for its fragility and appears 

 more frequently than the type." 



In this connection reference should be made to a plant collected 

 by Policy, at Belton, Lake McDonald, Mont., in 1903, and de- 

 scribed by Miss Hone^ under the name Gyromitra Phillipsii Mass. 

 Miss Hone's notes indicate a plant very similar to P. proteana 

 var. sparassoides, and examination of alcoholic material kindly 

 sent to the writer by Miss Hone proves that it is identical with 

 the one collected at Ithaca. 



One is thus led immediately to inquire whether Boudier's G. 

 proteana var. sparassoides may not be the same as Massee's 

 Gyromitra Phillipsii. A careful study of Phillips's description 

 and figures^ of the plant which he regarded as the true Gyromitra 

 gigas Kromb., and of Massee's description^ has convinced the 

 writer that the two plants are identical without question. How- 

 ever, only a study of authentic specimens, which are not available 

 to the writer, can settle the matter definitely. 



Department of Botany, 



University of Minnesota^ 



Minneapolis, Minnesota. 



4 Icon. Myc. 4: 162. 1911. 



5 Postelsia, 1906: 237-244. 1906. 

 ejourn. Bot. 31: 129. pL 334. 1893. 

 7 Brit. Fung.-Flora 4: 478. 1895. 



