246 



Mycologia 



above sea level. The park itself is a dry grass land area about 

 2 miles long and half a mile wide, through which flows South 

 Boulder Creek. Dense willow growths border parts of this 

 stream and the soil beneath supports in proper season a consid- 

 erable fungous flora. The grass land is too dry for all except 

 those fungi of decided xerophytic habits, among the most impor- 

 tant of which are puffballs, the fairy ring Tricholoma (T. pre- 

 magna), and Agaricus campestris. The best collecting is to be 

 found in the coniferous forests bordering the various streams 

 that enter the park from the surrounding gulches and cafions. 

 Of these the best in this locality are South Boulder Cafion and 

 Jennie Creek. The latter is not much above the level of the park 

 floor in elevation, but the former is a deep though fairly broad 

 canon extending from the west end of the park up to the conti- 

 nental divide, a distance of about 4 miles and with an elevation of 

 from 9,000 to more than 10,000 feet. The tree growth in this 

 canon (as well as bordering all other streams) is largely of 

 coniferous species, mostly Picea engelmannii. On the drier 

 mountain slopes the lodge-pole pine predominates, and aspen 

 thickets are not infrequent in moist situations. 



Owing to the high elevation of this region spring is late in 

 arriving and in both 191 3 and 1914 snow drifts remained in the 

 surrovmding forests until nearly July i, and at higher elevations 

 much later. Both seasons the rainfall was light until about the 

 middle or latter half of July, although light showers are of fre- 

 quent (sometimes almost daily) occurrence. In July, however, 

 heavy rains occurred and it was following these that fungi were 

 found in greatest abundance. Apparently the fungous flora is 

 not an unusually rich one, partially because of the short growing- 

 season. A total of nearly 1,000 collections were made in the two 

 seasons but in neither instance did the collecting cover the entire 

 season. 



A considerable amount of information was collected as to the 

 altitudinal distribution, seasonal appearance, and other ecological 

 data pertaining to the fleshy fungi, but its pubHcation is with- 

 held for the present with the hope of adding to it in the near 

 future. However, there appears to be almost as decided a sue- 



