Thaxter: Reliquiae Farlowianae 103 



regret that I have felt obliged to be concerned in making an addi- 

 tion to so vague and uninteresting a genus. 



No. 164, a and b. Costantinella cristata Matruchot 



As far as I am aware this is the first American record of this 

 species. The Cambridge gathering (164 a) has been determined 

 by myself and appears to correspond in all respects to the figures 

 and description given by Matruchot of the type material, which he 

 also found growing on dead leaves on the ground. Although he 

 regards them as distinct, it seems not improbable that this species 

 is not different from Bonorden's V erticillium pyramidale, with 

 which it corresponds very closely in appearance, even to the pecu- 

 liar sterile terminations of the main sporophores. The peculiar 

 character on which the genus is based, namely, the crest-like origin 

 of the spores on a curved " basidium," may well have escaped the 

 notice of Bonorden, whose figures are manifestly diagrammatic. 



It seems to me somewhat doubtful whether No. 164 b, which was 

 regarded by Dr. Farlow as the same, should rightly be referred to 

 this species. It occurs very commonly on rotten logs and on the 

 inner side of moist loose bark. It forms a much thinner growth, 

 without the cottony character of the type, and is a smaller plant. 

 Although it has the same crest-like type of sporulation, it seems to 

 lack the conspicuous and well-differentiated sterile terminations of 

 the main sporophores above alluded to. Though a Costantinella, 

 I should therefore feel some hesitation in regarding the two as 

 belonging to a single species. 



No. 460. Calicium Rhois (B. & C.) Farlow, nov. comb. 



This is the Stilbum Rhois B. & C. 6 of the Curtis Herbarium. 

 Whether the smaller Calicium Curtisii of Tuckerman should be 

 regarded as distinct, I do not feel competent to judge. 



No. 542. Sphagnum cuspidatum Ehr. var. 



Dr. A. LeRoy Andrews informs me that the form distributed is 

 regarded as a distinct species under the name 5". Torreyanum 

 S'ulliv. 



Harvard University, 



Cambridge, Massachusetts. 



6 Grevillea 3: 64. 1874. 



