278 



Mycologia 



as can be determined this fungus is confined entirely to dicotyle- 

 donous trees but occurs upon a great number of species, prefer- 

 ably upon fire-scorched trunks. It attacks small saplings even 

 more readily than larger trees and seems to prefer species of 

 hickory for a host. 



While making a survey of a burned area in the latter part of 

 August, 1916, with a view to securing data in regard to the 

 rapidity of the deterioration of standing fire-killed timber by one 

 of our most common sap-rotting fungi, the writer was impressed 

 by the abundance of Daldinia vemicosa on the dead trees. An 

 area was selected near State College, Pa., that had been burned 

 for the first time, a surface fire having swept through it 1 year 

 and 3 months previously. As a result the trees on this area, with 

 few exceptions, were scorched so badly that they were killed out- 

 right. From this burned area an average sample tract, 100 by 500 

 feet, was laid off and the following data were secured for each 

 standing tree within this tract: species, diameter (measured to 

 the nearest inch) at breast height, conditions (as to whether dead 

 or living), and the species of fungi growing upon it as evidenced 

 by the sporophores upon the trunk. The species of trees upon 

 this tract in the order of their importance were white oak, scarlet 

 oak, white pine, mocker nut hickory, red maple, chestnut, and 

 pitch pine. The data obtained are given below, the trees being 

 tabulated by diameter under each species : 



Out of 71 scarlet oak trees upon this tract only 1 bore sporo- 

 phores of Daldinia vemicosa. There also were present 15 red 

 maples, 6 chestnuts, 37 white pines, and 1 pitch pine but no trees 

 of these species bore sporophores. Out of a total of 363 dicotyle- 

 donous trees occurring upon this tract 46, or 13 per cent., bore 

 sporophores of Daldinia vemicosa within 1 year and 3 months 

 after the trees were scorched by fire. All the trees tabulated 

 above, save one, were dead at the time of the reconnaissance. 



The above figures clearly indicate how extensively and rapidly 

 this ascomycete can propagate itself when afforded a favorable 

 substratum. The accompanying photograph (Plate 14, A), taken 

 in the latter part of August with a previous record of two months 

 of dry weather, testifies to the luxuriant growth made by the 



