MYCOLOGICAL NOTES. 
BY G. G. LLOYD, 
No. 15. 
CINCINNATI, o. MAY 25, 1903. 
262—NOTES OF TRAVEL. 
WASHINGTON. 
The only puff ball collection I know of in Washington is in the 
Herbarium of the department of Plant Industry, in care of Mrs. Flora 
Patterson. It is not very extensive; however, it presents some points 
of interest. 
Calvatia rubro-flava was collected in the greenhouse of the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture at Washington. It seems to be a plant of 
cultivated ground only. I found it in a potato patch. Mr. H. B. 
Dorner finds it abundantly in the greenhouses at Lafayette, Ind. It 
has reached me from as far south as Alabama, (Bertolet), as far west 
as St. Louis, (Glatfelter). It does not appear to grow in the woods or 
in wild situations. 
Simblum rubescens has been gathered at Washington by W. H. 
Scudder. This plant, originally described from Long Island by 
Gerard, I now know from three other locations: Nebraska (Bates), 
Kansas (Bartholomew) and Washington, D. C., (Scudder). Fischer 
claims it is the same as Simblum sphaerocephalum of South America. 
This point I hope to decide to my own satisfaction in Europe this sum¬ 
mer. If it is, Simblum sphaerocephalum is now very badly figured. 
C. L. Shear has a commendable habit of picking up all the puff 
balls lie finds in his travels. As he has spent many months in the 
western section, I was interested in looking over his specimens. I was 
glad to find among them a Catastoma which is new to me and which is 
the fifth species I now know to grow in this country. Mr. Shear 
kindly gave me some type material of the two species of Gastromyce- 
tes he has recently described. Scleroderma pteridis seems to be based 
chiefly on habits. It grows attached to the rliizoma of Pteris at 
a depth of two or three feet below the surface. As it does not seem 
possible that it can reach the surface, it is probably truly subterranean. 
I do not think, however, that herbarium specimens can be distinguished 
in any particular from unopened Scleroderma Geaster. Secotium 
Arizonicum has many points of resemblance to our common species, 
S. acuminatum. Dr. Hollos would undoubtedly so refer it as its 
spores are the same. Had specimens been sent me I should probably 
have so named it, though it does seem to dehisce in a different manner 
and the columella does not reach the apex. If these differences are 
constant, I think the plant is entitled to specific rank. 
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