The North American species of Pholiota, by Alexander H. Smith and L. R. Hesler.

94

The North American Species of Pholiota

as shown in the photograph (pl. 22). It is not uncommon to find the
base of a dead tree literally covered by it.
The basidiocarps are fairly persistent with the result that clusters
are sometimes found which have washed out to various degrees of yellow
and the slime in the epicutis is largely removed leaving the layer with
a loosely interwoven appearance and with the hyphal walls rather clearly
outlined. In fact we were at first inclined to recognize a species on this
feature but gave it up for lack of any substantial correlated difference.
The reason, apparently, for the longevity of the basidiocarps is the
manner in which the hyphae slowly develop walls up to 1.5 u, thick and
which separate from the middle lamella, as can be seen in frayed or
broken walls. The hyphae of the gill trama and adjacent pileus trama in
particular show this feature. In such weathered specimens the veil material may be weathered away to the degree that causes confusion in recognizing the species. Such specimens may still be readily recognized, however, by the very small ventricose-rostrate cheilocystidia, rather thickwalled spores for their size, lack of pleurocystidia, and scattered small
caulocystidia, though the latter feature is somewhat unreliable as the cells
are often difficult to locate on revived tissue. Caulocystidia were found on
a specimen from Sweden determined as this species by Romell and given
to Kauffman. We have found them rare to absent on most American
collections in restudying dried material. Further observations on this
feature based on fresh material are desirable.
This species was found to cause a rot of ground wood pulp by
Robak (1933). In culture the fungus grew about 5 mm per day and
produced a strong red-brown color in the medium. It did not seem to
be very destructive but apparently was common. The fungus was fruited
in culture. Tie wood used was ground spruce from Norway.
MATERIAL EXAMINED: ALASKA: Wells 1959 #2, 6-29-64 #7S. COLORADO: Barrows 1356 (Mich); Smith 51470, 51761, 51829, 52271.
IDAHO: Smith 54156, 59156. MAINE: Bigelow 3047, 3728, 3839 (all
Mich.). MICHIGAN: Harding 150. NEW YORK: Kauffman 9-16-22.
NORTH CAROLINA: Hesler 11467, 12701. OREGON: Cooke 25-le
(Mich.); Smith 19540, 19548, 23820. TENNESSEE: Hesler 9107, 9332,
2536, 12701, 13967; Sharp 107 (FH). Smith 10478, 10566. WASHINGTON: Kauffman 10-14-25; Imshaug 1020; 1219, 1765, 226; Smith 13261,
13426, 13620, 13709, 13741, 13918, 14265, 14524; 14821, 16163, 16252,
30212, 39856, 39904, 47549, 49022, 49158. WYOMING: Solheim 3776.
CANADA-BRITISH COLUMBIA: Waugh 27533, Bowman 34567
(DAOM). NOVA SCOTIA: Wehemeyer 783. ONTARIO: Kelly 1187
(Mich).
37. Pholiota tennesseensis sp. nov.
Illustrations: Tex figs. 125-127; pl. 15.

Pileus caespitosus, 1.5-3.5(7) cm latus, eburneo-albus demum ebur