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

Smith ~ Hesler

257

lection (No. 3560), Smith detected a slight fragrant odor. It appears to
prefer a conifer habitat, but in Smith 47205, from Idaho, it grew on
birch. This is one of the characteristic species on conifer slash in the
Pacific Northwest, and will be found to vary in color depending on
whether it fruits during relatively dry or very wet weather. It is generally
paler under the latter condition. Smith has encountered numerous collections in which the gills gradually become bright yellow and few spores
were ever found on them. Since this same feature is a very common one
during good seasons in species of Naematoloma, a closely related genus,
no particular significance was ascribed to it in the field and no collections
were saved in which it was specifically noted. However, sterility or partial
sterility in species of the Strophariaceae is sufficiently common to deserve
detailed study-particularly the accompanying change in the pigment
features of the basidiocarp.
The pleurocystidia were described as thin-walled by Kauffman in
his notes on the type and his identified collections under this name show
such cystidia but in addition thick-walled cystidia also are present. In
many of Smith's collections most of the cystidia are thick-walled. Apparently in fresh specimens the cystidia all appear thin-walled, at least Smith
made no notation of thick walled elements in the hymenium at the time
the material was fresh. The character needs further observation on fresh
specimens and then these same specimens dried and the cystidia rechecked in KOH.
In the type this same condition prevails. Cystidia with walls 1.5 a_
thick or more are not uncommon but there are as many or more with
thin walls. The species concept here put forth is consistent with the
microscopic characters of the type.
MATERIAL EXAMINED: CALIFORNIA: 3569, 3659, 3734, 3872, 3916,
8198, 56109, 56119; COLORADO: Smith 51386, 52373, 52485, 58599;
IDAHO: 47205, 53662, 54770, 69700, 70180, 70259, 70481, 70577, 70844,
71104; OREGON: Gruber 32, 18-8; Kauffman 10-16-22; Smith 3286, 3591,
7899, 8074, 19663, 20165, 24388, 24696, 24697, 28138, 28209, 55417;
WASHINGTON: Murrill 553 (type); Kauffman 9-21-15, 10-19-15, 10-28 -25, 11-5-25; Smith 16986, 17017, 17047, 17107, 17227, 68744. CANADA
(BRITISH COLUMBIA) Buckland 71 (MICH).
136. Pholiota rubronigra sp. nov.
Illustrations: P1. 65a.
Pileus 3-8 cm latus, late convexus vel planus, viscidus, fibrillososqanmulosus, glabrescens, badius. Contextus albus, fragrans. Lamellae
adnaatae demum subdecllrrentes, latae, confertae, pallidae demum cinnamomco-brulnneae. Stipes 4-6 cm longus, 3-7 mm crassus, ad basin compacte myceliosus, sursum luteus, deorsum fulvus et squamulosus, velum
fibrillosum. Sporae 6-8.5 x 4-5 iL. Pleurocystidia 45-75 x 10-15 F
fJ.soide ventricosa tenuitunicata vel crassotulnicata (1.5.t). Specimen typi