Alexander H. Smith

Mycological investigations on teonanacatl, the Mexican hallucinogenic mushroom. Part II. A taxonomic monograph of Psilocybe, section Caerulescentes.

As has been shown by Rolf Singer in Part I of these studies, it may be accepted as probable that the majority of the hallucinogenic mushrooms of Mexico belong to the section Caerulescentes of the genus Psilocybe. It is not yet known whether all species of the section possess hallucinatory properties, but it is probable that all or at least many of them are hallucinogenic or poisonous, causing cerebral mycetism with or without other symptoms. At all events, a critical taxonomic account of the species in this section is highly desirable to facilitate a biochemical survey of the group. This contribution is a part of two major projects, first the research on hallucinogenic mushrooms carried out by the Bertram and Roberta Stein Neuropsychiatric Research Program Inc., Chicago, Illinois, and second, a monograph of the North American species of Psilocybe now in preparation by A. H. Smith. We wish to express our thanks to the curators of the following institutions from which we have received material for study: Kew Herbarium (K), Dr. G. Taylor, Director, and Dr. R. W. G. Dennis, curator; Farlow Herbarium (FH), Dr. I. M. Lamb; New York Botanical Garden (NY), Dr. D. P. Rogers. Our own collections and those obtained from correspondents are on deposit at the Instituto Miguel Lillo (LIL), Tucumhn, Argentina, and at the Herbarium of the University of Michigan (MICH). Valuable data were obtained for us by G. Guzmatn, Mexico D.F. The color terms used in the descriptions were taken from R. Ridgway, Color Standards and Color Nomenclature, Washington, D.C., 1912, and Maerz and Paul, A Dictionary of Color, 1st edition, McGraw-

The genus Cantharellus in the western United States.

(1947). The Genus Cantharellus In The Western United States. Mycologia: Vol. 39, No. 5, pp. 497-534.

Notes on Astrogastraceous Fungi

In view of the work of Singer & Smith (1960) it is now necessary to restudy the types of the hypogeous Basidiomycetes to sort out additional species belonging in this group, possibly exclude a number which have been described in such genera as Hydnangium but do not belong in this series, and to make the necessary readjustments in the nomenclature. Toward this end, in September of 1960, I made an examination of specimens preserved in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, England. Some of the data obtained from these studies are reported here. Permission to study at the Kew Herbarium was granted by Dr. George Taylor, Director, and it is a pleasure to acknowledge this favor and also the time and assistance given me by both Dr. R. W. G. Dennis and Derek Reid. Travel to and from England was made possible through the National Science Foundation.

Studies on Secotiaceous Fungi. VIII. A New Genus in the Secotiaceae Related to Gomphidius

The fungi here described are interesting because they clearly indicate a connection between the genus Gomphidius of the Agaricales and the Secotiaceae of the Gastromycetes. Also, all the species have been found in a single geographic area, the western United States. This area is of considerable general interest because of the large number of other secotioid Gastromycetes known to occur in it. The species described in the following account could be placed easily in the two main subgenera of Singers (1949) classification of Gomphidius were it not for the fact that the spores are not discharged from the basidia in the manner typical of Hymenomycetes, and the hymenophore does not become oriented for spore discharge. In addition, the hymenophore has many chambers, lined by hymenium containing fertile basidia, which do not open to the outside, so that spores could not possibly escape from them. In other words, the morphology of the fructification is that of the Secotiaceae. Because of these gastromycete features, we are describing the two new species in the Gastromycetes but recognizing that their relationships are with Gomphidius. The name Brauniellula was selected to indicate the resemblance of this genus to Brauniella in certain microscopic characters. This does not necessarily imply that we believe the two genera are intimately related. As we pursue the evolutionary lines of development evident in the Agaricales into the Gastromycetes (or vice versa depending on ones views in the matter) we hope to shed more light on this problem. The field work during 1958 was financed by the University of Michigan Herbarium. Previous work in the area, which laid the ground work for the 1958 expedition, was financed jointly by the Faculty Research Fund of the University of Michigan and the Na-

Fungi of Southern California—II

As already pointed out by Rea,2 the fungous flora of southern California has a number of interesting aspects. Several years of field work have already yielded valuable information on the distribution of fungi in the southwestern corner of the United States and, as is to be expected in a survey of any relatively unexplored region, a number of very odd and interesting agarics have been collected. Some of these are the subject of this report. Others are withheld for the present because they belong to groups in which the distinguishing characters are not sharp and more information is needed to justify extensive revisions. Since a comprehensive fungous flora of this region is a remote possibility, serial publication of the studies as they progress is desirable to make the results available to other workers, particularly those engaged in critical revisions of generic concepts. This paper treats eight species, four of them new, distributed in Amanitopsis, Armillaria, Cortinarius, Lepiota and Melanoleuca. The genus Melanoleuca is used in the sense of Patoulliard, not Murrill. The most interesting of the new species is perhaps Armillaria subcaligata, which is characterized by ellipsoid, amyloid spores, bilateral gill trama, adnexed-seceding lamellae and the general appearance of A. caligata. Because of its gill trama, its relationships must be in the A. imperialis group of species, but the latter is characterized by differently shaped spores and long-decurrent lamellae. Melanoleuca Lewisii is a fine example of how deceiving external appearances can be. Most species of Melanoleuca are so similar in stature that the genus can usually be identified at sight, though the species can be distinguished only after careful study. The genus is similar to Russula in this respect. In M. Lewisii, however, we have a species which does

A New Genus of the Secotiaceae

In a revision of the genus Secotium, sensu lato, Singer and Smith (1958a, 1958b, 1958c, 1959a, 1959b, 1960a, 1960b) and Smith and Singer (1958, 1959) found that many species can be connected up to genera or families of the Agaricales on the basis of spore characters and the anatomical features of the gastrocarp. While the senior author was at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England, studying members of the Astrogastrales, we used the occasion to discuss certain curious species described under Secotium and collected in Australia and New Zealand which had aroused the interest of the junior author (1956). A joint study of certain of these fungi brought to light a related group of species seemingly quite unrelated to Secotium, sensu stricto, and which we here describe as a new genus.

The status of lepista—a new section of clitocybe

The genus Lepista (Tricholomataceae, Agaricales) is discussed in relation to Clitocybe, and evidence is presented to warrant a transfer of the species of Lepista to Clitocybe. A new section, sect. Verruculosae, is proposed in Clitocybe to accommodate these species and several other Clitocybes with ornamented spores. New taxa proposed are: Clitocybe subalpina, C. tarda var. alcalina, C. pseudoirina, C. irina var. luteospora. New combinations proposed are: C. panaeoliformis var. panaeoliformis and var. westii, C. densifolia, C. praemagna, C. nuda, C. glaucocana, C. saeva, C. graveolens. One nomen novum, Clitocybe fasiculata, is proposed for Lepista caespitosa (Bresadola) Singer. Eighteen species and three varieties are treated with a key to taxa and a complete description of each.

Cantharocybe, A New Genus of Agaricales

Goodwin, D. C. 1961. Morphogenesis of the sporangium of Comatricha. Anier. J. Bot. 48: 148-154. Jahn, E. 1928. Abteilung Myxomycetes (Mycetozoa, Phytosarcodina, Schleilmpilze, Pilztiere), pp. 304-339. In A. Engler und K. Prantl. Die naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien, Zweite Aufl., Band 2. Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig. Link, J. H. F. 1833. Handbuch zur Erkennung der nutzbarsten und am haufigsten vorkommenden Gewachse 3. Ordo Fungi, Subordo 6. Myxomycetes, pp. 405-422, 432-433. Berlin. Macbride, T. H. 1899. The North American slime molds. The MacMillan Co., N. Y. 231 pp. -. 1922. The North American slime molds, 2nd ed. The MacMillan Co., N. Y. 299 pp. Martin, G. W. 1961. Key to the families of fungi, pp. 497-517. In G. C. Ainsworth [ed.], Ainsworth & Bisbys Dictionary of the fungi, 5th ed. Commonwealth Mycol. Inst., Kew, Surrey. Martin, G. W., and C. J. Alexopoulos. 1969. The Myxomycetes. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City. 560 pp. Mims, C. 1972. A light and electron microscope study of sporulation in the myxomycete Stemonitis virginiensis. Protoplasma (In press.) Olive, L. S. 1970. The Mycetozoa: a revised classification. Bot. Rev. 36: 59-89. Ross, I. K. 1957. Capillitial formation in the Stemonitaceae. Mycologia 49: 809-819.

Notes on the Genus Cystoderma

Pileo 1-3 cm. lato, convexo, appresse fibrilloso, pallide lilaceo vel obscure violaceo-livido, pallidiore in speciminibus siccioribus, in primordiis velo granuloso ferrugineo celluloso obtecto sed dein denudato tegumenti separatione a superficie pilei. Lamellis distantibus vel subdistantibus, latis, arcuato-adnatis vel subdecurrentibus, interdum postremum adnexis et dente decurrentibus et tunc frequenter ventricosis in maturis, pallide brunneololividis vel pallidissime opace purpurascentibus, aciebus integris. Stipite 4-8 cm. longo, 4-6 mm. lato in tertia apicali, 6-8 mm. deorsum, pallide lilaceo lacero-squamoso longitudinaliterque striato in tertia apicali, solido, in duobus tertiis inferioribus cothurnato tegumento velari granuloso, cinnamomeoalutaceo vel argillaceo-brunneolo quo rupto armillis granulosis concentricis vel fasciculis vel squamis obtectae apparent. Carne grisello-violacea, violacea vel lilacea in pileo et in tertia apicali stipitis, argillaceo-brunneola in parte inferiore stipitis; odore saporeque haud notabilibus. Sporis plerumque 9-10 X 4.5-6 A, ellipsoideis, laevibus, membrana simplici, continua, hyalina vel subhyalina (in KOH), subpseudoamyloideis, haud amyloideis; basidiis 30-35 X 7.5-10,u; cystidiis nullis; tramate hyalino; cuticula pilei (primordiis exceptis) reducta, ex zona densiuscula et pigmentata consistente, hyphis filamen-

New and Unusual Agarics from the Western United States

While studying the species of Mycena (14) occurring in Washington, Oregon and California during the fall of 1935 many agarics in other genera were also collected. Fifteen of the more outstanding species are critically discussed or described in this paper. Four new species are described, and three, Clitocybe albiformis Murrill, Psilocybe ochraeceps Kauffman, and Naucoria elatior (Peck) Sacc. are reduced to synonymy. Particular attention was given to species of Naucoria in the section segregated as the genus Phaeocollybia by Heim (5). Five species in this group, including two that are new, are critically compared. The collection numbers and photographs are the writers unless otherwise stated. All the collections are deposited in the her? barium of the University of Michigan.