Entire plant smooth, light color. Peridium globose, smooth, 11/3-2 cm. in diameter, dehiscing by a torn mouth, borne on the broad concave apex of the stipe. Columella none. Spores rust color, subglobose, verrucose, about 6 mic. in diameter. Capillitium light yellow, almost hyaline under the microscope, much branched and interlaced, sparingly septate. Stipe long, thick and concave at the apex, tapering down, smooth, sulcate, with almost woody texture. Volva persisting (normally) as a cup at base of plant, covered with adhering dirt. (The volva is usually absent from herbarium specimens.)

Prof. C. V. Piper, who has kindly sent us the specimens, furnished the following interesting notes to the habits of the plant, and it is the first published account of them: “The plant is by no means rare in the drifting heaps of sand in the vicinity of Pasco. As it usually grows, nothing but the peridium is exposed, all the remaining part being subterranean. This point, however, varies with the looseness of the sand, in some cases the wind exposing nearly the entire plant. Where, however, the sand is fairly firm, the whole stipe is underground. The length seems to vary wholly with the amount of loose sand through which it must grow to reach the surface.”

Chlamydopus Meyenianus was originally collected in Peru and sent to Klotzsch, who described and figured it as Tylostoma Meyenianum. The plants and figures had no volva at the base, but were otherwise quite characteristic.(*)

The American plant seems heretofore to have been collected only in New Mexico.(**) There is a specimen in Ellis’ collection from E.A. Wooten, New Mexico.

SYNONYMS.

Spegazzini, a South American botanist. has beautifully figured the plant and called it a new genus and a new species, Chlamydopus clavatus. He was the first to show the volva at the base of the plant. We think the genus is valid, but there is no reason for the new specific name, save lack of knowledge of Klotzsch’s plant. Miss White adopts Spegazzini’s name, illustrating the Weakness of the attempted use of “priority rules” without knowing the facts.

Morgan illustrates as “Tylostoma Meyenianum” a plant that cannot be Klotzsch’s species, and is probably Tylostoma obesum, and does not belong to the genus Chlamydopus.

Specimens in our Collection.

Washington, C. V. Piper.

(*) Dr. Hollos has kindly forwarded to me a drawing of Meyen’s specimens preserved in the Museum at Berlin. There is no question as to its identity with our American plant.

(**) I presume the specimen sent Berkeley by Wright from New Mexico was correctly determined, as it is evident from Berkeley’s remarks under Tylostoma angolense that he was familiar wth Klotzsch’s plant.