SOME NEW FUNGI CHIEFLY FROM ALABAMA.
In certain favorable seasons the Southern States offer fine op portunities for field work in mycology. It is fortunate that we are beginning to have intelligent field workers that are resident in stead of transient collectors, for it is only by persistent resident work that anything like a clear understanding of the flora can be obtained. While much is still to be desired in many of the South ern States, it can safely be said that the States of Alabama and Mississippi, at least, are now fairly well equipped with local workers, as compared with neighboring States, if one or two workers for an area of 50,000 square miles can be regarded as a fair equip ment. Many species are comparatively ephemeral, and only the local observer who is at hand at the favorable moment is able to gather the harvest, The fall season of 1895 was specially un favorable for field work, on account of excessive drought, and this condition prevailed more or less throughout the spring season.
In fact, not until July, 1896, were the rains sufficient to bring out the normal hymenomycetous flora. Since that time, and particu larly during the months of October, November and December, 1896, Professor Earle reports a very prolific growth of fleshy spe cies, and among them he sent a very interesting series of the cen tral and lateral stemmed forms of the genera Poi)ponts. These, together with a few others collected by myself in the same region, and one or two from elsewhere, are described below. For con venience the genera and species are arranged alphabetically.