Lloyd Mycological Writings V4.pdf - MykoWeb

LETTER No. 41
BY C. G. I/I,OYD
WIDELY DISTRIBUTED PLANTS. Schizophyllum commune.
Notwithstanding the vast hordes of so-called "new species"
that are brought out every year, no one truth is more prominent than
that the species of fungus are few and widely distributed. It so developed
with my work on the puff balls of every country of the world,
and is so developing with my work on the Polyporoids. It is so shown
in the few critical paper we have on the subject. In L/ister's exhaustive
work on the Myxomycetes, very few species are considered valid
and listed that he does not record from such remote countries as Ceylon,
America, Europe, Cuba, India, South Africa, etc.
While it is probable that in most cases species of fungi are
widely distributed, the distribution is uneven and plants that are rare
in one country are common in another. Some of our most frequent
species in the United States are extremely rare in Europe. For instance,
Polystictus pergamenus, Bovistella Ohiensis, Urnula Craterium, Polyporus
albellus, Polyporus dichrous and others. Some plants are very
common in Europe and rare in the United States, as Polyporus squamosus
and Polyporus amorphus. Sometimes the distribution is very
peculiar. Thus Archanion album is not infrequent in the United States,
but in Europe is known from one single collection, made by L,. Badet
in Italy. The genus Matula is only known from Brazil and Ceylon.
Polyporus volvatus is not rare in the United States and was recently
found in Japan, but is absent as far as known from Europe. Hydnofomes
tinctorius I have received from the west coast of America and it
has also been found in Japan.
One of the commonest plants we find in our American woods,
is Schizophyllum commune. One can hardly go into the woods during
the collecting season without noticing it. But it is not confined to the
United States. The fungi of temperate countries in general are different
from those in the tropics, but Schizophyllum commune makes no climatic
distinction. It is essentially at home in the tropics as well as the
temperate regions.
Notwithstanding that there have been several new species" of
Schizophyllum discovered, I think there is in reality only one species,
and but very few collections are entitled to a seperate name even as a
variety. Generally sessile, it sometimes develops from position of
growth, a distinct stipe. Usually entire, at least in the United States,
in the tropical world it is more or less lobed. However, these cannot be
looked upon even as valid varieties for the same collection will often
show all three forms.
There are ninety-two collections in our museum as indicated
below and in the entire lot there is but one collection that impresses
me as being entitled to a separate name even as a variety. Usually the
plant is white; if it is discolored it is due to age. We have one collection
from L. J. K. Brace of the Bahamas, that is dark umber, which
we would call Schizophyllum commune, var. umbrinum. We think it
has been named Schizophyllum umbrinum as a new species, but it is
only a variety at the best.
We beg to thank the numerous collectors who have sent us specimens
illustrating tke- vn'de distribution of this plant, as per the list
on the following page:
JAN 5 01942