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Correspondence of Charles Peck and G. W. Clinton March 4, 2011 |
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The
Correspondence of Charles
Peck (1833-1917) and George
William Clinton (1807 1885) 1872 part 2 Vol. 8 (144) [H 74] My Dear Sir, Of the sendings of Apr. 28th I make out
only 1 Aecidium Claytoniatum Schw. &2 Leptostroma litigiosum
Desm. 3 Seems to be a Vermicularia but sterile 4 Is also without any fruit and uncertain 5 Cladosporium, probably herbarum Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received May 3 Vol. 8 (150) [H 68] My Dear Sir, Of May 10th No 1 seems to me to be Septoria
Rubi B. & C. 2 Nothing good May 11th 1,2,4 & 5 I find no fruit in any and am
not able to say what they are. On No. 3 I find a single conceptacle of what seems an Erysiphe. Whether it was really an inhabitant of the fern
or had lodged here from some other plant is a question. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck P.S. It would be well to look farther for No. 3 Received May 14 Vol. 8 (156) [H 62] My Dear Sir, The only good thing I find among your specimens of May 10th is the
enclosed Diplodia which, so far as I can determine
from the brief description, is D. vulgaris Lev. This fine weather makes me anxious to get out to
see if I can not find something, having been at work in the office now
about six months. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received May 16 Vol. 8 (159) [H 59] My Dear Sir, May 16 x1
Uredo Pyrolae Strauss. Cooke gives what I suppose to be the same thing under the name Trichobasis Pyrolae Berk. but I do not find any pedicellate spores and think it better be left under Uredo. x2
& 3 Septoria Rubi B.
& C. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received May 19 Vol. 8 (160) [H 58] My Dear Sir, Of May 17th there are two series; first 1 Melampsora salicina
Lev. x2
Unsatisfactory. If the black dots are a fungus it is imperfect. x3,4,
& 5 are all Uredo Pyrolae
Strauss. second x1 A fungus no doubt, but too young, probably it would be a Peziza x2 Asterina Gaultheriae
Curtis x3
Podisoma fuscum Duby. x4 Undetermined Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received May 21 Vol. 8 (161) [H 57] My Dear Sir, Of May 22d No 1 Not sure of a fungus here. 2 Illosporium carneum
Fr. x3
Aecidium Podophylli Schw. x4
Aecidium Violae Schum. Mrs. Down's name is down. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received May 24 Vol. 8 (163) [H 55] My Dear Sir, Of May 21 x1
Morchella esculenta Pers. Specimens more conical often than in Cookes
figure x2
Agaricus (Omphalia) Campanella Batsch. apparently. Specimens in bad condition. x3
Aecidium Ranunculi Schw. I hold that this is very distinct, at least in mode of growth, from Ae. x4
Hypocrea Richardsonii B.
& M. x5 Imperfect x6 Valsa nivea
Fr. x7 Stictis radiata
Fr. May 23 x1
Septoria Herbaum B. &
C. probably. I have seen no description of this species. x2
Peziza This is very much like P. stercorea, but I do not find the setae jointed in your
specimens. Think I must try Cooke on this. I am unable to put my hand on the Diplodia
on Spice Bush you mention and can not say what it is. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received May 26 Vol. 8 (165) [H 52] My Dear Sir, Of May 24 1, 2 & 6 are sterile or imperfect. 3 Sticta pulmonaria.
A lichen. 4 Illosporium carneum
Fr. 5 Stereum complicatum
Fr. 7 Not determined 8 Climacium Americanum
Brid. [a moss] x9
Looks like Ag. semiorbicularis
but I can not tell if it is viscid and the spores are not as large as the
description requires; hence it is uncertain. x10
Septoria
I find no description to meet it. I return 2 May 22d. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received May 30 Vol. 8 (166) [H 51] My Dear Sir, Of May 27 1 Appears to be a Valsa but it is without
spores and uncertain. 2 Podisoma fuscum
Dub... Mr. Olney wants from 50-100 specimens of Carex
gynocrates and of Carex vaginata. Paines Catalogue credits both to the Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received May 31st Vol. 8 (167) [H 50] My Dear Sir, Of May 28th No. 1 Marasmius plancus
Fr. 2 I am not certain of this. 3 Looks like Aecidium Penstemonis Schw. M. C. Cooke writes that after all he is not quite satisfied
concerning your Goat Island Peziza which he
formerly named Peziza hesperides
C. & P. He thinks it may possibly be P. occidentalis
Schw. and asks if the fresh specimens show any
tomentum on the exterior surface. The dried ones do not and P. occidentalis is described as "extus
villo brevi albidulo subtomentosa." If
you meet with it again please examine this point. Dried specimens do not
always exhibit the characters as well as fresh ones. He says the fungus on dead branches of Robinia
which I took to be Massaria gigaspora
is certainly Valsa profusa
Fr. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received June 4 Vol. 8 (168) [H 49] My Dear Sir, Of June 1st 1 Aecidium Convallariae Schum. 2 Vermicularia Liliaceorum
Schw. June 3d 1 Agaricus (Collybia)
dryophilus Bull. 2 Perenospora parasitica
Pers. Of this last one I would be glad to have a few specimens if you have
them to spare. It would be a fine time for fungi if it were a little warmer. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received June 6 Vol. 8 (169) [H 48] My Dear Sir, Of June 6th 1 Erineum acerinum
Pers. These I believe mycologists now concede are not good fungi. 2 This is Polyporus Boucheanus
in my copy of Ravenel. Dr. Curtis named it Favolus Europaeus. I sent it to
Mr. Worthington G. Smith who reported that it was probably a Hexagona but he found no descriptio
of it. With such disagreement among learned Mycologists what shall we do? It
certainly does not agree with the description of P. Boucheanus
nor does it seem to me to be Favolus Europaeus. I am sometimes half disposed to name and
describe it - such wretched disagreement on such a plain and constant species
does not speak well for our superiors. 3 Drummondia clavellata
Hook. 4 Puccinia Compositarum
and its Uredo spores. The The foreigner of which I return a part
seems clearly to belong to Rabenhorst's genus Seirosporium. It is quite distinct from his S. ocellatum and is probably an undescribed species. Will
you dedicate it to Dr. Mohr? I get no good of the others. I have been looking at the "May apples" and am quite sure
they are fungus galls - at any rate a fungus at length dusts them all over
with a white bloom which is its spores. The galls on Andromeda ligudtrina are in the same category but I think a
different species of the same genus. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received June 9 Vol. 8 (171) [H 46] My Dear Sir, A trip to Sandlake has caused some delay
in my replies to letters. 1 June 9th Aecidium crassum Pers. A June 8th The shooting fellow from I found no evidence of insect work in the Azalea galls. Once or
twice I found the exuvia of a mite or minute louse,
but it seemed to be accidental; a careful scraping of the surface of a gall
failed to give me another instance of it. On the other hand I fail to trace
the mycelium within the substance of the gall although the whole surface is studded
with little points or basidia which bear white
spores - oblong-fusiform and more or less curved or abruptly bent toward the
base [drawing]. It seems to belong to the genus Exobasidium
and I provisionally call our two species E. Azaleae
and E. andromedae. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received June 15 Vol. 8 (172) [H 45] My Dear Sir, Of June 13th I consider 1 Aecidium Convallariae Schum. 2 Aecidium Convallariae Schum. 3 Aecidium Ranunculacearum Of June 14th I am not prepared to report. I am about starting on a
brief trip to Ulster Co. where I hope to find a few new things. I would like
it if you would note carefully the color of the fresh spores in the Aecidium
on Vicia. Now they are white. Is it so when first
gathered? Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received June 18 Vol. 8 (179) [H 37] My Dear Sir, June 15th 1 Seems to me to be Depazea Pyrolae Fr. 2 Insect work as you say. I have just returned from Paltz Point, Shandaken, etc. in Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received June 28 - Vol. 8 (180) [H 36] My Dear Sir, Yours of June 19 & 28 is at hand. I did not answer immediately
because in it you speak of sending some specimens and I thought to do all in
one job. The Aecidium on Vicia Americana I believe
to be undescribed. As its discoverer it is your right to name it if you
choose. Puccinia Mariae-Wilsoni
and Seirosporium Mohrii
of course stand in your name. Gerard has recently made a note to me of the points of difference he
finds between Aecidium Sambuci and his Aecidium Nesaeae, affirming that the spores differ in size and
color and the spermogonia in shape and position.
Quite likely it is a good species; I have not yet had the opportuity
of confirming his observations. I presume the one on Lycopus
is the same that seemed to me too close to Aecidium Compositarum.
There is so little difference between the so-called species of Aecidium that
with dried specimens only it is not always safe to pronounce upon the
validity of species. Indeed Cooke speaks somewhere of a man who affirms that
there is but one species of Aecidium. I am not so
bad as that but I prefer to let closely related species slide till I have
good grounds for calling them distinct. In the case of the one on Lycopus the habitat is presumptive evidence of a distinct
species. Whether it is supported by other good characters I am not quite
sure, but if Gerard has made it a species we may as well accept it on his
authority till we are compelled to do otherwise. Thanks for the copy of the Oration. I have read it with pleasure.
The moss from July 2nd x1
Morchella esculenta Pers.
This is the edible Morel, but I have not yet found it in sufficient quantity
to put on the table. x2 Agaricus (Pluteus)
admirabilis Pk. (see 24th Rep. page 64) 3 In poor condition x4
Xylaria Hypoxylon Grev. (Young) x5
Hypoxylon ustulatum Bull.
(Young) = Ustulina vulgare
Jul. in Handbook x7 Marasmius Rotula
Fr. x10
No fungus. x11
Cladonia gracilia - a
lichen I never could get any satisfaction of the little black dots on lichens
and am not certain what they are. x12 Seems a Nectria but species uncertain 13 Peziza occidentalis
Schw. I am not sure whether Peziza
hesperidea C. & P. is really distinct from Schweinitz's species. Cooke also has doubt about it now.
Did you ever observe any tomentum on the outside of the cup? x14 Aecidium Better give
it Gerard's name, whatever that may be, for the present 15 Aecidium Osmorrhizae Pk. 24th Rep. p.
92 & Trichobasis Chenophyllae
(Schw.) x16
Aecidium Sambuci Schw. x18
Aecidium Geranii DC. x19
AEcidium Asteris Schw. but it will probably prove to be only a form of
Aecidium Compositarum. The spores are yellowish
when young. x20 Xylaria species uncertain x21 Seems to be young Aethalium septicum 23 Diatrype atropunctata
(Schw.) x24 Imperfect Aecidium Grossulariae x25 Cladosporium species uncertain x26
Puccinia Lychnidearum Lk. x6,
x8, x9,x17, x22, & x27 are uncertain. x14
(bis) on grass seems to be an imperfect state of
what Cooke gives in Handbook as Epichloa typhina. x"A"
July 3 No fungus. x"A"
July 4 In bad condition. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received July 11 Vol. 8 (181) [H 35] My Dear Sir, Of July 5th x1
Podosphaeria Kunzei Lev. x2
Erysiphe lamprocara Lev. I expect to be off again in two or three days to see what I can find
in Otsego and Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received July 9 Vol. 8 (187) [H 29] My Dear Sir, I have found some new fungi and learned some new facts concerning
others since my advent in this place, but all new flowering plants have thus
far eluded me. I am informed, I regret to say it, that our
venerable friend, Rev. M. A. Curtis, is no more. I understand that his
Herbarium is offered for sale, but whether specimens of lichens could be
obtained separately is more than I know. His address was " I will put down the Aecidium under the name Ae.
margantaceum I expect to spend a little more time in this region. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received July 24 Vol. 8 (191) [H 25] My Dear Sir, Excuse the delay in naming the specimens which I herewith return. It
was due to my absence. Send on Mr. Blake's fungi and I will do as well as I can in naming
them, though they may have to wait a little time as I may be off again next
week. I must "make hay while the sun shines". I made a very
satisfactory haul of fungi in Otsego Co. The showery weather brought them out
in abundance. Among the good things are Onygena equina, previously found by you, Pilacre
faginea and Torrubia capitata growing from Elaphomyces
granulatus. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Aug. 5 Vol. 8 (194) [H 22] My Dear Sir, The specimens reached Albany just as I was about leaving and I had
not time to examine them but will do so on my return. I purpose botanizing on and about these famous Montezuma Marshes a
few days. Hot weather is upon us again. Oh how hot! Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Aug. 13 Vol. 8 (196) [H 20] My Dear Sir, Having returned home from a trip westward I have looked at the
specimens of "Aug. 5" I consider 1 & 2 to be imperfect or possibly no fungus 3 Sterile 4 Uredo Potentillarum
DC. = (Uredo Agrimoniae Schw.) x[5
crossed out] 7 Cystopus candidus
Lev. = (Uredo Amaranthi Schw.) 5 Puccinia Violarum
Lk. 6 Imperfect or no fungus. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Aug. 26 Vol. 8 (204) [H 10] My Dear Sir, On my return from Sept. 7 xNo1
I too should say Selaginella rupestris x2 Rhytisma salicinum
Fr. 3 Lecythea populina
Lev. - a form of Melampsora x4
Thelephora laciniata
Pers. 5 &x6 Both Puccinia but they seem to
me distinct species. Probably one is P. Amorphae
M.A. C. But as I am without description or specimen of that species I can not
say which, if either, is the one. 7 x 14 Not recognized x8
Puccinia solida Schw. x9
Lecythea Lini Berk. x10 Rhytisma Prini
Fr. x11
Thelephora pallida Schw. x12 Undetermined x13
Seems only mycelium. xA Sept. 13 is Erysiphe lamprocarpa Lev. What plant won't this species attack! It
seems to grow on almost everything. In July or August I had a letter from Austin who was then in
Closter. If he has left that place I do not know where he is. Lycoperdon caelatum is edible. We prepare it as
follows: Peel off the outside, cut the inner portion in thin slices (1/4
inch) dip these in beaten egg, then fry in butter. The plant is good only so
long as it is white within. In my last trip I spent nearly two weeks in the woods and had
"toadstools" of one kind and another for dinner on several
occasions and prepared in different ways. One was to make a soup of them as
if they were oysters. The soup had a taste very much like that of oyster
soup, but the fungus was not quite as tender as oysters. By way of experiment
I tried Hygrophorus miniatus
as it was plenty and looked nice. It proved to be most excellent, being very
tender and quite sweet and pleasant to the taste. I consider it a splendid
addition to our list of edibles. It was simply fried in butter. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Sept. 28 Vol. 8 (207) [H 7] My Dear Sir, Of Sept. 30 No1
is a Tubercularia - primary form of some Nectria - species uncertain. 2 Probably = 5, but is in poor condition. x3 Diatrype obesa
B. & C. (in Ravenel) x4
Septonema spilomeum Berk. x5 Pyrenula nitida A lichen x6 Undetermined Oct. 2nd 2nd Packet xA & C Phyllactium guttata Lev. xB
Microsphaera Dubyi Lev.
Howe has described this as M. finitima but I am not
yet sure that it is distinct from M. Dubyi xD Hydnum gelatinosum Scop. xE Seems a Lenzites but
it is sadly deformed and unsatisfactory for determination. xF
Hypoxylon multiforme Fr. xG
Panus stipticus Fr. xH
Jungermannia Schraderi
Mart. [a liverwort] xI Trichia clavata Pers. xJ
Cantherellus crispus Fr.
Undeveloped xK Agaricus (Tricholoma) multipuncta Pk. in
ed. xL
Hygrophorus miniatus Fr.
This was very abundant in the woods of Croghan,
Lewis County, last month, being often 2 inches or more across. I made trial
of its edible qualities and found it to be good - every way worthy of being
added to the list of eatable specimens. H. Cantharellus
Schw. differs from it in having arcuate
decurrent lamellae. xM
Centharellus aurantiacus
Fr. N. Undetermined xO. Undetermined as to species. It is a Cortinarius xP
Undetermined I am at present puzzling my brains over a Scirpus
which I found on the Montezuma Marshes. I fail to find any description that meets it and
half begin to think I have got a good thing. I have Pycnanthemum
pilosum from near Savannah, Wayne, Co. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Oct. 3 Vol. 8 (209) [H 5] My Dear Sir, Of Oct. 1st x1 Arid and discolored spots but I find no fungus 2 Seems to be Ag (Naucoria) semiorbicularis but there is no certainty about it. 3 Not determined x4
Aecidium Violae Schum. 5 Ag (Panaeolus) ? 6 Ag (Panaeolus) papilionaceus
Bull. x7 Polyporus Boucheanus
in Ravenel but it does not agree with the
description of that species as to stem and color of pores = "Stipite excentrico curto tomentoso deorsum fuscescente, poris ++ dentatis dilute aurantiacis" 8 Undetermined x9
Bovista plumbea though
not plumbeus in color. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Oct. 8 Vol. 8 (211) [H 3] My Dear Sir, Of Oct. 8th I have two sets; the first received is, 1 Nyssa multiflora Insect work. x2
Verbena hastata Erysiphe lamprocarpa Lev. probably - E. Verbenae
Schw. x3
Salix Uncinula
adunca Lev. x4
Oxalis stricta Microsphaera
Russelii Clinton If you have a goodly quantity of
this I would be glad of a ittle more; these are not
well developed. 2nd Packet x1 I am not able to locate this x2
Hysterium pulicare Pers. 3 Omitted x4 Imperfect x5 Undetermined x6 Erineum fagineum x7 Biatora rubella A lichen x"A"
Nemaspora crocea Cooke makes this the spermogonia
of Melanconis stilbostoma. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Oct. 11 Vol. 9 (4) [C 221] My Dear Sir, 3 Oct. 8 is not known to me nor in good condition. 1 Trichia chrysosperma
DC. 2 Too old - no spores. x3 Oidium aureum
Lk. (but the color has faded) 4 & x5 Undetermined x6
Diatrype near D. platystoma
Schw. to which Cooke refers it somewhat doubtfully.
It differs in color from Ravenels D. platystoma specimens. x7
Imperfect. x8
Stereum albobadium Schw. x9 Imperfect x10 Not determined x11 No fungus Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received Oct. 3 [sic: 23?] Vol. 9 (9) [C 216] My Dear Sir, Of Oct. 19 1 Imperfect x2 Cytispora leucosperma
- the spermogonia of Valsa x3 Tubercularis - a form of Nectria x4 Hypoxylon fuseum x5 The red things are "Cephalodia"
- abortive apothecia or a monstrous development of them I succeeded the other day in f inding Microsphaera Russellii Clinton
over in Greenbush and think I have the characters pretty well determined. it seems to link together Erysiphe
and Microsphaera for in my specimens only a few of
the appendages branch at the tip, many remaining simple as in Erysiphe. I have both Fissidens grandifrons and Didymodon luridus from Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received Oct. 25 Vol. 9 (11) [C 214] My Dear Sir, "A" Oct 26 is without fruit and somewhat uncertain but the
red crust is an indication of Hypoxylon coccineum of the Handbook, which is Hypoxylon
fragiforme of former times. I wonder at that
species being in this condition, however, at this season of the year. It
ought to be more than mature, but your specimens seem young. I am glad you told me of your finding F. grandifrons
at Chittenango as it had entirely escaped me. That at present seems to be the
most easterly station and, I think should be put on record. The Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received Nov. 1 Vol. 9 (17) [C 207] My Dear Sir, Of Nov. 4th x1
Seems a Torula but the species is uncertain. 2 Ag. (Mycena) Corticola
Schum. x3 Stereum hirsutum
Fr. A
Ag. (Clitocybe) ochropurpureus
Berk. Nov. 5 x1 Sterile and uncertain x2
Tremella frondosa ? I am
hardly sure of this. There seems to be so little difference between this and
T. lutescens that your specimen may be referred to
either with a query. x3
Xylaria - without fruit and uncertain. There seems to be a Crusade, possibly a kind of "horse
distemper" raging against the votaries of Science. After the sxperience of Dr. Hooker in Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Nov. 7 Vol. 9 (18) [C 206] My Dear Sir, Send on the Blake specimens. I will do what I can with them. I mail you the four numbers of Cooke's "Grevillea"
already issued. The price per year as you will see is Six shillings -
probably about $1.75 in currency. The money may be remitted by draft on a
London Bank, to Cooke himself. I sent Cooke a copy of my part of the 23d
Report from which he made the extracts which probably gave rise to the notion
that I was a contributor to the periodical. The Pezizas
described under the joint names of Cooke & Peck were some that puzzled me
and I sent them to him for determination. You will see your Goat Is. red Peziza (which I took to be a variety of P. coccinea) under the name P. hesperidea
C. & P. In this case as in all others where I sent specimens of others'
collecting I put the name of the collector on the wrapper, but Cooke has
uniformly discarded or neglected to give the name of such collector. I have
already received one severe "blowing up" for Cooke's peculiar way
of doing things and I make this statement that I may not appear in your
estimation any worse than I really am. I suspect one good thing has come from Cookes
extracts from the Report. It has probably waked up Berkeley, who, you will
see, has at last begun the publication of the species of B. & C. - a work
which ought to have been done long ago and the neglect of which has caused me
much perplexity and annoyance. I believe if my back contributions to the 24th
and 25th Reports could be issud this winter,
another season would witness quite an impulse given to the study of fungi in
our country. Even the 23d has already made an impression, as I am glad to
learn by several letters recently received. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Nov. 9 Vol. 9 (23) [C 204] [[ [[My Dear Sir, - no heading
or date] Nov. 1 1 Stereum complicatum,
Fr. 2 Seems a Tubercularia but is scarcely
perfect. x3
Craterellus caespitosus
Pk. in 25th Report. x4
Imperfect. x5
Ag. (Mycena) galericulatus
Scip. x6 Orthotrichum anomalum x7 Sphaeria - sterile & uncertain x8
Septonema spilomeum Berk. and some obscure lichen x9 x10 Calocera palmata
Fr. x11
Polyporus
? x12 Uncertain x13 Phlebia radiata
Fr. x14
Hydnum coralloides Scop. Nov. 5th x1
Phyllactinia guttata Lev. x2
Not determined. x3 Imperfect x4 Imperfect x5 Imperfect x6 Preissia commutata
Nees x7 Hysterium lineare
Fr. x8 Uncertain 9 Probably some Opegrapha or Graphis x10
Hypnum acuminatum Beauv. x11
Helminthosporium macrocarpum
Grev. 12 Not determined x13
Merulius lacrymans? x14 Imperfect x15 Sphaeria Fraxicola
Schw. according to Curtis specimens In Box xA & xB Ag. (Pleurotus) ostreatus Jacq. xC Dissolved into ink. xD Lycoperdon pyriforme Schaeff. xE
Polyporus brumalis Fr. x*F
Ag. (Omphalis) gracillimus? G Ag. (Mycena) galericulatus
Scop. xK
Polyporus hirsutus Fr. xL
Polyporus hirsutus Fr. (subresupinate) xM. Merulius tremellosus Schrad. xH
Boletus subtomentosus Fr. xJ Ag. (Armillaria) melleus Vahl. * The gills not clearly
decurrent, hence a doubt. x4
Nov. 5 of a previous lot was accidentally omitted. I return it. It is what I
put in 25th Report as Gelatinosporium betulinum n. sp. Nov. 7 x1
Sterile x2 Cladosporium epiphyllum
Nees. x3 Septoria Liriodendri
B. & C. ... probably [No ending] Received Nov. 9 Vol. 9 (23) [C 201] My Dear Sir, Of Nov. 8 1 Probably a lichen but sterile and uncertain 2 Imperfect 3 Stereum complicatum
Fr. 4 Too old. Nov. 9th x1 Coprinus niveus
Fr. x2
& x3 Badly mashed but apparently Ag. (Hypholoma)
perplexus Pk. x5
Microsphaera densissima
C. & P. = Erysiphe densissima
Schw. x6 & x7 Sterile and uncertain x8 Sphaeria species not determined x9 Not determined The box of Blake's specimens is at hand. I will look at them as I haveopportunity. Of Nov. 11 x1 Nectria Peziza
Fr. x2 Physcia obscura
var. erythrocordia (A lichen) x3 No fruit and indeterminable x4
Tremella mesenterica
Retz. x5
Calicium subtile but a
trifle larger than the specimens so named for me by Tuckerman - also the thallus obsolete. The black is some old Hypoxylon x6
Some effete affair. x7
No fruit but it seems as if sterile Nectria balsamea C. & P. 8, x9, & x10 I make nothing of these x11
Uncinula circinata C.
& P. x12 Irpex cinnamomea
Fr. x13
Irpex cinnamomea Fr. ? I suppose the only reliable distinctive character for separating
fungi and lichens to be the green cells or gonidia
of the latter, but generally the presence of a thallus
will show to the naked eye where the plant belongs. In some tree lichens this
is concealed under the epidermis of the bark, but a discolored spot usually
indicates its presence. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received Nov. 13 [Perhaps this is
the first sheet of Vol. 9 no. 23] Vol. 9 (28) [C 196] My Dear Sir, Of Nov. 16th x1 Peziza furfuracea
Fr. x2
I have reported this as Exidia repanda
but it does not quite agree with the description: still it is as near that as
anything I find. I once sent it to Cooke but he never ventured even an
opinion on it. x3 Stereum purpureum
Fr. 4 Kneifii candidissima
B. & C. x5
Sphaeria mariformis Tode. Nov. 18 1 Hypoxylon cohaerens?
2 Not determined x3
Seems to be near Diplodia confluens
but the descriptions of these things are so meagre
and unsatisfactory that I can not say positively what yours is. x4 Sphaeria x5
No spores but outwardly looks like Sphaeria mutans C. & P. x6
Hypoxylon fuscum? x7 Peziza furfuracea
Fr. (in part) xA Macrosporium I think a new species. B Not determined Nov. 12 2 & 3 Cladosporium herbarum
Of the others I make nothing. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Nov. 20 Vol. 9 (31) [C 193] My Dear Sir, "A" Nov. 22 seems to approach Nectria
pulicaris but the color is black rather than
purple. Still the spores appear triseptate so that
it may be doubtfully referred to N. pulicaris. I
have no authentic specimens with which to compare it. Nov. 27 x1
Trichia rubiformis Pers. x2
Trichia chrysosperma DC. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Nov. 29 Vol. 9 (34) [C 180] My Dear Sir, Nov. 29th 1 & 2 Uncinula macrospora
Pk. Cooke remarks of this species "(scarcely tenable)", but it is
certainly diverse from the description he gives of Uncinula
Bivonae to which I suppose he would refer it. I
have not seen Leveille's description of U. Bivonae, if indeed he has ever published one; certainly
Cooke's will not answer for this plant. 3 Species uncertain. Nov. 30 1 & 2 Both without fruit and uncertain Very truly yours Charles H. Peck P.S. Prof. Hall has returned. Received Dec. 3 Vol. 9 [unnumbered: lies between No. 35 & 36] [C 178] My Dear Sir, I believe the fungus from conservatory to be Ag. (Lepiota) cepaestipes Sow. The
specimens do not, it is true, appear broadly umbonate,
but rather strongly umbonate and the swelling of
the stem is at the base only but the plicate margin is clear - a character on
which I place much reliance. It is manifestly close to my Ag. Americanus and it may yet turn out that A. Americanus is the wild form and A. cepaestipes
the form modified by growing in hot-beds and conservatories; both being one
species. If so my name will have to give way to the older one. I have partly accomplished what you desired with the specimens from
Wrights Coll. i.e., I have separated the different forms but have named them
only in part. The only Hepatica I find is Metzgera furcata, (two forms). One moss belongs to Hookeria but I can't say what species. The other seems
near this but has a different look. I believe Mr. T. P. James now of Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received [no notice of date received] Vol. 9 (41) [C 172] My Dear Sir, The 21st Report has not been published, neither merged in any other.
It is understood to be nearly ready to be issued, but when it actually will
come forth is a real "question of time". Nearly a year ago it was
told me that it would be out in about three weeks, but the expectation was
disappointed and I have now concluded to wait till I see it before giving any
guess as to its time of appearance. I am told that the Controller refuses to
pay for any illustrations in the Reports so that hereafter we must be
satisfied with plain reading, if indeed we have any Reports at all. It turns
out that the 25th Report was not even ordered printed. With the present hostility of the Controller, the lack of interest
in Scientific matters among our Legislators, and the non-appearance of
our Reports, I have some misgivings as to our prospects in the coming
Legislature. The term of my own work, by the law organizing the Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received Dec. 11 Vol. 9 (46) [C 167] My Dear Sir, A Dec. 9 is what Fries in his Systema Myc.
calls Sphaeria Tiliae,
and I have so reported it in 24th Report; but Cooke's Handbook gives it under
the name Rabenhorstia Tiliae
Fr. B. & C. Dec. 9 have both been sent to Cooke, and he has not
reported on them. The time has been so long that I do not think he intends to
determine them. I shall put C in my report as Sphaeria
diplodioides n.sp. I don't know what to do with the other. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received Dec. 14 Vol. 9 (50) [C 183] My Dear Sir, I can not thank you enough for the fine specimens of mosses from
Schimper's Coll. which you kindly designated for me. I prize them highly. I
will not now undertake to say what European species are yet desiderata to me;
I may do so at some future time. It only ocurs to
me that I would be glad to compare our Didymodon luridus with authentic specimens as I remember that Lesqx. said there was some
difference between ours and the European. Miss Wilson has returned my numbers of "Grevillea". Cooke does repeat Rabenhorstia Tiliae as the Pycnidia of Valsa Tiliae."A" Dr.
Fowler's fungus is Angioridium sinuosum
Grev. Handbook Vol. 1, p. 391. I have Berkeley & Curtis's descriptions of Wright's Cuban Fungi
and if the Nos. of your specimens correspond to the number accompanying the
descriptions it would be but a small job to get at the mosses. I would
cheerfully do it, or if you prefer it I would lend you the descriptions and
you could do it. Possibly we might find some things beside fungi on fallen leaves.
Certainly I have not given anything like a thorough search in this direction. I really hope there may be influence enough in the Regents and in
Gov. Dix to couteract the barbarous tendency of the
Controller. The love of money is the root of all evil and the desire on the
part of the Controller (laudable enough in itself and probably well intended)
to save a few thousand dollars to the State, by stopping all scientific work,
might in the future prove to be really the opposite of economy, for science
often points out to us ways of saving much which otherwise would be a dead
loss. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received Dec. 18, answered 19th Vol. 9 (54) [C 177 & 179 - there appears to be no "C
178"] [[ [[My Dear Sir, - the first
sheet begins "in medias res" I scarcely know what to say, in answer to your request that I should
let you know what my plans and wishes are and how you can serve me. My plans
for work here were gathered mainly from your paper in relation thereto. The
most prominent duty I set before myself was to complete the Herbarium so that
it should contain representative specimens of all (or as nearly all as
possible) of our indigenous and naturalized plants. The question came up in
the beginning, "how long do you want the appropriation for
botanist" I said "five years", thinking that in that time I
could approximate closely to the completion of the Herbarium. But it is
evident I placed too high an estimate on my own ability or else too low an
estimate on the work to be done - perhaps both - at all events, two hundred
species added to the Collection the past season and more than twenty counties
of the State not yet visited and form nearly half of these no specimens even
received are evidence enough that the work is not as completely accomplished
as it should be. I have worked faithfully but have failed to do all I wished
simply because I undertook too much in too short a time. My wish would be to
go on - at least two years longer - if there were any way of getting
honorably over this self-imposed limit of five years. Indeed I feel sad to
think the assigned end of this delightful work is so near. Only last winter
we had to use the argument of "contract for another year" in order
to overcome Alvord's opposition. If now we should ask a longer continuance I
fear they would say "you have had all the time you asked for". It
seems to me that it is not best to try to continue if any longer as a
distinct thing, yet perhaps my embarrassment in the matter is a cloud before
my eyes. Possibly if it could be brought in as a department of the museum or
if I could be considered as one of the assistants which the Director of the
Museum is allowed, my work might be continued a little longer. I only make this suggestion as a subject for thought in case the
Museum and its authorizing law is left untouched. We do not yet know whether
the Controller will strike at the whole thing or at the Palaeontology
only. Possibly if he should try to overthrow the whole thing he would attempt
too much and fail, in which case there might be some chance for saving the
botany with the rest if it could not stand alone. I suppose Prof. Hall will consult fully with you at the time of the
annual meeting, when some course of united action may be agreed upon. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck [second sheet C. 179] P.S. Of the specimens of Dec. 17th 1 Tremella mesenterica
Retz. 2 Thelephora pallida
Schw. x3
Geoglossum luteum Pk. x4
Clavaria tetragona Schw. x11
Peziza calycina Schum. x13
Uncinula. It is apparently U. luculenta Howe with
short appendages. The number of the appendages is not quite so great as usual
in U. adunca and the spores are 4 - 6, instead of 4
as in that species. Cooke considers it only a variety of U. adunca and the short appendages in your specimens tend to
bear out this view. I would label it for the present. U. adunca
Lev. var. giving
as a x16 Hypoxylon fuscum
Fr. x17
Hypoxylon cohaerens
probably, but the specimens are very old. I am not able satisfactorily to name the rest. Dried Clavarias are rather treacherous things to deal with. Received Dec. 20 Vol. 9 (55) [C 176] My Dear Sir, Since I started my letter to you this morning Prof. Hall has asked
me to write to you and say that he had intended to come up and see you with
reference to Museum matters and will yet if you think it desirable. He
expects to go to Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Dec. 20 [We have no
letters from Spalding; two from Johnson, who appears to have been a
naturalist.] Vol. 9 (58) [C 173] My Dear Sir, Of Dec. 20th 1 Some imperfect Nectria 2 I think is a lichen. Not determined 3 Not determined x4
Aecidium. I do not recognize the
plant - so get no clue to the species. 5 Thelephora sebacea
Fr. x6
Badly broken but looks like Hydnum ferrugineum. It is either that or H. zonatum. 7 Diderma It has some of the characters of D. globosum and some of D. cyanescens,
but does not fully agree with either. I have found it several times but was
never able to locate it satisfactorily. Suppose you give it a name. x8 Undetermined x9 Hysterium comune
Fr. x10 Xylaria Hypoxylon
(young) 11 Not determined x12
Not in good condition but I think Xylaria digitata. x13 Micropera Drupacearum
Lev. (in part) = pycnidia of Cenangium
Cerasi Fr. and Massaria vomitoria B. & C. (in part) x14
Peziza cyathoidea Bull. x15
Stemonitis fusca Roth. (too old.) x16 Lentinus Lecomtei
Fr. x17 Hypomyces Lactifluorum
(Schw.) = Hypocrea Lactifluorum (formerly) Of Dec. 21 I make out nothing. 2 is a young Xylaria 4 Cooke has not yet reported on. [No ending] Received Dec. 24 Vol. 9 (59) [C 172] My Dear Sir, The Hymenochaete damaecornis
is right. The hymenium is the essential feature.
Our species, (reported under the old names, Stereum
rubiginosum, S. tabacinum,
etc.) are sessile, imbricated or resupinate, while Wrights plant has a distinct central
stem - a feature not deemed worthy of generic distinction. I return the mosses of Wrights Coll. separated from Metzgeria furcata previously
returned. Mr. James decides one to be Hookeria varians var., the other not determinable. A merry merry Christmas to you. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Received Dec. 26 Vol. 9 (61) [C 170] My Dear Sir, The specimen returned seems to me to be Torula
stilbospora Ck.
Handbook Vol. 1 p. 477. Dr. Curtis used to call it Coniothecium
toruloideum B. & C. and this name I formerly
used; when the Handbook came out I thought it was described under the above
name and sent it to Cooke who confirmed my opinion, wherefore I suppose B.
& C's name must fall, not being supported by a description so far as I
know. The only Aecidium I find described as inhabiting Borage worts [roots?] is Ae. asperifolii and this does not
agree in habit with your plant on Myosotis, which
is probably undescribed, but is scarcely describable in its present
condition. "Hypomyces" Cooke's Handbook
Vol. 11 p. 776 seems to have been separated from the old genus "Hypocrea", Vol. 11 p. 774 by reason of its different
spores. If we keep up with the times I suppose the old Hypocrea
Lactifluorum of Schweinitz
must go in this new genus. Very truly yours Charles H. Peck Judge G. W. Clinton Received Dec. 28 |
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