lla mesenterica. Retz._

Mesenterica is from two Greek words meaning the mesentery. The plant
varies in size and form, sometimes quite flat and thin but generally
ascending and strongly lobed; plicated, and convoluted; gelatinous but
firm; lobes short, smooth, covered with a frost-like bloom by the white
spores at maturity. The spores are broadly elliptical. Common in the
woods on decaying sticks and branches.

_Tremella albida. Hud._

THE WHITISH TREMELLA. EDIBLE.

[Illustration: Figure 402.--Tremella albida. Natural size.]

Albida, whitish. This plant is very common in the woods about
Chillicothe, and everywhere in the state where beech, sugar-maple, and
hickory prevail.

It is whitish, becoming dingy-brown when dry; expanded, tough,
undulated, even, more or less gyrose, pruinose. It breaks the bark and
spreads in irregular and scalloped masses; when moist it has a
gelatinous consistency, a soft and clammy touch, yielding like a mass of
gelatine. Its spores are oblong, obtuse, curved, marked with tear-like
spots, almost transparent, 12-14x4-5u. The specimen represented in
Figure 402 was found near Sandusky and photographed by Dr. Kellerman.

_Tremella mycetophila. Pk._

[Illustration: Figure 403.--Tremella mycetophila.]

Mycetophila is from two Greek words, _mycetes_, fungi; _phila_, fond of.
The plant is so called because it is found growing upon other fungi.

Often nearly round, somewhat depressed, circling in folds, sometimes in
quite large masses about the stems of the plant, as will be seen in
Figure 403, tremelloid-fleshy, slightly pruinose, a dirty white or
yellowish.

I have found it frequently growing on Collybia drophila, as is the case
in Figure 403. Captain McIlvaine speaks in his book of finding this
plant parasitic on Marasmius oreades in quite a large mass for this
plant. I can verify the statement for I have found it on M. oreades
during damp weather in August and September. It has a pleasant taste.

_Tremella fimbriata. Pers._

Fimbriata is from _frimbriae_, a fringe.

It is very soft and gelatinous, olivaceous inclining to black, tufted,
two to three inches high, and quite as broad, erect, lobes flaccid,
corrugated, cut at the margin, which gives rise to the name of species;
spores are nearly pear shaped. Found on dead branches, stumps, and on
fence-rails in damp weather. Easily known by its dark color.

_Tremellodon. Pers._

Tremellodon means trembling tooth.

These pla