Few plants vary more than the present one in the degreeof division, the shades of colour, and character of the termi-nating branches. I have seen it assume different forms, re-sulting from situation, weather, and injury. In very moistspots, it sometimes does not exceed an inch in height, andforms a most dense mass of rounded knobby branches, so closelywedged together, as to present almost an even surface. Inconsequence of injury, it occasionally becomes proliferous, andthrows out from the margin a number of filiform short branches,like a fringe, while the stipes is more than usually thickened.It is, I believe, the most polymorphous species known.

Clavaria cinerea is one of those species constantly eatenon the Continent, probably from its greater abundance, as thewhole genus is edible. In common with Cl. coralloides, it iscalled in France barbe de bouc, bonquinbarde, gantelines,gallinoles, fripettes , chevelines, pied de coq, poule, mousse,barbes, menottes, espignettes, diables, &c. &c. In Italy , theyare called ditola gialla, ditola rossa, and ditola bianca, ac-cording to the colour of the varieties. They are stewed for thetable, according to Persoon, with butter, pepper and salt,ham and parsley, for an hour; and then put into a gravy sauce,or a fricassee of fowls.

In many parts of the country it is abundant.

Fig. 1. A section of the stipes. Fig. 2. Sporuliferons cells. Fig. 3. Sporules.