On an Undescribed Tremella from China

Species of Tremella occurring in China have been little studied (Liu et al, 1983; Peng, 1984). From observations elsewhere, one can expect that most of the Tremellas in temperate China are the common taxa occurring in Europe and North America. However, Asia seems to be especially rich in species of both the Sirobasidiaceae and Tremellaceae (RJB, pers. obs.) and many taxa there remain to be described. One such, the object of this paper, is a species of Tremella parasitizing Stereum hirsutum (Willd.: Fr.) S. F. Gray and allied taxa growing on Quercus and Betula spp. The new species is one of a group with rep? resentatives known from North America, South America, Asia, and Europe, all parasitizing Ste? reum mycelium and with basidiomes consisting of both host and parasite hyphae. In most, hy? phae of the host form a white, fibrous to fleshy core surrounded by a gelatinous layer of mainly Tremella elements. Alternatively, the lobes can be either hollow or with only seattered hyphae of the host extending into the basidiocarp, as in many fructifications of T. aurantia Schw.: Fr. Tremella aurantialba is so-named because ofthe