384 MR. F. CURREY ON A NEW GENUS IN THE ORDER MUCEDINES. 
presented in this instance, and which is shown in fig. 8, it would 
seem that the bladder-like protrusion must be the inner membrane 
of the capitate cell, from which the upper portion of the outer 
membrane has become detached -by a sort of circumscissile dehis- 
cence. The ripe spores of the fungus are obovate and of a deep . 
madder-brown colour. 
With regard to the classification of this interesting plant, it is 
not easy to find a fitting place forit. It belongs, of course, to the 
order Mucedines ; but there is not in that order, as far as I know, 
any genus to which it is at all nearly related. The peculiar cha- 
racter is the differentiation of the upper and lower portions of 
the sporiferous cells and the formation of the funnels by the col- 
lapse of the upper portion. I propose for its reception a new genus, 
to be called Cunninghamia, which may be thus characterized :— 
CUNNINGHAMIA, novum genus. 
Mycelium repens, sparsim septatum : flocci fertiles simplices, erecti, 
ad apices clavato-incrassati, sporophoris ornati: sporophore 
primum pyriformes, dein, parte superiore subsidente, infundibu- 
liformes : spore juniores hyaline, mature rubro-fusce, capitulis 
densis stipate, dein in infundibulis acervatim cumulate. 
Unica species :— 
CUNNINGHAMIA INFUNDIBULIFERA, Curr. 
Hab. Ad petala marcescentia Hibisci rose sinensis, in horto botanico 
apud Calcuttam tempore pluvio. 
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 
Fig. 1. A spore germinating, and a portion of the mycelium from the tissues of 
the corolla of Hibiscus rosa sinensis, magnified 330 times. 
Fig. 2. A fertile thread, viewed by reflected light, magnified 65 times. 
Fig. 3. A fertile thread past maturity, most of the spores having fallen and the 
sporophores having collapsed and assumed the shape of funnels, magnified 
103 times. 
Fig. 4. Three funnels,with a small portion of the clavate apex of the fertile thread. 
The fragments of membrane adherent to the edges of the funnels appear to 
be the remains of the upper, collapsed portion of the sporophores. 
Fig. 5. Animmature sporophore, with young spores, showing the line of demar- 
cation at which the sporophore eventually collapses, magnified 330 times. 
Fig. 6. A similar sporophore before the formation of the line of demarcation, 
with five young spores attached, magnified 700 times. 
Fig. 7. A ripe spore, magnified 330 times, 
Fig. 8. A sporophore past maturity, exhibiting a bladder-like protrusion, being 
apparently the inner membrane of that portion of the REN TR: which 
was aboye the line of demarcation. 
