204 REV. M. J. BERKELEY 
the hymenium of a young Boletus, and that of a Lycoper- 
don in its early stage of growth. I was not however pre- 
pared to expect so striking a confirmation of such a view as 
that exhibited by the two genera described above. In 
general outward form, and in the disposition of the hy- 
menium, nothing can be stronger than the resemblance 
between these genera and Boletus; and while in Secotium 
the hymenium is permanently united with the hymenophore, - 
and the cells simply bear the sporidia, which are not ex- 
tremely numerous on their walls without the presence of 
accessory flocci, in Polyplocium the hymenium at length is 
completely separable from the hymenophore, and more dis- 
tinct from the stem, which is, as in Boletus, completely con- 
fluent with the pileus, and the mass of cells, which contain 
innumerable minute sporidia, accompanied by abundant ye 
flocci, is at length broken up, at least in parts, into hydnt- m 
form processes. eg 
The connexion exhibited between the Tuberiform Hy- — 
menomycetes and Boletus is scarcely less interesting. The s 
hymenium of Secotium, as far as can be judged from dry 
specimens is as nearly as possible identical as to structure. 
with that of Hymenangium. Secotium may be considered 
theoretically as consisting of an Hymenangium, supported 
upon a stem, and protected by a volva; and the more the 
stem penetrates the Hymenangium (— Hymenium) the HOM 
close is the resemblance to Boletus. The genus Gautier, 
which has no peridium, belongs apparently to the group of : 
Clavarie, approaching to Sparassis. If this notion be cot 
rect,there appears at present to be no known Lycoperda- 
 ceous genus, except those described above, in which “A 
Pan the hymenium is perfectly free from any integt- : 
. ment. : Pr 
* Dr. Montagne has just sent me the characters of a genus very closel 
allied to the above, to which he assigns the name of Gyrophragmiu 
It is founded on Montagnites Dunalii, Fr. In external characters, it 
nearly identical with Polyplocium, but there are no flocci with the SP” 
ridia. Dr. Montagne remarks, that the volva is in reality the lower part 
