354 Rev. M. J. Berkeley on British Fungi. 



It IS probable that Rhizopogon luteolus, Yy., belongs to tbis ge- 

 nus, though this is far from certain ; but if so, the characters of the 

 genus are mainly di'awn up from a species, whatever it be (with 

 which however the generic name does not accord), belonging to 

 the ascophorous group of Truffles. Corda indeed has applied the 

 name to those truffles referred by Vittadini to his genus Choiro- 

 myceSy but not happily, as the structure of the plant of Fries is 

 uncertain, and Bulliard^s species not less so. Hyperrhiza, Bosc, 

 can scarcely be the same thing, as it is described as splitting in a 

 stellate manner at the apex, and I have a Scleroderma from Texas 

 which in many respects calls Bosc's plant to mind. Klotzsch 

 therefore cannot be considered as judicious in adopting that name. 

 Bullardia, Junghuhn, was proposed in the year 1830 for a truffle, 

 according in many respects with the present genus, but so re- 

 markable from the presence of free threads projecting from the 

 walls of the cavities, that in the absence of specimens it would 

 have been hazardous to adopt that name, though filaments tra- 

 verse the cells of some other genera in which filaments usually 

 are not present. Besides, the name was given so early as 1801 

 by DeCandoUe to Tillaa aquatica^ and is at any rate retained as 

 a sectional name. Corda in the following year proposed for a 

 species evidently congeneric the name of Melanogaster, which 

 Messrs. Tulasne have adopted, having the priority of Argylium 

 proposed by Wallroth in 1833. Vittadini included the species 

 in his genus Octaviana, proposed also in 1831; but this name has 

 been reserved by Messrs. Tulasne for a species with echinulate 

 spores, differing very materially from the others. 



303. M. ambiguuSf Ttil. 1. c. Octaviania ambigua, Vitt. Mon. 

 Tub. p. 18. Hyperrhiza liquaminosa, Klotzsch ! Fl. Regn. Bor. 

 tab. 468. Under fir-trees, Apethorpe, Norths, July 1843, Rev. 

 M. J. Berkeley, C. E. Broome, Esq. ; Sibbertoft, Norths; Bowood, 

 Spye Park, Wilts, C.E. Broome, Esq.; Clifton, H. 0. Stephens, 

 Esq. 



Known at once by its much larger ovate spores with a papilla 

 at the apex, and its abominable smell, which resembles that of 

 assafoetida. A single specimen in a room is so strong as to make 

 it scarcely habitable. The walls of the cells when cut are whitish, 

 but soon become red : this is not however constantly the case. 

 I have specimens of this both from Germany and France. 



/8. intermedins. Spores obovate, obtuse and even, very rarely 

 slightly papillate. 



This form, or more probably species, of which I have seen only 

 an imperfect specimen, was found at Spye Park in August by 

 Mr. Broome. It is as large as M. Broomeiaiius, of which it has 

 the bright rusty colour, but the spores are much larger, equalling 

 in size those of M. amhiguus, though of a very different form. 



