326 Rev. M. J. Berkeley on the Flora of Van Diemen's Land. 



Mitremyces coccineus, has the processes of the root coarser and 

 much less distinct ; and the sporidia*, instead of being broadly 

 oval, are oblong. I have had no opportunity of examining 

 those of M. lutescens. I do not find any flocci amongst the 

 sporidia in M. fuscus, but in M . coccineus they are abundant. 

 In an authentic specimen of M. lutescens before me the inner 

 peridium is inverted as in Sphcerobolus and hangs out at the 

 orifice. The inner peridium, the upper border of which is 

 scolloped, in an early stage clearly lines the outer, and the 

 void space arises from its ceasing to grow sooner than the 

 outer. The teeth leave within the calyptra a bright vermillion 

 impression. The stem, which must be regarded as a highly 

 developed mycelium, is sometimes obconic, but more fre- 

 quently there is a large knob of gravel at the base. The my- 

 celium is composed of extremely minute filaments, which are 

 much curled, so that in a fresh state it is probably highly 

 elastic. Plate VII. fig. 1. 



25. JEthalium septicum, Fr. 



26. Stemonitis fusca, Roth. 



27. Mylitta australis, n. s. Globose, 3| inches in diame- 

 ter, solid covered with a rugged black bark, beneath which is 

 a white mealy vesiculoso-floccose substance, which traverses 

 the central yellowish nucleus, dividing it into sinuous veins, 

 which consist of a dense mass of extremely minute flexuous 

 filaments, portions of which are swollen and distorted. When 

 dry the veins are extremely hard and horny, and so transpa- 

 rent that the white substance is seen through them. When 

 moistened it becomes rather gelatinous. I can find nothing 

 like sporidia. 



This is the species of Tuber mentioned by Mr. Backhouse 

 in his account of the esculent plants of Van Diemen's Land, 

 ' Comp. Bot. Mag/ vol. ii. p. 40. It is called native bread, 

 and is said to grow on rotten trees. To the specimen before 

 me one or two root-like extraneous fibres are attached. I 

 have no doubt that it is congeneric with Mylitta Pseudacaciae, 

 as it agrees with the description of that species in everything 



* The sporidia of M. coccineus are minutely wrinkled in the direction of 

 their larger axis as those of Ascobolus furfuraceus. Possibly this may be 

 the case in less advanced individuals of M. fuscus. 



