40 FETCH : REVISIONS OF 



the stage is reached in which the whole fungus is blackened 

 by the extruded ripe spores. And the original inexact des- 

 cription of X. nigripes has burdened the species with at least 

 half a dozen synonyms. 



There are very few groups which can be accurately worked 

 out from dried specimens. Probably the Uredinece and Ustil- 

 aginece afiord favourable material for such work, but even in 

 these groups the results are not altogether trustworthy. For 

 example, it has been found that the description of Ustilago 

 Shiraiana, Henn., on bamboo, does not agree with the fresh 

 specimens. Here Ceylon affords another example : the 

 unmistakable Ustilago Treubii, Solms., which forms the well- 

 known obconic galls on the stem of Polygonum chinense is 

 said to have smooth spores, 4 /^ in diameter, (Dietel, Engler- 

 Prantl, Pflanzenfamilien, pt. 160, p. 11) : but the abundant 

 Ceylon sx>ecimens have spores 7-9 /^ in diameter, closely and 

 regularly reticulated. Are we to suppose that our fungus is 

 another species producing exactly the same extraordinary 

 effect ? 



The following are a few of the duplicate names which have 

 been given to Ceylon species, in addition to those already 

 mentioned. They are cited here merely in support of the 

 statements of this article, and will be discussed later. It is 

 not to be deduced that they are synonyms : — 



Lepiota dolichaula, B. & Br. Lepiota procera, Scop. 



Lepiota oncopoda, B. & Br. L. pseiidogranulosa, B. & Br. 

 (in part). 



Lepiota oenopoda, B. & Br. L. adorea, B. & Br. 



Psalliota subceruginosa, B. & Br. Lepiota macrocola, 

 B. & Br. 



Clitocybe candicans, P. Lentinus apalus, B. & Br. This 

 is a pink-spored agaric. 



Marasmius calvus, B. & Br. Collybia multijuga, B. & Br. 

 (in part). 



Lentinus percomis, B. & Br. L. lecomtei, Fr. Pleurotus 

 polychromus, B. & Br. 



Lentinus exilis, Klotsch. L. velatus, B. & Br. L. multiformis, 

 B. & Br. L. infundibuliformis, B. & Br. L. cretaceus, B. & 

 Br. L. manipularis, B. & Br. L. lobatus, B. & Br. L. 



