CEYLON FUNGI. • 27 



specimens ; and the presumption is that there is another name 

 representing the ringed form in Thwaites' collection, but so 

 far it has not been unearthed. These three names were given 

 on the assumption that the spores were wliite. Are we to 

 suppose that neither Gardner nor Thwaites discovered it when 

 mature ? If they did, there are yet other names for this 

 species in the Ceylon list. The most likely supposition is that 

 the mature agaric is included under the records of Pluteus 

 cervinus, but, on the other hand, there is actually a Ceylon 

 Pluteus closely allied to that species. For the present, there- 

 fore, we must suppose that neither Gardner nor Thwaites dis- 

 covered that the spores were pink, though they probably often 

 ate the fungus. The synonymy of this species can be carried 

 beyond the Ceylon lists. Holtermann collected it in Ceylon, 

 Borneo, and Malaya, and called it Pluteus Eajap ; while 

 Penzig and Saccardo obtained it from Java, and named it 

 Flammula Janseana and Pholiota Janseana. Again, judging 

 from Beccari's figure — which is all there ever was to judge 

 from — Cesati's TricJioloma subgambosum from Borneo is 

 another name for the same species. This serves to show that 

 although .the lists do not support the contention that the 

 various collectors should obtain in general the common species, 

 yet when the actual fungi can be determined, this view is fuUy 

 upheld. The same species is gathered by five collectors, and 

 is " described " under seven names. This example gives in 

 addition a good illustration of the .truth that it is often easier 

 to trace the identity of a fungus by a touch of " local colour " 

 than from pages of description. This agaric is edible and 

 grows from termite nests. The descriptions of this species 

 and the reasons for considering the various names as synonyms 

 have been given in Vol. III. of the Annals of Peradeniya. 



As another instance of the difficulties imposed by these 

 early lists, we may take another common fungus, a Clavaria, 

 to which we have for sometime been endeavouring to attach a 

 name. It occurs in myriads at Peradeniya on the footpaths 

 where tlie sand and gravel has been washed away, and it is 



