THE PHAUOItoE.^ OF CEYLON. 177 



of the diso immediately surrounding the opening of the stalk. 

 i.e., the part covered by the gleba, is deep red, and sharply 

 defined from the remainder of the disc, which with the arras is 

 deep pink : the stalk shades off to white at the base. Schle- 

 chtendal (De Aseroes) records this difference in the colour of 

 the disc, stylir^ the centre " kermesinus," and the other parts 

 " carnese." The gleba is purple, and is at first continuous 

 over the opening of the stalk, being supported by a thin 

 membrane, but when this membrane disappears, the gleba 

 retracts and surrounds the opening : it does not cover the arms. 



The volva is somewhat pear-shaped, rounded above, about 

 3 cms. high and 2*5 cms. in diameter at the top : it is white 

 below and blackish above. The wall of the volva is thick, and 

 its inner surface is marked with white, slightly thickened 

 bands, radiating from the base and broadening upwards. 

 When the specimen has seventeen or eighteen arms, there are 

 nine such bands ; if it has sixteen arms, there are only eight 

 bands. 



The stalk is about 4 cms. high, hollow, 1 • 5 cm. diam. at the 

 base, expanding to 2 cms. diam. just below the disc where 

 the wall curves outwards to the arms. The wall is composed 

 of two layers of chambers with their horizontal walls partly 

 absorbed : these chambers are arranged in vertical rows as in 

 Colus Gardneri, so that the stalk appears longitudinally striate, 

 at least when old. The outer chambers are much smaller than 

 the inner : in a cross section of the stalk there are about three 

 outer chambers to each inner chamber. The inner surface of 

 the tube is practictilly vertical : there is a narrow horizontal 

 projecting ledge at the upper edge. 



The chambers beneath the central portions of the disc ai*e 

 much larger than elsewhere. There is a single ring of large 

 chambers, which may be regarded as the continuation of the 

 inner layer of the stalk : the inner walls, i.e.. towards the 

 central tube, of these chambers are u.sually perforated. The 

 outer layer of the stalk is continued under the disc for a 

 breadth of about two chambers. Between these and the large 

 chambers there is an extra ring of chambers which is not 

 represented in the stalk. The disc here is three chainbers in 

 thickness. Midway to the periphery, the thickness is reduced 



7(6)08 (23) 



