THE PHALLOIDEiE OF CEYLON. 145 



Ithyphallus tenuis, Fischer. 



In " Neue Untersuchungen Plialloideen," 1893, Fischer 

 states that in Berkeley's herbarium and in the British Museum 

 there are specimens from Ceylon which undoubtedly belong to 

 this species. Those in Berkeley's herbarium are labelled 

 Phallus pallidus, Berk., a name which was never published. 

 There is no record of this species in the Ceylon lists, and no 

 specimens in the Peradeniya herbarium. Since it was named 

 by Berkeley, not Berkeley and Broome, the specimens were 

 probably collected by Gardner. 



Genus 3. Dictyophora, Desv. 



Receptaculum as in Ithyphallus. Cap reticulated with 

 raised bands, or covered with closely packed processes. From 

 the upper part of the stalk, beneath the cap, hangs a bell- 

 shaped, netted structure, the indusium. 



1. — Dictyophora phalloidea, Desv. 



This elegant species is probably the most widespread of 

 tropical phalloids, and has been desci-ibed from many countries 

 under as many different names. It is the commonest species in 

 Ceylon, at least in the low-country and at medium elevations. 

 The Sinhalese know it as the " cobra fungus," and say that 

 it is poisonous. Gardner collected it in 1844, Harvey in 

 1853, and Thwaites in 1868. All these specimens were named 

 by Berkeley Dictyophora dcemonum, Lev. Beccari also 

 collected it in Ceylon in 1865. Two specimens and drawings 

 are in the herbarium, but one of the specimens is a later addi- 

 tion by Trimen in 1881. Fischer includes dcemonum under 

 phalloidea : and as all Ceylon forms (except Beccari's 

 specimens) have been given the former name, it is apparent 

 that this view is correct. Dcemamim is supposed to be charac- 

 terized by the possession of a narrow ring at the apex, a feature 

 which the Ceylon figures show well developed, but, as will be 

 explained later, this is quite a common and easily understood 

 variation in phalloidea. Cesati named Beccari's specimens 

 Hymenophallus indusiatus, and added the note " Corte iconi 

 Phalli Dcemoni, Rumph, non respondet." 



7(6)08 (19) 



