REVISIONS OF CEYLON FUNGI. 415 



to 2 cms. long and 4 mm. in diameter. I have no doubt that 

 these two names refer to the same species. Hirneola rufa 

 does not seem to dififer from these ; the hairs of H. hispidula 

 are often rufous. I regard these three names as synonyms as 

 far as Ceylon is concerned. The descriptions in Saccardo are 

 as follows : — 



Hirneola polytricha Mont. — Cupula hemisphaerica, expansa, 

 auriculaef ormi , extus villoso-tomentosa grisea, in stipitem bre- 

 vissimum obHquum producta ; disco lev! spadiceo-purpureo. 



Hirneola rufa (Berk.) Fr. — Cupularis, sublateraUs, sessihs, 

 extus setis brevibus fasciculatis rufis vestita ; liymenio 

 subplicato, glabro, nigrofuscescente. 



Hirneola hispidula Berk. — Globoso-campanulatgi, obliqua, 

 sessiMs, intus brunneo-atra, extus cervino-colorata pihs lanugi- 

 nosis, brevibus tecta. 



The length of the stalk may be varied by altering the 

 conditions of growth, and therefore tliis point of distinction 

 vanishes. The difference in shape depends either on the age 

 of the specimen or weather conditions : young specimens are 

 at first deeply cup shaped — ^indeed, my long-stalked specimens 

 have at first only a small cyhndrical umbiUcus, about 3 mm. 

 deep, at the apex of the stalk, and they would not, at first, be 

 recognized as Hirneola except by then* colour and consistency ; 

 in moderately wet weather the expanded hymenium is plane, 

 but in very wet weather it remains broadly concave or 

 " auric ulseform ; " the usual stages of expansion resemble those 

 of a Peziza. The differences in colour are unreliable, since 

 nojie of the recorded colours refer to fresh specimens. 



Hirneola polytricha Mont, is either sessile or stalked ; 

 usually circular, up to 2 cm. diameter, or oval, up to 4 X 

 25 cm. ; hymenium plane, smooth, pruinose ; thin, some- 

 what leathery, densely covered behind with white or brown 

 hairs up to 0*8 mm. long ; in very wet weather or in the 

 wetter districts, often concave, or ear shaped, up to 8 cm. 

 X 7 cm. , with the hymenium thrown into irregular folds ; 

 long-stalked specimens are often umbilicate when expanded ; 

 hymenium violet or bluish-purple, purple-brown when old ; 

 spores, 12-1,5 X 5-6 t^, strongly guttulate, white, cylindric, 

 curved. 



