REVISIONS OF CEYLON FUNGI. 421 



eight-spored, spores uniseriate. The parapliyses are linear, 

 brajiched towards tlie top, slightly thickened at the apices, 

 septate. The spores are hyaline, oval or narrow-oval, con- 

 tinuous, thick walled, ornamented with flattened warts up to 

 3 ^ diameter or with branching ridges, 34-44 x 15-20 f, 

 sometimes narrower and 46 X 14 ft, sometimes more broadly 

 oval and 39 x 24 /^. The last two measurements were taken 

 from extruded spores from one specimen, in which the majority 

 of the spores were 36-44 x 15-20 i*. 



This species grows on the main stem and branches of hving 

 Juniperus bermudianus up to a height of twelve feet or more 

 from the ground. On the branches it appears to be the cause 

 of " Witches' brooms." The habitat given by Berkeley and 

 Broome, " On twigs covered with Hchen," exactly describes 

 the twigs of Juniperus bermudianus , and it is probable that the 

 recent specimens have been gathered from the same tree as 

 those collected by Thwaites. On branches which have fallen 

 to the ground the specimens are thicker and more tomentose 

 externally than those on the tree. - 



Massee {loc. cit.) gives Bulgaria trichopkora as a synonym of 

 Rhizina spongiosa, and therefore of Bhizina Thwaitesii. But 

 the figure of Bulgaria trichophora (Journ. Bot. , XXIX. , PI. 300, 

 Figs. 7-10) shows a simple difference which at once serves 

 to distinguish it from the present species. The margin of 

 Bulgaria trichophora is inroUed when dry. Now, since the 

 disc of Sarcosoma Thwaitesii is rigid, while all the rest of the 

 fungus is gelatinous, the margin does not roll inwards when 

 drying. The whole of the gelatinous portion shrinks under- 

 neath the disc, the latter remaining almost plane, or even 

 becoming convex. The disc thus occupies the whole of the 

 upper surface, and the lower surface is thrown into more or 

 less concentric folds. A dried specimen is only about two 

 millimetres thick. 



The mycehum of the fungus runs in the bark and emerges 

 as a velvety brown cushion which opens at the apex, exposing 

 a minute disc which gradually increases in size. The disc is 

 directed upwards or downwards or laterally, according to the 

 position of the fungus on the branch, e.g., when it develops 

 on the main stem the disc is pftrallel to the latter. 



7(12)09 (55) 



