558 CLASS BASIDIOMYCETEAE 



Maublanc and Malengon (1930) made an extensive study of the anatomy 

 and development of the fungus. 



Family Podaxaceae. Long and Stouffer (1946) place together in the 

 tribe Phellorinieae the genera Phellorinia, Didyocephalos, and Chlamy- 

 dopus. These three monotypic genera have their sporocarps elevated at 

 maturity on definite elongated stipes. The basidia are in fasciculate clus- 

 ters and remain undissolved when other tissues of the gleba undergo 

 autodigestion. Capillitial threads are present. The stipe may rarely extend 

 into the base of the sporocarp as a low columella in Phellorinia but more 

 often is absent. Probably to be associated with these is Podaxis in which 

 the stipe extends well up into the gleba, in most cases reaching clear up to 

 and uniting with the peridium at the apex. The persistent clustered 

 basidia are present as in the other genera. All four are hypogeous at first 

 and surrounded by a universal veil, part of which usually remains as a 

 volva at the base of the stipe and as quickly disappearing patches on the 

 sporocarp. In Phellorinia the universal veil is continuous as an exoperid- 

 ium and the outer layer of the stipe, rarely breaking away well up on the 

 stipe to show indications of a tightly adhering volva. The endoperidium 

 is an extension of the stipe surrounding the gleba for two-thirds or more of 

 its height, with a thin inner layer extending over its top. This falls away 

 at maturity. Malengon (1935) showed that in the immature gleba there 

 are numerous sinuously curved and branching hymenial cavities lined by 

 the basidial primordial cells. The latter branch sympodially and form 

 clusters of basidia on hyphae of various lengths which eventually obliter- 

 ate these cavities. This led earlier investigators who studied only the 

 practically mature fungi to classify them with plectobasidial forms such 

 as Sclerodermatales. At maturity the major part of the hyphae making up 

 the trama between the cavities dissolves, leaving spores and basidia and 

 the hyphae upon which these arose undissolved, as well as a few of the 

 thicker tramal hyphae which in the earlier stages of development served 

 as laticiferous tubes. These hyphae and those bearing the clusters of 

 basidia make up the so-called capillitium. This genus occurs in North and 

 South America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. 



Didyocephalos (see Long and Plunkett, 1940) occurs in the south- 

 western part of the United States and also northern Africa. There is but 

 one species, D. attenuatus (Pk.) Long and Plunk. {D. curvatus Underw.). 

 It originates 4 to 20 cm. beneath the surface of the soil and may attain a 

 height of 7 to 56 cm. with a head 5 to 13 cm. broad. The universal veil 

 breaks as the stipe elongates, leaving a volva at the base and a fleshy or 

 gelatinous exoperidium over the sporocarp. This at maturity becomes a 

 series of hairy scales which break off and expose the tough endoperidium. 

 The latter breaks away irregularly exposing the gleba. When young the 

 latter is cellular. Chlamydopus, with the single very variable species C. 



