345 



NOTES ON SOME INTERESTING OR LITTLE-KNOWN 

 SOUTH AFRICAN FUNGI. 



BY 



Paul A. van der Bijl, M.A., D.Sc, F.L.S., 

 Professor of Mycology, University of Stellenbosch. 



Rend July 15, 1921. 



The following notes on certain South African fungi may be of 

 interest : — 



1. The genus Campanella, P. Henn. 



The genus Campanella belongs to the family A r/nricnceae, or 

 "mushroom family." It differs from the majority of this family 

 by having the hymenophore composed of anastomosing veins and 

 not of distinct gills or plates. On this character the genus is with 

 others placed in the tribe Cantharelleae of the Af/aricaceae. 



I once collected Campanella Buttneri, P. Henn, fairly fre- 

 quently on rotting branches in the bush around Durban. The 

 plants are gelatinous, white to yellowish in colour, and stalked; 

 the cap is reniform and measures 1 mm. to 5 mm. across; the 

 hymenophore is borne on the underside of the cap and is composed 

 of anastomosing veins; the stalk is 0.5 mm. to 1 mm. long and 

 curves close to the insertion of the cap, so that the hymenophore 

 comes to face upwards ; the basidia are club shaped and the spores 

 hyaline, 3^ to 4/x x 7/x to 8/x in diameter. 



This fungus was originally described from Togoland and the 

 Cameroons, and, as far as I am aware, has not previously been 

 collected in the Union. In Engler and Prantl the cap is said to 

 be "hautig," which is surely an error. 



2. Some Geasters. 



The Geasters or "earth star" fungi are familiar to most people 

 and are usually met with on rich humus soil in bush. Two are 

 now described which have very little resemblance to each other, 

 namely, Geaster coronatus and G'easter saccatus. 



Gedster coronatus (Schaff) Scbroter. 



The outer peridium is split into four to six subequal, acute, 

 deeply cut segments and arches over the mycelial layer, wbich forms 

 a more or less imperfect cup at the base; inner peridium is ash 

 coloured, covered with fine granules, subglobose, 10 mm. to 12 mm. 

 diameter, shortly pedicillate ; stalk 2 mm. to 3 mm. long, 1 mm. 

 to 2 mm. diameter; mouth protruding acute, seated on a definite 

 circular area different in colour from the rest of the endoperidium; 

 spores in mass dark brown, globose, finely warted, 3/j, to 7/a 

 diameter. Capillitium of long unbranched threads, approximately 

 3.7/x in diameter 



