A nezv Australian Stone-viaking Fungus. 167 



rows much larger, ovate to elliptical, deepest on the inner end ; 

 circumference sub-circular, broad marginal zone smooth, undulate, 

 not pitted promiscuously or sometimes in some parts irregularly; 

 ridges of pits and margin of pileus cotlee-colour, the latter deeper 

 in colour because thicker ; inner substance of pileus thick, 

 whitish, unchangeable. Hymenophoi'e greyish-fawn to reddish- 

 brown, solid, continuous with stem ; tubes adnate, averaging one 

 line in depth, slightly contracting towards opening; pores 

 moderately large, crowded, unequal, sub-rotund to oval ; spores 

 spherical, orange-yellow, echinulate, 44-50 in. in dia. ; spines 

 conical, acute, 3 in. long. Htem compres.sed oval, },- x |^ in. in dia.; 

 length from basal collar to hymenophore scarcely exceeding an 

 inch, dirty fawn colour, spongy, tibrous striate, hardened like 

 pileus, rising abruptly from an irregular, cushion-like collar of 

 solid whitish mycelium, crowning a large, irregularly sub-conical 

 basal part 3 in. in height ; base sub-oval, 3| x 4 in. in dia. 



The specific name has reference to this basal stone-like portion. 

 This basal portion resembles a concretion of ferruginous sand- 

 stone in appearance and almost in density (the weight of the 

 whole, fungus and all, 13| oz.) being apparently composed of the 

 firmly agglutinated grains of the sandy soil in whicli it was 

 formed, and thus fixed by the mycelium. 



The upper surfaoe is studded in many places l:)y pappilate 

 protuberances, and shows in the figured specimen also fragments 

 of roots and the vestiges of an ant tunnel. The underside is 

 only slightly convex, the abraided surface allowing the threads of 

 the profuse mycelium to be detected ; it appears similarly to other 

 specimens, to be inuch less impregnated internally by ferruginous 

 matter than externally. The figured specimen, described above 

 was obtained through Mr. A. Molineux, P.L.S. (Secretary of the 

 8. A. Agricultural Bureau), from the south-eastern border of 

 S. Australia, and reported as having been found in typical mallee 

 scrub. The mycelium forms the large permanent stony base, and 

 apparently induces the oxide of iron contained in the soil to bind 

 the mass (from the surface inwardly into a solid nodule. Such 

 stony nodules liave been brought to the notice of one of us 

 (Mr. Tepper) on various occasions, by persons meeting them in 

 clearing arenaceous mallee lands. One of an almost regularly 

 oval-shape was obtained near Ardrossan, in Yorke's Peninsula, 



