NEW OR CRITICAL FUNGI. l53 



The present species is iu absolute agreement with the generic 

 character of Ster'ujmatocijstis, except in having the hyphfe grouped 

 into a compact fascicle to form a stem-like base, a character which 

 I do not consider as of generic importance, although Baccardo has 

 done so in the parallel case of PeniciUium and Coremium. 



Sporotrichum arabicum Mass. Developed in tlie unexpanded 

 inflorescence ; olive-brown, velvety, soon pulverulent, bordered by 

 tlie pale, radiating mycelium ; sterile hyphcB creeping, branched, 

 sparingly septate, hyaliue, 4-5 /z thick ; fertile liyplue ascending, 

 septate, furnished near the apex with subfasciculate, short, closely 

 septate branchlets; conidia solitary and apical, fusoid, base truncate, 

 apex apiculate, smooth, pale olive, 6 X '6 /j,. 



Arabia (coll. J. Lunt). Parasitic on the young inflorescence oi 

 Phcenix dacUjIifeia. 



Completely coveriug the inflorescence with a dense blackish 

 olive powder long before it escapes from the spatbe. The flowers 

 are completely destroyed. 



Pluteus giganteus Mass. Solitary or gregarious ; pileus 

 broadly ovate, then expanded, broadly gibbous, even, glabrous, dry, 

 becoming much contracted when dry, margin more or less per- 

 sistently incurved, tawny-orange, disc darkest, 18-24 cm. across, 

 flesh firm, 2 cm. or more in thickness at the disc, becoming 

 gradually thinner towards the margin ; gills free, 6-8 mm. distant 

 from the stem, rather crowded, thin, slightly wavy, margin entire, 

 pale salmon-colour, up to 2 cm. broad ; spores elliptical, smooth, 

 1-guttulate, pale salmon-colour, 7 x 5 /x ; stem 12-14 cm. long, 

 3-4 cm. thick at the apex, base much incrassated, incurved, solid, 

 glabrous, pallid. 



Growing on rotten wood. Georgetown, British Guiana [Jenman, 

 no. 3596). 



A very fine species, characterised by its large size, and much 

 incrassated base of the stout stem. Jenman stated that one speci- 

 men weighed two pounds when fresh. 



Polyporus diminutus Mass. (PI. 857, figs. 17 & 18). Hori- 

 zontal, unbricated, couchate, soft and fleshy, pileus convex, margin 

 slightly incurved, glabrous, deep orauge-red, 3-4 mm. across, flesh 

 pale yellow, hymenium almost plane, similar in colour or paler than 

 the pileus, pores shallow, oblong, with a tendency to radiate from 

 stem to margin, about f mm. long, dissepiments thick ; cystidia 

 absent; spores hyaline, smooth, elliptic-oblong, 3-4 x 1'5 /x; 

 stem lateral, horizontal, slightly curved, slender, about 2 mm. 

 long, yellow, rarely with a tinge of red, pruinose. 



On stumps of trees. Port Phillip, Victoria [F. Header, no. 31). 



Distinguished from Gloeoj/urus pu-sillus in the yellow, pruinose 

 stem, and in being rigid and dry, not at all tremelloid. 



Clavaria Kewensis Mass. Base thick, dividing almost at 

 once into numerous, subequal, divergent branches 4-7 cm. long; 

 branches uniform in thickness throughout, often compressed, im- 

 perfectly hollow, dividing near the apex into 2-4 short branchlets, 

 axils rounded, tips obtuse or divided into 2-4 short finger-like 



