130 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



the apex. The tops of the uppermost branches were each sur- 

 mounted by six to eight delicate processes, arranged in a vertical 

 manner round the apex. A section of the trunk showed that the 

 inside cartilaginous stem was surrounded by a thick gelatinous 

 covering. This covering was continued over the whole plant, 

 thus approaching very closely to the substance of the Tremellinese. 



The following description is taken from De Barry's " Morph- 

 ology of Plants": — "The stem consists of rows of cells, all running 

 nearly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fungus. The trans- 

 verse sections give circular or polygonal sections of the cells. 

 The outermost of the three concentric layers of tissue which 

 compose the stipes is in the fresh state of a viscid gelatinous 

 consistence, and is formed of slender rows of thick-walled 

 cells, which appear to be embedded in a soft homogeneous 

 jelly." The spores of our Sassafras Gully specimens were 

 white, elliptical, and slightly curved, which exactly agrees with 

 Dr. Cooke's description of Calocera digitata. 



The spores of Calocera are produced in the following manner : — 

 From the surface of the thin membrane which completely covers 

 the peculiar clavate form of the plant rise elongated cylindrical 

 cells termed basidia. Each basidium is borne on a short thin 

 stalk, and is much thicker towards the summit. At first it is 

 filled with granular protoplasm ; when full grown, two slender 

 branches called sterigmata spring from the broad apex, at the 

 same time a kind of nucleus may be observed forming in the 

 centre of the protoplasmic contents. As the sterigmata grow 

 outward the protoplasm seems to rise upward, filling each 

 sterigma, and leaving the base of the basidium empty. The 

 ends of the sterigmata now begin to swell, and in a short time 

 two fully developed spores are borne, one on each sterigma. I 

 may remark that the spores of nearly all the Hymenomycetes are 

 produced in the same manner, except that four sterigmata 

 generally appear instead of two. I am sorry to say that I had 

 not time to examine all the characteristics of this interesting 

 plant whilst in a fresh state, so I determined to make a second 

 excursion to the Dandenong Ranges to obtain a further supply. 

 Unfortunately, I had an accident almost immediately after my 

 arrival at the gully, and had to return without a single specimen. 



The species which approaches nearest to ours is Calocera 

 digitata, and as far as I have been able to judge it differs in the 

 following characters : — 



