May 1907] The Phalloideae of Texas 111 



varies materially in the same species. The Austin specimens 

 were larger and in greater numbers than the Denton plants, 

 due to the warmer weather and richer soil. The Austin plants 

 often showed a sterile fringe from 2-4 mm. broad at base of 

 caps while the Denton specimens did not have this sterile border; 

 the Denton plants were solitary while the Austin ones were 

 grouped. The spores of the Austin plants are of two types, 

 one of the common size and shape 2-4 /x but intermixed with 

 the mare found ovate to ovate-oblong spores from 3-4 and 

 6-8 ft, in size ; these large spores cling together in bunches of 2-8 

 at their smaller ends, indicating that they might not be true spores 

 but only basidia, otherwise they have every appearance of true 

 spores ; the Denton plants have the usual type of spore. No 

 veils were noticed on any of the Austin specimens at the time 

 they were collected and a careful examination of alcoholic 

 material (some 20 plants) shows no sign of a veil; apparently 

 only the Denton plants hav.e this character and some of them did 

 not show it. The veil in this species is not as well developed 

 or as persistent as the veil of P. impudicus. It was usually a 

 mere membrane that disappeared as the plants aged, but is iden- 

 tical in position and characters with that of Dictyophora ravenciii. 

 It was more pronounced on plants slow to expand under artificial 

 methods. The volva occasionally ruptures circumciscily and the 

 upper part is carried on the apex of the pileus. This is caused 

 by the egg becoming too dry and the volva adhered to the apex, 

 when the stipe elongated the volva ruptured as indicated. The 

 same thing was seen by the writer at Ithaca, N. Y., in a speci- 

 men of Mutinus caninus, due to the same cause ; it is a common 

 occurrence with Simblln/m texense. . That P. rnbicundus is only a 

 red form of D. ravenelii as suggested by Burt (The Phalloideae 

 of the United States, II. Bot. Gaz. 22:385, 1896) I do not 

 believe as I have never found any white forms or any approach 

 to white ones among the many plants I have seen and collected 

 in this state. 



Mutinus caninus (Huds.) Fries (Fig. 9). — Eggs white, 

 except exposed part which is pinkish brown, ovate to pyriform 

 2-3 X 3-4 cm., usually in groups of 4 to 20 individuals from 

 a common network of mycelium. Stipe cylindric below gleba. 

 but gleba bearing portion tapering to a point, 6-12 cm. tall by 

 i-i| cm. thick, lower part of stioe orange red, upper part for 

 about 2 cm. below gleba a deeper orange, gleba flesh color, 4-5 

 cm., conic, perforate. Sporogenous tissue or one layer of cells 

 whose walls are very thick and open to inside of stipe, sterile 

 part of thin walled chambers one or two cells thick. In sandy 

 soil near base of Quercus stumps. Denton, Texas, Nov. and 

 Dec. 1902. 



Simblum sphaerocephalum Schlecht. (Fig. 10.) — Stipe 

 geranium pink, 6-1 1 cm. tall x i-i^ cm. thick, hollow, cylindrical 



