Nov. 1907] Two New Hypogaeotis Secotiaceae 237 



young individuals of some Hymenomycetous species. On first 

 being; uncovered one looks very much like some species of 

 Coprinus or similar genus, while the other has a very strik- 

 ing resemblance to a young Russula with a red pileus. Both 

 have well developed stipes, what appear at first sight to be gills, 

 and one has a transverse veil, although the last is slight. On 

 careful examination, however, it is seen that they are members 

 of the Secotiaceae and, although new, are related to species long 

 described. 



Both of these plants belong to the genus Secotium as extend- 

 ed by Fischer in his account of this family in the Engler and 

 Prantl. A careful study of all the forms included under Seco- 

 tium in this extended sense, however, will probably result in a 

 splitting into several different genera, each reasonably distinct 

 from the other. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the species 

 described otherwise than from description and shall consequently 

 not undertake any segregation which has not already been pro- 

 posed. I realize the difficulties in proposing any satisfactory 

 ultimate segregation except as the result of extensive and compre- 

 hensive study of types and of fresh or well prepared alcoholic 

 materials representing various conditions and stages of develop- 

 ment. In general appearance, all the species are agaricoid rather 

 than like the members of the Hymenogastraceae, while in struct- 

 ure of the mature gleba, they in common with the other Secoti- 

 aceae. range from those closely resembling the Hymenogastraceae 

 to those which have gill-like structures which anastomose only 

 slightly. In color of spores, the members of this genus in its 

 extended sense range from colorless through yellow and brown 

 to black, while in shape of spores, they vary from globular through 

 ovoid to fusiform. These extreme variations make the proper 

 reference as to genus very uncertain in the case of new species. 



The type of the genus Secotium is 6^. Guienzii Kunze from 

 the neighborhood of the Cape of Good Hope. It was briefly de- 

 scribed by Kunze in 1840 (Flora, p. 322) and it has been well 

 illustrated from the original specimens, by Corda (Icones Fun- 

 gorum, vol. 5, pi. 6, f. 10-18, 1842), so that we may judge fairly 

 of all necessary details of its structure. With its distinct volva, 

 the coarse veins of the gleba, its lack of anything resembling 

 lamellae, its fairly regular chambers, and obovoid, colorless 

 spores, it differs very decidedly from either of the two plants 

 which are the subject of this article, as well as from all other 

 species which have thus far been referred to the same genus with 

 it. In the same work, Corda also figures Berkeley's S. melano- 

 sporimi (loc. cit., pi. 6, f. 19-24) which most nearly of all yet 

 described species resembles S. Guienaii, but it has no persistent 

 and conspicuous volva, what appears to be a sort of arachnoid 

 transverse veil, and very dark, brownish-black, ovoid spores. It 

 has, however, similar veins running out through the gleba. 



