'24 TllK HYMKNOCiASTKACK.*: OF TASMANIA, 



Genabea tajsiiianica. Mass. ot Rod. and Stephensia varia, 

 Rod. The very evident spore production within asci will 

 at onre indicate where they belong. It will also be evident 

 that classification is very aitificial ; this in our present 

 knowledge of fungi is unavoidable. 



The Hynienogastracere, therefore, ai'e subspherical 

 bodies, underground, or accidentally superficial at ma- 

 turity, whose spores are produced on basidia which line the 

 surface of irregular spaces in the substance of the gleba. 

 The barren tissue of the gleba does not liquify or become 

 in any way broken down at maturity. No special orifice 

 is formed for the escape of spores, nor does the pcridium 

 burst at maturity, Init the fungus depends for the dispersal 

 of the contained spores vipon rotting, or, more commonly, 

 upon consumption by animals. 



We have six genera of the family, and the following 

 key will assist in their recognition : — 



Spoies spherical, nodulose or echinulate. 



Pcridium well developed. 1. Hydnangium. 

 Peridiuni, thin or none. 2. Gymnomyces. 



Spores oblong, or if nearly globose, they are smooth. 



Sterile base, none. Spores oblong, smooth. 

 Gleba gelatinous. 3. Hysterangium. 

 Gleba normal. 4. Rhizopogon. 



Sterile base present. Spores seldom smooth. 5. 

 Hymenogaster. 



1. HYDNANGIUM, Wallr. 



Pcridium fleshy, sometimes thin, and membranous 

 continuous with the trama. Gleba fleshy, crowded with 

 irregular or tortuous spaces. Spores spherical, rough or 

 echinulate. bi'own or pale. Sterile base well developed to 

 quite obsolete. 



Forms with a sterile base are sometimes placed in a 

 separate genus, Octaviana, but this chai'acter is not always 

 constant m individuals of the same species. 



HYDNANGIUM TASMANICUM Kalchbe., 



Subglobosp. palo, 1-2 cm. diameter. Pcridium thick, 

 continufuis with th ■ iclativclv thick trama. Spaces large, 



