loo prp:sidential address — section c. 



This fungus Pulyf'lociiiiii iiujtiiiuins deserves a few notes in 

 passing. So far as I am aware, it has never been collected since 

 Zeyher visited the Orange River. The ])lant is only known from 

 Zeyher's single specimen, which is now preserved at Kew. The 

 plant is about 6 to 7 inches in height. The peridium is volviform, 

 and 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Stem stout and farctate. It is 

 found growing on the ground, and in the words of Berkele}', 

 " f(t?dissime inquinans." 



Several authorities are inclined to think that Polypluciiiiii is 

 identical with the closely related genus Gyropliragiiiiiiiu Mon- 

 tague specimens of which are recorded from Northern Africa. 

 This point will probably remain undecided until further s})eci- 

 mens are obtained. 



In the following year (1844) we again hud Berkeley (3) 

 describing in Hooker's London Journal of Botany Soutli African 

 fungi of exceptional interest, viz. : — 



Broomeia congrcgata, collected in the Albany district of the 

 Cape by Backhouse and Cantharclhis capcnsis, one of Harvey's 

 treasures. 



Broomeia congrcgata is only known from South Africa. It 

 has been recorded from South-\A^est Africa, the Cape, and the 

 Transvaal. The plant is nearly always found in close association 

 with Acacia trees. Around Pretoria ii occurs chiefly under 

 .Icacia Jiorrida. It reminds one of a cluster of CiPasters sDriny 

 from a common stroma. There are usually from 50 to 100 

 individuals in the cluster. Before the outer peridium bursts, the 

 plant is of a l^eautiful smooth white colour, slightly hemisi)heri- 

 cal, and from 3 to 4 inches in diameter. After ihe outer peridium 

 breaks away each individual takes on a buff or tawny colour, 

 while the mouth is cons])icuous b}' a dark circular area. The 

 plants emit a strong, though somewhat ])leasant. smell of l)enz- 

 aldehyde, and their i)resence in the bush can fre(|uently be de- 

 tected from the odour emitted. A second s])ecies. Broomeia ellip- 

 sospora v. Holm., lias recentl}' beeu described from .South Africa. 



The vear 1843 saw anotlier celebrated mycologist interesting 

 himself in Cai)e fungi, for Montague (63) ])ublislied a descrip- 

 tion of / f onioslcgii: iim plilmrl'Ciia. whicli is ])arasilic on Colpoon 

 compressiim. 



Two _\ears later ( i<'~^45) another distinguished I'rench myco- 

 logist. Joseph Henri Leveille (48) in his " (."hampignons Exo- 

 ticjues," described PotliiorcUa congcsta {\x\.) ."-^acc. which had 

 been collectecl ])y Drege on l'o(Ji>carpits M the Ca])e. 



In 1S47 a second systematic account of .South African fiuigi 

 was published. This was by the l-'rench mycologist, .Montague 

 (64). who dealt with the specimens collected by Orege. Mon- 

 tague records 41 specimens belonging to the genera Agariciis, 

 Schizophyllum, Bolyponis, '/'rametes, 1 1 cxagonia, Favolus, Dcc- 

 dalea, (ila-oporns, Cymatodcrma, Thclepliora, Slcrcum, Corti- 

 ciitni. h'.xidia. / / ypo.vylon . M yccnastrti m. Borista. PodaxoHy 



