I02 PKKSIDENTIAL ADDRESS SPIC'llON C. 



shaped processes. Like other members of this group, it has a 

 very offensive smell, and decays very rapidly. 



The genus is only known from Africa, and chiefly from the 

 southern portion. 



A variety of A'. Tnckii, var. clalhroldcs, P. Henn., was 

 described in 1895 ^y Hennings from Togoland. while a second 

 variety, which was sent to me by Dr. Schonland and Miss Alice 

 Pegler, has recentl)' 1)een defined by myself as Kalchhrcuua 

 Titckii ( Kalchbr. and MacOwan ) Berk., var. iiiicroccpliala. 



MacOwaiiites agaricimiis Kalchbr. is a monotypic genus 

 peculiar to South Africa, and so far as 1 am aware has not been 

 collected by anyone except MacOwan, whose name it commemo- 

 rates. It is a small umbrella-shaped plant, about 2 inches high. 

 The hemispherical peridium is from 1 to 2 inches in diameter, 

 and of a dirty 1)rown colour, 'i^he j^ilant has a strong odour like 

 that of garlic. 



In 1879 Natal fungi again figured in mycological literature. 

 For this John Medley Wood and Mordecai Cubit Cooke were 

 responsible ; the former collecting in Natal, the latter publishing 

 and editing cryptogamic literature in England. Both these 

 veterans have only passed away since this Association met last 

 year. Cooke was in his 90th year, while Medley Wood was 88. 



The paper, wdiich was entitled " Natal Fungi." contained 

 descriptions of 12 new species and 36 determinations of s])eci- 

 mens, which Medley Wood had sent to Kew. 



In the following year (1880) Kalchbrenner and Cooke (45). 

 in a paper entitled " South African Fungi," described 108 new- 

 species from materia! collected by Mac< )\van at Somerset Fast 

 and Medley Wood in Natal ; while in the same year Kalchbrenner 

 (44) began a series of articles headed " Fungi Mac(Jwani," which 

 dealt with specimens submitted by the two collectors above. The 

 first paper recorded 75 species of Agarics, of which 19 were 

 described as new. In the second pai)er 64 species of Hymeno- 

 mycetes were enumerated, of which 14 were new species. 



The third ])aper recorded 75 s])ecies, mostly belonging to the 

 genera Polyponis. Traincics, Mcniliiis, Ilydnimi. Irpc.v, Clado- 

 derris, Tliclcphora, Stcrcnui and Corticiiim. Eleven new species 

 were described. 



The fourth article enumerated 60 .species, and included the 

 genera Cyphclla, Sfifjinatoloiiiiia, Giicpina, Clavaria Hirncola. 

 Treniclla, E.vidia, Flialliis, Kahlihrctiucra, Anthurus, Mac- 

 Oivanitcs, Cyatluts, f^oda.voii. (icaslcr, Boi'ista, L\'copcrdon. 

 Scleroderma and FhcUur'ma. 



The fifth i)aper recorded 48 sj^ecies belonging to the Disco- 

 mycetcs and Pyrenomycetes. 



Two years later (T882) Cooke (16), under " IC.xtjtic Fungi," 

 Natal, published an account of 49 new species, belonging chiefly 

 to the Ascomycetes and Uredinea?, from a collection of about 200 

 s])ecimens obtained by Medley Wood at Inanda, Natal. Cooke 

 continued to describe odd specimens of Natal fungi dm'ing the 



