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ing to those who are acquainted with the structure of the Discomycetes a most 

 interesting subject for study and reflection, adding yet another to the contrarieties 

 of the Antipodes. 



It may not be out of place to allude to the affinities which this new fungus 

 seems to present. There is no doubt whatever that the hymenium is entirely 

 enclosed, although both figures and specimens exhibit ruptured individuals in 

 which the hymenium is laid bare ; but if we consider that in a perfectly closed 

 specimen the hymenium was fully matured, there is no reason to conclude that a 

 wholly enclosed hymenium is not its normal condition. Perhaps Sphcvrosoma 

 comes nearest to Bergtircma, except that it has a thicker and firmer periderm, and 

 is moreover hypogaeous. This affinity is sufiicient to prove that it is not impossible 

 for a plant of such a structure to be a Discomycete, and Tulasne considered 

 Sphcerosoma to be a Discomycete, although evidently so very closely related to 

 Oenea. Indeed, in my opinion, Sphcerosoma is further removed from the Discomy- 

 cetes in the direction of the Tuberacei, than Berggrenia from some species of Peziza. 



There is a great similarly in the character of the fruit, and in the fleshy 

 stroma, as to texture, &c., between Cyttaria and Berggrenia ; in fact, the latter 

 resembles the former, inverted, and the areolae suppressed. The hymenium is 

 confined in some Cyttarice to a few nearly closed cells, and although the relation- 

 ship is by no means close in any direction, I am inclined to place Berggrenia in the 

 Btdgariacei, nearest perhaps to Cyttaria. The discovery, hereafter, of intermediate 

 links may render the affinities clearer than at present they seem to be ; under any 

 circumstances, the new genus has a higher interest than its mere position in any 

 system of classification. 



