254 



ness, in one or two instances, was the undoubted cause ; in others, domestic 

 affliction ; and in two or three, the heavy hand of time had pressed hard in the 

 past year, and veterans of many years' experience were compelled to confess 

 themselves no longer able to bear the fatigiie and exertion of the Woolhope week. 

 Expressions of sympathy with the absentees were heard all round, and these 

 fraternal solicitations for a time imparted a serious and thoughtful expression to 

 countenances already somewhat depressed by the atmospheric conditions. The 

 party adjourned to the Free Library, where some objects of interest had already 

 arrived, and the morning was devoted to their examination. Mr. Renny had 

 sent, from Switzerland, living fungi unknown in this country, such as Lactarius 

 lignt/otus, Polyporus ovinus, Hydnum geogenium, and several others. Mr. Plow- 

 right had brought from King's Lynn, his splendid Geaster coUformis, which had 

 not been found in this country for half a century, until he obtained it this year 

 (see Gardeners' Chronicle, p. 439) [but see Mr. Currey's letter at p. 506].* Mr. 

 Bucknall brought from the neighbourhood of Bristol, some sixteen rare and in- 

 teresting fungi, amongst which, one which appeared to be the variety lilacinus of 

 Agaricus ( Lepiota) seminudus, regarded by some as a distinct species. Mr. 

 Howse exhibited Hydnum scrohiculatum and Polyporus cuticularis. Mr. English 

 sent from Epping, Thelephora muUizonata, and Dr. Cooke brought from the same 

 locality, Agaricus ericceus and Agaricus udus, the latter being new to the British 

 flora. Rev. J. Stevenson also sent Torruhia capitata from Scotland, and a box 



* GEASTER COLIFORMIS IN NORFOLK. 



I was much pleased to receive from my friend, Dr. J. D. Alexander, of Grimston, on 

 Saturday last, September 2Sth, 1880, four fresh specimens of this rare Geaster, which, as far as I 

 can make out, has not been found in Britain since the first decade of the present century. The 

 specimens grew on a hedge-bank in the village of Hillington, Norfolk. The largest of them 

 measures six inches across the widest part of the outer coat or peridium, which is divided into ten 

 unequal rays ; the inner peridium is no less than two inches in diameter, and has the beautiful 

 silver-grey lustre mentioned by the older botanists, since whose time the fungus has hardly, if at 

 all, been gathered in this country. In the specimen before me, as I write, the inner coat or 

 peridium shines as if it were covered by a very thin coating of silver leaf, totally unlike any other 

 Geaster. It has no less than forty distinct openings upon it. Another character not noticed in 

 the text-book, is that the inner peridium is minutely tuberculated. Neither of these points struck 

 me when I examined the specimen in the British Museum Herbarium some years ago ; but they 

 are both observable on careful obsen'ation in a specimen my friend Prof. C. A. J. A. Oudemans, 

 of Amsterdam, sent me from Haarlem, gathered by him in January, 1877. 



As showing the rarity of this species generally, it is worthy of note that Persoon, when he 

 wrote the Synopsis in i8ox, had seen no specimen, neither had Fries, when he wrote the 

 Systema in 1S29. In this countrv it has been found (i) by Doody, " in the lane from Crayford to 

 Bexley Common" (Ray, Synop., ed. iii., p. 27, 1724) ; (2) by Mr. Merrett, at Hampton Court ; 

 (3) on sandy banks at Mettingham, Suffolk, and at Gillingham and Earsham, Norfolk, by Messrs. 

 Stone and Woodward (Linnean Trans., vol. ii., p. 59) ; (4) at Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, by 

 Messrs. Ballard and Rufford (Withering, ed. ii., vol iv., p. 460, 1792; Purton, Midland flora, 

 vol. ii., p. 702 ; No. 1075, 1S17). On the Continent it has been found at Haarlem and near Darm- 

 stadt (Fuckel, Symb. Myc, p. 37). The figure given (in vol. ii., plate xv.) by Mr. Worthingtou 

 G. Smith, after Sowerby, t. 313, conveys a very accurate idea of the general appearance and habit 

 oi l\ii& fine Geaster. — Chaklhs B. Plowkight, \n Gardeners' C^ironicte, Oclohex 2ni, 1880. 



Geaster coliformis. — I have read Mr. Plowright's communication, at p. 439, as to Geaster 

 colifornns, in which he suggests that the plant has not been found in England since 1810. I am 

 not aware of any published notice of it, but knowing that my friend, Mr. G. B. Wollaston, had 

 found it long since that time, I made enquiry of him. He tells me he found it in 1830, at West- 

 wood, near Southfleet, in Kent, and again between 1836 and 1840, at Bridgen, near Bexley, in 

 Kent; also, that in 1840 he saw a specimen found by a lady, at East Wickham, near Plumstead, 

 in Kent ; and he adds, " I have since found it recently, but when and where I do not recollect." 

 I have thought that these facts might be of interest to your raycological readers. — Fredk. 

 CuRRHY, Gardeners Chronicle, October i6th, 1880, p. 506. 



