198 Transactions British Mycological Society. 



the tramae has occurred, be dried, collapse of the gleba does 

 not occur. The gleba is olivaceous when the plants are fresh, 

 but in old dried specimens it is a dull bay-brown, and is very 

 brittle to the touch. 



Cytology. 



The hyphae of the cortex and gleba are invariably bi-nucleate. 

 The basidia are at first slightly inflated; in mature plants they 

 measure about 100 x 30/x. A fusion nucleus is fonned in the 

 usual manner and this divides until six nuclei are formed. These 

 migrate to the spores, and there divide, so that each spore is 

 binucleate. The spores are borne on short and slender sterig- 

 mata. Clamp-connections are abundant in the tissues of the 

 cortex, tramae and trabeculae. 



Systematic Position of the Genus. 



The development of the gleba and cortex in their earlier 

 stages is similar to that of Hysterangvum, which Fischer (1900) 

 places in the Hysterangiaceae. The single peridium, sterile basal 

 disc, trabeculae and phalloid-like spores are also characteristic of 

 this genus. The peculiar manner in which the gleba collapses in 

 adult plants (a character not confined to this genus, however, 

 for the writer has in his possession specimens of a species of 

 Gautieria which also possess it) and especially the six-spored 

 basidia are characters which separate it from Hysterangium. 



Lloyd has already noted the similarity of spores of this and 

 several other genera, and suggests that they should be placed 

 in a separate family. Unfortunately the genera mentioned by 

 him have in many cases little in common, differing in such major 

 particulars as the presence or absence of capillitium, permanent 

 gleba, and number of spores on the basidium. 



It must be admitted that the present systems of classification 

 of the Gasteromycetes are unsatisfactory, as many genera with 

 little in common are regularly placed in the one family. Recog- 

 nising this unsatisfactory condition, the writer has for some 

 time past been engaged on a reclassification of the Gastero- 

 mycetes, the pubhcation of which is delayed pending the 

 investigation of the development in several other New Zealand 

 genera. Meanwhile he believes that Gallacea should be placed 

 in the Hysterangiaceae of Fischer, for it agrees more closely 

 with Hysterangium than with any other genus. This grouping 

 is merely tentative, for in his forthcoming paper the writer 

 intends to place this and several other genera in a distinct family. 



Thanks are due to Mr J. C. Neill, of this laboratory, for the 

 preparation of the sections used in the preparation of this paper, 

 and to Mr Neill, Mr E. H. Atkinson and Mr W. D. Reid, also 

 of this laboratory, for contributions of specimens. 



