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THE EDIBLE TAHITIAN FUNGUS. 339 
our gardens. Its flowers are not so nodding as those of the preceding ; 
they are also flatter, not so bell-shaped, and of a darker blue, while the 
ovary, as Parkinson’s sharp eyes detected, is of a yellowish-green 
colour, thus giving to the flowers the appearance of a yellow centre or 
“eye.” Tt flowers (in the south of England) in April, following close 
upon $. Sibirica. 
The species above mentioned have all this character in common, 
that the bracts at the base of the pedicels are very minute, whereas in 
S. verna, S. campanulata, S. Italica, and the later-flowering kinds, the 
bracts are often as long as the pedicels themselves. These species, 
moreover, are better known, and their synonyms less confused ; hence 
it is not necessary to allude to them at any further length. 
THE EDIBLE TAHITIAN FUNGUS. 
My attention has been directed to a paragraph in the * Journal of 
Botany,’ Vol. V. (1867) p. 263, relative to a Tahitian fungus under the 
name of “ Teria iore," or Rat's-ear, said to be a considerable article of 
commerce with China. As the botanical name of this species was not 
given, I have been asked to supply the deficiency. I have no doubt 
whatsoever that the fungus which was sent in a dried state to the Ex- 
hibition of 1862, from China, by way of Singapore, was the same 
thing. In the Catalogue of the Indian Department of that Exhibi- 
tion, under n. 1681, p. 73, I referred it to Hirneola auricula-Jude, 
since I could see no difference between the specimens sent and our 
indigenous species of “ Jew’s-ear.” Recently going over the “ Cata- 
logue des produits des Colonies Françaises envoyés à l Exposition 
universelle. de Londres de 1862,” at p. 109 I find, from Tahiti, 
* Champignons dits oreilles de rats, Exidia auricula-Jude, Taria 
Gioré,” were exhibited. In a note it is stated that this fungus is 
very common at Tahiti and the neighbouring islands, and is in great 
esteem in China, to which country it is largely exported. Without 
hesitation, therefore, I conclude that the fungus alluded to in this 
Journal was Evidia,—or, as now usually written, Hirneola auricula- 
Jude, Fries. n 
M. C. Cooke. 
22 
