aurantium or Scleroderma verrucosum, forms of which are so com- 

 mon in the United States and Europe, occur in Australia. Sclero- 

 derma Geaster, which was unknown to me from Australia at the time 

 I wrote the pamphlet, has since been received from Prof. McAlpine. 

 As stated in the pamphlet, Scleroderma Geaster can be considered a 

 thick, black form, and Scleroderma flavidutn a thin, yellow form of 

 the same plant. 



? SCLERODERMA RADICANS (Fig. 88) : Perid- 

 ium smooth, firm, pale colored. Gleba dark, bluish- 

 black. Spores globose, 12-14 mic. echinulate, mixed 

 with remnants of the hyphae tissue. Root thick, 

 tapering, surrounded by a peculiar sheath of matted 

 mycelium. This specimen was collected by F. M. 

 Reacer " in a hollow, half burned tree, on the banks 

 of the Wimmera." As to the peridium and spore 

 characters, it corresponds to Scleroderma Cepa ot 

 Europe, a species not positively known to me from 

 Australia. It differs in habitat, and its marked 

 character is the peculiar sheath surrounding the 

 root. If the future develops that there exists in Aus- 

 Fig. 88. tralia a plant having this peculiar character habit- 



ually, which is quite distinct, then it will merit a name, but on a 

 single specimen it may be only a sport. 



THE GENUS GEASTER: Mr. J. T. Paul sends an expanded 

 specimen of Geaster velutinus as it occurs in the United States, thus 

 establishing the occurrence of this species in Australia. At the time 

 we wrote the pamphlet we supposed that " Geaster dubiutn " \vas 

 based on unexpanded specimens of this species, and we feel more 

 sure of it now that the species has been surely authenticated from 

 Australia. Prof. McAlpine sends Geaster striatulus, not previously 

 seen by me from Australia, also Geaster Drummondii of which only 

 one collection was known, made by Drummond many years ago. 



Fig- 89. Fig. 90. Fig. 91. 



GEASTER READERI (Figs. 89, 90 and 91): In our pam- 

 phlet we have referred the specimen on which Geaster Reader! was 

 based as a small form of Geaster rufescens. We are still of this opin- 

 ion, but the receipt of abundant specimens from Mr. Reader and oth- 

 ers convinces us that it is a constant form in Australia, and merits 

 a distinct name. It is a much smaller plant than Geaster rufescens 



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