vicinity the following species: Simblum sphaerocephalum, Phallus 

 indusiatus, Laternea columnata, Pseudocolus Garciae, Blumenavia 

 rhacodes, Protubera maracuga and a Clathrus, species doubtful, close 

 to delicatus. The genus Protubera is a doubtful genus included in 

 Phalloids by some and in the Hymenogasters by others. In my opin- 

 ion there are a group of these genera with dry, hyaline, elliptical 

 spores which should be classed together. This group includes Pro- 

 tubera, Mesophellia, Castoreum and two other Australian genera, as 

 yet unnamed. 



PHALLUS RAVENELIL Mr. E. B. Sterling, Trenton, N. J., 

 has just sent me an abundant collection of Phallus Ravenelii in all 

 stages of development. He found it growing 

 in decayed sawdust where it developed its 

 mycelium in great abundance and produced 

 hundreds of the fruiting plants. The mycelium 

 cluster with its numerous eggs was so interest- 

 ing that I have made a photograph of it, fig. 

 190. Mr. Sterling states that the mycelium 

 and eggs are white when first opened from 

 under the ground, but the action of the at- 

 mosphere quickly changes them to a lilac or 

 purplish tint. 



I also note that Mr, Sterling's specimens 

 present some characters that are new as to this 

 plant. All of the specimens have very prom- 

 inent apical collars. This apex is perforate in 

 some specimens but not in all. As in early 

 times phalloids were sometimes classified as to 

 whether this apex was perforate or not, this 

 fact should do away with one of the old tradi- 

 tions. The veil on the specimens was very 

 slightly developed, as shown in figure 189. 

 Indeed, it was not much stronger than one finds 

 ordinarily in a Mutinus or on Phallus im- 

 pudicus. To my mind the relative develop- 

 ment of a phalloid veil has no value in classi- 

 fication. We know specimens of Phallus Ra- 

 venelii now that have veils which are merely 

 rudimentary. (Fig. 189.) Around Cincinnati 

 they are generally developed but hidden under 

 the pileus (See plate 115, fig. 3.) and in My co- 

 logical Notes, page 350, fig. 168 is shown speci- 

 men where the veil protrudes. Like the development of the sterile 

 base of a Lycoperdon the development of the veil of a phalloid seems 

 to be a very varying character. 



Fig. 189. 



SIMBLUM SPHAEROCEPHALUM. This is a rare phalloid 

 m the United States, often called Simblum rubescens. Dr. I). S. 



368 



