egg is a strongly folded and convolute membrane resembling at first 

 view a crumpled veil. What form it takes in the developed plant is 

 not known, but it is probable that it does not change much, as the 

 form of a pileus is in all known instances well defined in the egg. 

 In addition the volva is covered with wart-like processes, which, 

 while unknown as to any other phalloid, is in my opinion a minor 

 character. The plant is only known from New Guinea, and a photo- 

 graph of a developed plant is much desired. 5 



Fig. 20. 



CLAUTRIAVIA LAUTERBACHII. 



Section by Fischer. Photograph of the volva, also of the folds of the inner 

 face of the pileus. 



THE GENUS ITAJAHYA. 



This genus in general appearance resembles the genus Phallus, 

 but is quite different in the structure of the pileus. This consists of 

 lamellate plates, the gleba covering these plates, permeating the inner 

 structure of the pileus. 



5 Until I saw the specimens I had a very erroneous idea of the characters of the 

 plant, and I think they have been inaccurately presented in the published accounts. When 

 Dr. Hennings received these phalloid eggs he sent them to Professor Fischer, who made 

 what impresses me as a very accurate drawing of a section that he returned to Dr. Hennings 

 with the suggestion that it be called Ithyphallus Lauterbachii. We reproduce Professor 

 Fischer's section in our figure (20). Dr. Hennings did not publish Fischer's figure as re- 

 ceived, but modified it, showing a "hut" and an "indusium." The plant has but one mem- 

 brane, which should be called the "hut," as it bears the gleba and is analogous to a pileus. 

 There is no indusiuri|. One of the egg sections at Berlin would at first view seem to have 

 a rudimentary indusium, but on closely examining it I find it is a division of the stem, 

 which in this instance seems to divide above and support the pileus in the manner of a Hel- 

 vella. The pileus in the egg is so convoluted that my first impression (until I noticed that 

 it bore the gleba) was that i*. was an indusium, and that here we had a type of a new genus 

 of phalloid which had a veil but no pileus. Dr. Hennings first published it under Fischer's 

 name, Ithyphallus Lauterbachii. Afterwards he republished it as a new genus Echinophallus, 

 basing it principally on the protuberances of the volva, a minor character, in my opinion. 

 The main character of the plant, the strongly folded and convoluted pileus, is unique in this 

 species and establishes, for me at least, the validity of Patouillard's genus Clautriavia, based 

 on the same character, though in a much less developed form. 



26 



