352 Eev. M.J. Berkeley on British Fungi. 



which I have fine specimens from Dr. Klotzsch, and with the fol- 

 lowing species. I have not seen H. candidum, T\x\., but suppose 

 that also congeneric, and I have consequently adopted Messrs. 

 Tulasne's characters for the genus. 



The principal difference between Hydiiangium and Hymeno- 

 gaster consists in the echinulate spores, for the peridium does 

 not burst in all the species, neither, as far as I have seen in the 

 British species of Hijmenogaster, do the cells deliquesce. Hyme- 

 nogaster albus, whose characters it is which are contrasted by 

 Klotzsch, I have seen only when dry. The trama of the cells be- 

 comes dark in drying, gi\ang to a section of the hymenium a pe- 

 culiar appearance which is not usual in Hymenogaster. I have 

 at present not had an opportunity of examining young specimens, 

 and must therefore beg leave to have some allowance made, should 

 my description of the interior of the cells not be altogether cor- 

 rect. In any case however there will be no difficulty in ascer- 

 taining the species. 



300. H. StephensiifBevk. Irregulare, oblongum,externerufum; 

 basi plicato-rugosa cribrosa radicibus fibrosis insidenti; intus al- 

 bum, minute cellulosum lactifluum, demum aeri ex])0situm rufum; 

 cellulis non farctis ; sporis globosis demum echinulatis. Clifton, 

 Aug. 1843, C. E. Broome, Esq., and H. 0. Stephens, Esq. 



About fths of an inch in diameter, oblong, attached by a 

 branched fibrous root, smooth, not cracked, dark rufous, curiously 

 plicate at the base and cribrous ; \nthin white, yielding when cut 

 a white milky fluid ; substance when cut and exposed to the an* 

 soon acquiring a red tinge, which is not however permanent, and 

 in young specimens vanishes almost entirely in drying, in which 

 state the hymenium is cream-coloured ; cells minute ; spores at 

 first irregularly globose, with a broad rugulose border, somewhat 

 after the fashion of the young spores of Scle^-oderma, at length 

 echinulate. 



This is a very curious species, remarkable for its milky juice, 

 smooth dark peridium and plicate base. I have not seen it with 

 the sporophores perfect. It cannot be confounded with any other 

 hypogseous fungus. The smell in my specimens was slight, re- 

 sembling that of Ag. theiogalus. 



Melanog aster, Corda in Stui-m's Deutschl. Fl. " Fungi car- 

 nosi, solidi, undique filamentis crassis funiformibus ramosis hinc 

 apphcatis, et in peridium suberosum crassum abeuntibus ; illinc 

 liberis cum mycelio confusis terram petentibus obvoluti ; basi ab- 

 sorbenti propria distincta (an semper 1) orbati, intus cellulosi, cel- 

 lulis ab initio farctis septis crassis immutabilibus distinctis ; ma- 

 terie intercellulari tandem pultacea diffluente atra, e filamentis 

 mucilaginosis implexis apice tetrasporis constanti ; sporis subses- 

 silibus minutis Isevibus hyalinis.^' — Tulasne, 1. c. 



