19 



definition of "hard and woody from the first," believing that 

 growing plants will not be found to possess these character- 

 istics, though the surface of old dried plants, which are most 

 likely to be found, will suggest these qualities. The genus 

 Laccocephalum cannot, we feel sure, stand on the pitted 

 surface of the pileus alone. We have examined the type, 

 as well as three other false sclerotia, one with a pileus, in the 

 Herbarium of the University of Adelaide; five complete 

 specimens in the South Australian Museum ; another com- 

 plete specimen and two false sclerotia in the Museum of the 

 Department of Agriculture, Melbourne; and one false 

 sclerotium in the National Herbarium, Sydney. We give 

 descriptions of these in full. It will be noted that two speci- 

 mens, one in Melbourne and one in Adelaide, differ from 

 the others in having a strongly tuberculate crinkled edge to 

 the pileus; also that, whilst the pitting, or alveolation, is 

 marked in some plants, it is barely recognizable in others. 



The following are in the Herbarium of the University 

 of Adelaide: — 



(1) Type specimen, labelled "Laccocephalum basilapi- 

 loides." Pileus 3^ in. in diameter, convex, rather irregular, the 

 centre a little depressed, dull pallid stony- white, pitted with 

 irregular very shallow alveoli. Pores slightly decurrent, 

 small, the colour of the cap. Stem -| in. high, § in. thick, 

 pallid brownish-white, slightly flattened. The false sclerotium 

 is somewhat flask-shaped with a flattened base, 3 in. high by 

 3 J in. broad, the surface somewhat irregularly nodular; it 

 is apparently composed of sandstone particles or sand, welded 

 by a mycelium into a firm mass, which can, however, be dis- 

 integrated into particles by scratching with the finger. From 

 South-eastern District of South Australia (A. Molineux). 



(2) Pileus 2§ in. in diameter, convex, slightly depressed 

 in the centre, slightly fibrillose, no pitting, dirty white with 

 greyish areas from weathering. Pores a little larger than 

 in the type specimen. Stem \ in. high and \ in. thick. 

 False sclerotium irregular, somewhat ringed, 2 J in. high, 

 1J in. broad. Allawoona, Brown Hill Line, May, 1914 (S. G. 

 Taylor, engineman, Murray Bridge). 



(3) and (4) Two false sclerotia; localities not noted. 

 The following, in the South Australian Museum, have 



been examined by us : — 



(5) Pileus 2 in. across, deeply convex, pallid white from 

 weathering, the surface areolarly pitted in a very shallow way, 

 the alveoli ^ in. in diameter, the septa with thin edges. Pores 

 adnate, medium small. Stem f in. high, J in. across in the 

 middle, expanding a little upwards and downwards. The 



