NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN FUNGI. 475 



black laccate stem 11 ins. in height and about § in. long, 

 whose summit has become twisted and bent. The larger 

 specimen has about fifty concentric rings on the stem r 

 giving it a snake-like appearance. As the context resembles 

 in colour that of the specimens we are considering, we 

 think that this is probably an anomalous form which has 

 been unable to fruit. Probably each ring represents a 

 separate growth effort, dependent on access of moisture 

 and so not necessarily annual. 



In May, 1915, and again in June, 1916, specimens of a 

 polypore were collected near the base of a decaying 

 Oasuarina stump near Lisarow. Lloyd has kindly identified 

 these for us as Polyporus japonicus. He says: — "Certainly 

 a form of P. lucidus with dark context colour and dark 

 surface. The Japanese plant which passes as Polyporus 

 japonicus in Japanese works differs from P. lucidus in this 

 way. Your specimen also departs in having a lateral stipe 

 in the same plane and in being tubercular deformed." Our 

 specimens are fan-shaped, usually about 3 ins. in diameter 

 and with the upper surface dark brownish-black and rugose 

 and very dull laccate. The stipe is very short but shews a 

 dorso-lateral attachment. The context is a dark cinnamon 

 and the pore orifices a dull brown. The spores were brown r 

 smooth and 11x5*5 to 6*5^ in size. 



The National Collection has the following specimens: — 

 A very large fan-shaped one, 7 ins. long by 8 ins. wide, 

 with a stem 1\ ins. long, and another smaller plant, Ather- 

 ton Scrub, North Queensland (R. Mitchell, August, 1911); 

 a fan-shaped specimen from Eumundi, Queensland (J. Staer,. 

 1911); a finger-like form, Ingham, Herbert River, North 

 Queensland (Sid. W. Jackson, 1908). 



2. Polyporus (Ganodermus) amboinensis Fries. 

 Syn. Fomes amboinensis Fr. (Cooke, No. 672). Queens- 

 land. Var. gibbosus (Cooke, No. 672), Queensland. 



