500 J. B. OLELAND AND E. CHEEL. 



one species (or a variety of one species) and to refer them 

 to M. Pancheri (or M. varius var. Pancheri) pending the 

 examination and comparison of further material. 



This is a small species, occasionally with a cap as large 

 as \\ inches across, growing on the ground usually attached 

 to buried sticks or wood. Though some specimens are 

 white or pale coloured, the cap and stem are usually a dark 

 sooty brown, the former being somewhat striate, whilst 

 the pores are minute and white or pallid. 



Our Australian specimens vary considerably amongst 

 themselves. The stipe, even in specimens taken together, 

 varies from about central to quite lateral. The other 

 points of difference affect more colonies than individuals. 

 The colour of the cap varies from almost black through a 

 dark greyish-brown to a lighter greyish-fawn, and is in one 

 specimen a dark chestnut. In several, the plants were at 

 first pure white, later becoming pale stony-brown. The 

 striations are more or less in evidence. The pores are 

 usually 5'2 to 8 X 2*5 to 3fi, in the chestnut-coloured speci- 

 men being 3*5 to 5 x 2/^. Growing usually attached to 

 buried pieces of wood (in this resembling M. melanopus), 

 Sydney district, common (January, March to June); Bulli 

 (April); Hawkesbury River; Lisarow (June) — all in New 

 South Wales. Mount Lofty, S.A. In the National Her- 

 barium, Sydney, there are specimens from the following 

 localities: — Longueville, on dead stump (E.G., May, 1909); 

 Leura (A. A. Hamilton, March, 1910, and T. Steel, Feb., 

 1911); Mosman (A.A.H., May, 1912); Hill Top (E.G., July, 

 1915); Gladesville (Miss M. Flockton, April, 1916). 



73. Polyporus (Melanopus) melanopus Schumann. 

 Gooke (No. 604) records this for Victoria and Queensland, 



Section 49. Stipe pleuropodal or central. Pores medium. 

 No Australian species recorded. 



