EUMYCETES 21 



Plate 



A. Bulgaria spec. (Discomycetes). From Table Mountain. 2400 feet. 

 September. 



B. Aecidium resinicolum (Rud.) Wint. (Uredineae). On a twig of Rafnia 

 angulata. From the neighbourhood of Capetown. September. 



C. Amanita phalloides (Fries) Quelet (Agaricaceae). The death-cup. Very 

 poisonous. From pine woods near Stellenbosch. May. Paddestoel (vergiftig), Slaag- 

 kost. 



D. Anthurus MacOwani, sp. nov. (Phalloideae). From Somerset West. .2. Trans- 

 verse section through a segment, 3/2, showing the air-chambers. The diagnosis is 

 given below. 



E. Lycoperdon prat erne Pers. (Gasteromycetes-Lycoperdaceae). 



" Meadow puff-ball." Neighbourhood of Capetown. May. 2. Long, section 

 through nearly ripe fungus. (Somewhat diagrammatic.) The dark portion is the gleba 

 in a pulpy condition, which on drying is transformed into the powder of the puff-ball. 



F. Geaster velutinus Morgan (Lycoperdaceae). I. Young plant. 2. Adult 

 plant, the outer peridium split. From Eastern Cape Colony. The common G. hygro- 

 metricus is of universal occurrence ; the rarer G. pectinatus and several others are found 

 occasionally. 



Description. 



A. The genus Bulgaria is nearly allied to Peziza ; the plants generally 

 occur in damp localities, especially where cattle are grazing. Several S. A. 

 species of these genera are undescribed. (See page 28.) 



B. This fungus is not known as yet in the uredospore or teleutospore 

 form. (See page 34.) 



C. The " death-cup." This contains two poisonous principles, viz. 

 an alkaloid somewhat resembling that of the fly-mushroom, which is 

 muscarine, and a haemolytic substance (toxalbumin) called phalline 

 (Kobert). Numerous cases of poisoning have been caused by this plant, as 

 it is occasionally, especially by strangers, mistaken for the ordinary eatable 

 mushroom. It appears (in the Western Province) during April and May, 

 mostly in oak- or pine-woods, rarely on open ground. With a little care it 

 can be easily distinguished from the common field mushroom by the colour of 

 its gills, for these are white, even on adult plants, and joined to the stalk. 

 The cap generally, not always, bears a few bits of the annulus on its upper 

 side, and the bulbous base of the stalk is surrounded by a split membrane. 

 The colour varies from a light drab to brown, mostly with a greenish tinge. 



How dangerous this mushroom is may be gathered from the fact that 

 some years ago a cook at Elsenburg College, an Indian who had come 

 from Natal, was thrown into terrible agony for 36 hours merely by having 

 eaten some rice that had been boiled in a pot, which his mate had just used for 

 stewing some of the Amanita. The mate died the same day. 



