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THE GlENUS TULOSTOMA* IN SOUTH AFEICA. 
By Paul A. van der Bijl. 
(With Plate IX). 
The genus Tulosfoma belongs to the family Lyco])erdaceae, a family 
familiar to most through the " puff-balls " included in it. It is a widely- 
distributed genus, and in South Africa two species are thus far known, viz. 
Tulostoma cyclophorum, Lloyd, and Tulostoma Lesliei, n. sp., herein described. 
Masseef records Tulostoma mammosum (Mich.), Pers.,from South Africa, but 
this species appears to belong typically to Europe and England, and has not 
been collected in Africa during recent years. 
The genus is with others included in the tribe Tulostomeae,X which 
embraces those Lycoperdaceae which have peridia borne on a distinct stalk 
not confluent with the peridia (distinguish some Sclerodermeae and some 
Lycoperdeae) and not prolonged as an axis into the peridia (distinguish 
Fodaxineae). From other genera of this tribe the genus Tulostoma is 
recognised by the following two characters : (1) the stalk is inserted into a 
depression at the base of the peridium ; (2) the peridium opens by a mouth, or 
in a few species several mouths are present. 
Mr. C. Gr. Lloyd, § in monographing the genus Tulostoma, bases his main 
divisions on the nature of the mouths by which the peridia open. On this 
basis he establishes the following five main divisions : 
"(1) Mouths definite, tubular, round, naked, more or less protruding. 
"(2) Mouths definite, naked, elongated, sometimes several on the same 
peridium. 
"(3) Mouths an indefinite torn aperture, not surrounded by a fibrillose 
layer. 
" (4) Mouths surrounded with a fibrillose layer. 
"(5) Mouths fimbriate." 
Ttdostoma cyclophorum, which he records from South Africa (Western 
Cape Province probably), is placed in the fifth division above. Tulostoma 
*The name of the genus is also spelled Tylostoma, and tlie following appears to be 
the history of the name : 
Tulostoma, Pers., ' Disp./ p. 6 ; Fries, ' Syst. Orb. Veg./ i, p. 139. 
Tylostoma, Sacc, ' Syll. Fung./ vii, p. 60 ; Lloyd {vide below). 
t Massee, G., " British Gasteromycetes/' 'Ann. Bot.,' iv, p. 86 (1889). 
X Lloyd, C. G., "The Genera of Gastromycetes " (Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A., 1902.) 
§ Lloyd, C. G., "The Tylostomeae " (Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A., 1906). 
