94 
NEW OK IMPERFECTLY KNOWN GASTROMYCETES. 
By G. Massee. 
Mutinus proximus, Berk. in Herl. 
Entire fungus, 3-5 m.m. high ; stem white, slender, wall with a 
single layer of cavities, externally alveolate ; sporiferous portion 
about 4 m.m. long, subglobose, apex obtuse, imperforate, orange- 
red, and covered with olive mucus ; spores colourless, elliptic- 
oblong, 3x1 fi; volva ample, springing from cord-like white 
strands of mycelium. 
On the ground. Peradenia, Ceylon. (Type in Herb. Berk., 
Kew.) 
Lysurus Gardner!, Berk. HooJc. Bond. Journ. Bot. } 1846, p. 535, 
t. XVII. 
Berkeley, in describing the present species, says that the vertical 
lobes bearing the hymenium are united at the tips, and on this 
account the species has been removed to the genus Colus, by Fischer ; 
but in reality the segments are not organically united at the tips, 
but during the young stage are closely pressed together, and 
having been dried in this condition appear to be united ; however, 
when the mucilage is moistened the tips are found to be quite free, 
and are normally so in several out of the twenty-three specimens 
from Gardiner in the Kew Herbarium. The above is an average 
illustration as to how synonyms originate, i.e., by manipulating 
descriptions and not specimens, which, however, answers the 
desired object, that of enabling the manipulator to bracket the 
founder’s name and bring his own to the front. 
Syn., Colus Gardneri , E. Fischer, in Sacc. Syll., Yol. vii., Pt. i., 
N. 63. 
Cyathus Colensoi, Berk. FI. Tasm. ii., p. 192. 
Densely crowded, cyathiform or subcylindrical, up to 1 c.m. high, 
wall thin, flexible, externally densely crowded with ochraceous- 
brown shaggy tomentum, becoming smooth with age, inside per- 
fectly smooth and even, brownish ; sporangiola blackish when 
mature, 2 m.m. diameter ; spores colourless, elliptical, 8 x 5 /x. 
On the ground. New Zealand. (Type in Herb. Berk., Kew.) 
Crucibulum simile, Mass., n. sp. 
Crowded or usually scattered, subcylindrical, 6-7 m.m. high, 
becoming bell-shaped, and with the margin of the mouth revolute, 
externally densely covered with a very short, dull orange tomen- 
tum, internally whitish, smooth, even ; sporangiola biconvex, 
white, 1 m.m. diameter ; spores colourless, subglobose, small, 
4x3 /i. 
On bark and wood. New Zealand, and Australia. (Type in 
Herb., Kew.) 
Superficially resembling Crucibulum vulgare , but distinguished 
by the very much smaller and differently shaped spores. 
