OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
271 
resemblaiK'o to a partly opened common nmsliroom, Psalliota cmnpestris, having 
a veil wliicli on removal discloses, .instead of lamellae, dark sepia-brown chambers 
(as if cross-partitions had united the gills), some of the lowermost of which 
may be open ; the colour of the upj)er surface is not unlike the cap of la mush- 
room, the spores in colour and shape resemble those of P.s. aampestris though they 
may be a little larger, and even the c(doui; is similar; moreover mushrooms grow 
in the neighbourhood. Secotium agariooides also closely resembles the mushroom. 
At Mount Loft.v, »S'. li’uoocephalum, with rough, pallid ferruginous spcjres, 
suggested when gathered a malformed species of ('ortitiaritm, of which several 
species occur in the neighbourhood. Again S. Rodirayi^ witli globose, warty, 
hyaline spores was found growing near where species of Riittmila occurred. One 
S])eides, .S', coarcdalum, has a characteiiistic, penetrating, fragrant odour. 
The third division, the Lycopeidales, contains four families, the first con- 
taining the greatest number of genera and species. Australia is rich in the 
species of small puff-balls {Lycopurdon) , common in fields, etc., and opening by 
an a]iical mouth, as well as in the allie<l Visciseda in which the outer part of 
the peridium remains as a discoid basal portion. Lycoperdon depretts'um may 
form lings in grass land and has giyen trouble in Melbourne by disfiguring 
playing lawns. The young stage of this species and of others, while the flesh 
is still free from colour, is edilile. Boviata is a genus of small pulf-balls which 
when mature are readily detacheil from the ground and blown about. The 
species of Calratm and MycenasP'um are mostly large, the former disintregating 
irregularly when mature, Myaenuatrum usually in a stellate way. In the tribe 
Mesophellieae are two genera of subterranean plants, MesophdUa and Caxtorcwm, 
which in several species only appear above ground as the result of boingi scratcheil 
up by rabbits or .narsupials. Tluse s])eoies have a strong, ]ieculiar and pene- 
trating smell which presumably attracts the animals. Empty husks may be 
found buside the scratchings, showing that the fungi are eaten, but not in- 
frequently unopened examples may also be collecte<l, jjerhaps because the animal 
has been disturbeil before it was able to eat the fungus. The gleba of these 
].lants is of a ])ccnliar grey colour. A third trib.e, the G'eastreae, contains the 
beautiful earth-stars of the genus Geaxter, in whicdi Australia is unusually rich. 
In the family Tulostomataceae wo have a. number of stalked puflF-balls, some 
of which are of large size and remarkable appearance. We are again very rich 
in species which occur particularly in the mallee areas and the far intei'ior, especi- 
ally in sandy p.arts. Podaxon piintillaris, with a stem up to thiee inches long 
and an ovate-oblong peridium which can readily be detached exposing the 
deep purjjle gleba (dinging to the stem, is used by tlip natives of Central Aus- 
tralia as a powder-puff for decorating the face. Phellorina and ChlamydopuH 
are interior si)ecies growing in sandy soils. There are a number of rather small 
species of Tidostoma, like little drum-sticks, the stalk fitting in to a depressiion 
in the head. BuHarmca Mtrvenii is <iuite common in sandy areas, as in the mallee 
countr\, and n.ay reach a very large size; externally it is rather the colour of 
straw; the ;dmost woody stem, which may reach Idins. ,'in length, is covered 
with shaggy ioverlai)piiig scales; the peridium is discoid and may reach two and 
a half imdies in size; the upper portion comes away as a concave disc, ex[)Osing 
the ocliraceous gleba situated on a disc-like expansion of the aqiex of the stem. 
The Sclerodermatales comprise firstly the Sclerodermatac.eae in which family 
the genus Sderodxrma has thhdc yellowish-brown walls which split to allow the 
gleba to disintegrate, and the genus PifiolUhuti has lenticular chambers which, 
as the top disintegrates more and more, break domi into an umber-brown powder. 
Pisolilhus ihictoriun is quite ciommon round Adelaide ami may reach a size of 
over Tin.; it may often be seen as a slightly moist greenish-brown projecting 
mass which, on kicking it, breaks up into a cloud of ocliraceous to umber dust. 
In the Calostomataceae we have the (lueer fungus Cnio.sioma {Mitremyces) 
funcutn, with a rugged-looking base ca[iped by a globose receptacle with a 
vermilion mouth surrounded by small teeth. 
The fifth main division, the INidulariah'a, contains the small bird ’s-nest 
fungi, little often lead -coloured ciqis containing flattened discs (pcridiola) which 
may or may not be attached by threads. Several s]iecies occur in South Aus- 
tralia but they are not common. The family S’phaerobolaceae is represented by 
the minute Spliaerolxilus dellatu.'i, found on rotting wood in our National Park, 
with a cup-shaped peridium up to ‘2 mm. diameter, containing a little globose 
peridirilum (containing the spores) whiidi lieconies extruded and may be thrown 
a distance of 4in. by the sudden eversion of the endoperidium. 
