OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
281 
<-eita n foinis clatluate above and below, eolumnar equatoriallv; arms trans- 
^eiseh rugulose extenorly longitudinally suleate, tiilralar. Globa borne on the 
innei suT laces ot the arms, foetid, olivaceous, mucilaginous. Spores li valine or 
tinted, elliptical, smooth, 4.(i to 5.5 x 1.5 to 2.2 ,a.-Cunningliani. 
lliis iieautiful small red species, known from Queensland, New Soutli Wales 
\ictoiia, and ft estern Australia, has not yet been recorded for South Australia! 
CLATJSTUIiACEAE Cunningliani. 
Peridium of two layers, the inner layer thick, gelatinous and forming a con- 
tinuous layer peridm plates being absent. Receptacle a hollow, indehiscent 
sphere, wall ehambered and pseudoparenchymatous. Gleba covering the interior 
of the receptacle wall, confined to a single layer of global chambers, mucilaginous 
matrix wanting. Spores continuous, smooth, elliptical.— Cunningham. 
CIjAUSTXJIjA Curtis, 
(L., elemsus, shut.) 
Peridium of two layers, the outer thin and furfuraceous, the inner tliick 
gelatinous and without peridial planes. Receptacle obovate or subglobose hollow’ 
indehiscent; wall ehamliered, pseudoparenchymatous; gleba forming a tli’in layer 
over the inner wall of the receptacle, non-niucilaginous and without the character- 
istic odour of the other memliers of the order. — Cunningham. 
This New Zealand genus has not been recorded for Australia. 
HYMEN OGASTRALES. 
Peridiirm indehiscent, of one ho three layers, or occtisioiiially wanting at 
maturity, sessile or stipitate, epigaean or hypogaean. Stem 'when present 
traversing the gleba as a columella, and attached apically to the peridium. Gleba 
persisting at maturity, composed of numerous tramal p'lates anastomosed to en- 
close numerous labyrinthifiorm or subglobose cavities; capillitium absent. Rasidia 
one to eight-sjiored. — Gunninghani. 
HYMENOGASTRACEAE (including HYSTERANGIACEAE) . 
Plants tiilieriform, subglobose or pyriform, without a stem, but attached to 
the substratum by lateral or basal rhizomorphs; hypogaean or epigaean. Peridium 
of one to throe layers, of stujiose or pseudoparenchymatous hyphae, indehiscent. 
Gleba in several genera traversed by a simple or branched' columella arising 
usually from a sterile base. Spores globose or elliptical, coloured or hyaline 
smooth or variously sculptured. — Cunningham. ‘ ’ 
The members of this family are more or less globose in shape, small (from the 
size of a split pea to a large marble), without an external stem though sometimes 
traversed by a central columella and with numerous small chambers often sub- 
microscopic in size. They are usually found partly emerged from the ground 
or under vegetable debris ami disintegrate ,vhen past luaturity without resolving 
into a dust-like mass of spores as in the puff-balls. Australia as relatively 
unusually rich in species. 
Section I. — Peridium with lateral rhizomorphs; gleba without a columella; 
spores elliptical and smootli. 
RHIZOPOGON Pries et Nordholra. 
(Gr., ihiza, root; poymi, a board.) 
Plants subglobose or tuberiform, without a definite sterile base, epigaean nr 
hypogaean. Peridium tough and membranous, of stupose and sometimes 
gelatinized hyphae arranged in one or two layers; exteriorly covered with many 
or few adherent, anastomosing, dark-coloured fibrils which are united below to 
form mycelial strands nr rhizomorphs. Gleba of permanent tramal plates anasto- 
mosed to enclose subglobose or labyrinthiform cavities. Spores hyaline or tinted, 
smootlp elliptical or less commonly obovate. Basidia subclavate or cylindrical, 
usually soon collapsing, bearing from two to eight spores on short steriginata. 
— Cunningham. 
