64 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
Feb., 192 2 
— -as, for instance, the Psyllid of the Moreton Bay fig — the 
gummy secretion may constitute the aliment, as also pro- 
tection from other insects, certainly the latter. 
o 
NET FUNGI. 
Among the more curious of fungi are the various 
species of the genus Clathrus, popularly known as Net 
Fungi. One of the commonest is Clathrus gracilis , and 
Net Fungi, Clathrus gracilis. 
[Photo by Ethel Caswell. 
the, accompanying photograph, by Miss Ethel Caswell, 
gives a good idea of the plant. 
Net fungi belong to the large group Phalloidese, or 
Phalloids, and the name is derived from the Greek name 
for lattice or grating. 
In its younger stage the fungus is contained in an egg- 
shaped or more or less globular volva. This stage is common 
to all phalloids, and is known as the egg stage. As the 
volva bursts the spore-bearing portion or receptacle expands 
and enlarges into a ^beautiful, delicate net. On the inner 
face of the meshes, particularly the upper ones, is borne a 
brown liquid, foetid coating — the gleba — which carries the 
spores. Carrion-feeding insects such as flies are attracted 
to the gleba by means of its foetid odour, and flying away 
carry the spores with them, thus distributing the species. 
We are particularly pleased to publish Miss Caswell ’s 
photo., as C. G. Lloyd, in his 4 ‘Synopsis of the known 
Phalloids,” states that “notwithstanding that Clathrus 
gracilis is the most common phalloid in Australia, we know 
of no photo, of it.” — C. T. White. 
