620 
VIII. FUNGI. 
32. iETHALIUM, Link. 
Subglobose or oblong, sessile, amorphous, simple or lobed, pulpy Fungi. 
Peridium indeterminate, outer layer forming a floecose, evanescent bark, fra- 
gile, internally divided into cells by membranous strata of confluent inter- 
woven flocci. 
A curious plant ; common on rotten wood, tan, etc., often inside houses, and very destruc- 
tive of hothouse timber. 
1. septicum. Fries ; — FI. N. Z. ii. 191. Forming simple or lobed 
patches, one or more inches long ; colour variable, yellow, violet, etc. 
Northern Island: on dead wood, moss, etc., common, Colenso, etc. (Ubiquitous.) 
33. DIDERMA, Persoon. 
Usually minute, globose, sessile or stalked Fungi, found on bark, wood, 
mosses, etc. Peridium double ; outer membranous or crustaceous, glabrous, 
polished, fragile, dehiscent; inner membranaceous, evanescent. Nucleus 
(capillitium) of flocci, adnate at the base, or fixed to a central columella, tra- 
versing the mass of spores in all directions. 
A large and common genus, in all parts of the world. 
1. D. Hookeri, Berk, in FI. N. Z. ii. 191. t. 105. /. 12. About ~ 
in. high, white; stem slender, as long as the globose peridium, dilated below, 
slightly veinet^ Peridium evanescent above ; outer membranous, subplicate ; 
inner colourless. Nucleus adhering to the columella and peridium, branched, 
enclosing triangular lacunae. Spores black in mass. 
Northern Island : on fronds of Hymenoplujltum, Colenso. 
34. DIDYMIUM, Schrader. 
Habit and characters of Diderma, but the two peridia are adnate and the 
outer furfuraceous or mealy. 
A very common genus. 
1. D. australe, Berk, in FI. N. Z. ii. 191. Peridium subglobose, on a 
short nearly black, even stipes, which rises from a thin pale mycelium. Flocci 
crisped. Spores globose, black in mass. 
Northern Island: ou naked soil, Colenso. 
2. D. cinereum, Fries ; — FI. N. Z. ii. 192. Solitary or confluent, ad- 
nate or shortly stipitate. Peridium subglobose, dirty white, scurfy ; flocci re- 
ticulated, white, flat, irregularly reticulate. Spores mixed with minute, white, 
angular bodies, black. 
Northern Island: on the naked soil, Colenso. (Europe, America, etc.) 
35. STEMONITIS, Gleditsch. 
Characters of Diderma , but peridium globose or cylindric, very delicate, 
