INTRODUCTION, 
XIX 
we profuse, powdery, and coloured. Gyphella resembles a cup- 
shaped Gorticium or, still more, Peziza without, asci. 
The fifth family, Clavarioei, consists of erect, simple, or 
branched fungi, with the hymenium not distinct from the rest 
of the fungus, surrounding the whole plant. In Sparassis the 
branches are flattened into leafy lam in®, and the whole sub- 
stance is fleshy. Olavaria is also fleshy, and either simple or 
branched, wdth tapering bi’anches. Calocera resembles Glavaria 
m form, but the substance is tremelloid when fresh. 
The sixth family is the Tremellineae, in which the substance 
is, more or less, gelatinous, shrinking in drying and reviving 
with moisture. The genus which links it with the Thelephorem 
is Auricularia, which in external appearance and habit is almost 
ft Stereum, but the hymenium is vaguely ribbed and folded, 
swollen and tremelloid when moist, but hard and horny when 
dried. Similar to this in many features is Hirneola, but the 
species are cup-shaped and the substance is thinner. The 
hymenium is turned upwards, that is to say it is superior in 
Hirneola and inferior in Auricularia. More decidedly tremelloid 
are the four succeeding genera, of which Exidia is often 
papillose. Ulocolla is *brain-like and folded, with the spores 
bilocular in germination, l'remella is similar in form, but the 
Spores and sporidiola are subglobose and never divided, whilst 
m Seism, osarca every part has scattered bristles, and the spores 
are colourod. The two remaining genera are Dacryomyces, in 
which the species are small, the mature spores arc transversely 
divided, and the conidia produced in chains, and Guepinia, 
which somewhat resembles a Peziza in form, with a short stem. 
This group has been the subject of study with Dr. Brefeld, and 
the arrangement is based upon his observations. A great deal 
depends upon the minute structure, as shown by the microscope, 
ftnd especially the character of the basidia and the germination 
°c the spores, although we think that the less such features as 
the last aro introduced into systematic botany the better. 
Conscious that such details as the foregoing, on the 
characteristics of genera, are very uninteresting reading, we 
shall only give a brief attention to the Gastromycetes, which are 
too decided a feature in the Australian Flora to be ignored, and 
omit all reference to the genera of the succeeding groups. It 
has already been intimated that the Gastromycetes are 
characterized by having the spores produced on basidia, but 
tor the most part enclosed until maturity within an envelope, 
y olva, or peridium. Three families contain all the genera, and 
the first of these, the Plialloideat, has a hymenium which be- 
comes slimy and deliquescent. The following table will 
exhibit the distinctive features : — 
Receptacle pileate, at first volvate. 
Stem indusiate 1. Dictyophora. 
Stem not indusiate 2. Ithy phallus. 
