This appears to be the most frequent species in Australia and 
we have seen three collections. Two at Kew from ‘‘Darling River, 
Kennedy 1887” and “near Sydney, E. P. Ramsey” and one collection 
at Berlin from Baron von Mueller.* 
THE GENUS GYMNOGLOSSUM 
Peridium wanting. Gleba of permanent cells, closely related 
to Secotium. Capillitium none. Spores (fig. 2) elliptical, smooth. 
GYMNOGLOSSUM STIPITATUM.—The only 
specimen known is at Kew 
(fig. 3) and was collected 
at Moonan Brook. N. S. 
W. by Miss Carter. Its 
general appearance now 
is like a shriveled pear. 
The peridium is entirely 
absent from the specimen 
hence it can be well com¬ 
pared to the subterranean 
genus Gauteria. Whether 
the peridium is absent at 
every stage of growth or 
has fallen off, I think, cannot be told from the specimen, 
illustration is given of it in Cooke’s Handbook I think, except the 
walls of the gleba cells are much too thick. 
Fig. 3. 
A very good 
THE GENUS SECOTIUM 
Plant with a stalk,f continuing as an axis to apex of the plant. 
Gleba permanent cells Peridium dehiscing by breaking away at the 
base. Spores mostly elliptical or oval. 
One species of the genus Secotium is widely distributed over 
Europe and America, viz. S. acuminatum, but occurrence in Australia 
is not certain. The Australian species are mostly endemic and several 
of them are very imperfectly known*— 
SECOTIUM ERYTHROCEPHALUM (Plate 26, fig. 1, 2, 3, 
-I, 5 & 6)—Peridium thin, somewhat fleshy when fresh, subglobose. 
bright red . When fresh it is plump and smooth, but shrivels and 
* The Kew specimens were labeled Podaxou calyptratus and Podaxon pistillaris and one is 
the basis of Podaxis axata in Cooke’s Handbook. The Berlin specimen was labeled “Podaxon 
Muelleri n. s. ” but I think was never published. Those who believe in the advertising feature 
will however, kindly add Dr. Henning’s name to it. 
Fries based his “Podaxon calyptratus” as did Desvaux his “Podaxis senegalensis” on Bose’s 
old crude cut of “Tycoperdon axatum” (hence the name Podaxon axatus as recently changed',. 
Bose’s old crude figure and his description give not the slightest clue to the species and nothing 
can be told from it excepting that it is a Podaxon. As to the species however, it is the purest 
guess work Massee designates Podaxon loandensis of Africa under this name, which was a good 
guess, both plants having come from the same country, but Podaxon loandensis differs from the 
Australian plant in the scantiness of its capillitium. 
There are at Kew also the remnants of a plant from “Brisbane, Bailey” labeled “Podaxon 
careinomalis var. elatior.” It is a much taller plant than the South African plant Podaxon carci- 
nomalis, with a stem about an inch thick. The spores are very much like the African plant, but 
I should not wish to form an opinion on this specimen. 
f All the well known Australian species have long stalks but species from other parts of the 
world sometimes have very short stalks. 
6 
