wrinkles in drying. Stem 3 to 5 cm. fleshy, inserted in the base of the 
pileus. Gleba light brown color with large irregular cells. Spores 
elliptical, smooth, light yellow under the microscope, about 6x12 mie. 
This was the second species of Secotium known. It was beauti¬ 
fully described and figured by Tulasne (Ann. Sci. Nat. 44-115). It 
appears to be the most frequent species in Australasia ; abundant speci¬ 
mens are at Kew, Paris and Upsala from New Zealand and Tasmania. 
We have seen none from Australia. Most of the specimens are labeled 
as growing on the ground, but we note one from Colenso “on rotten 
wood. 
Specimens in our Collection. 
Christ Church, New Zealand , Robert Brown. 
SECOTIUM COARCTATUM (Plate 26, fig. 7 &8).— Peridium 
obovate, pale tan color, constricted at the base, the margin somewhat 
irregularly torn, evidently forming a veil in the young plant. Stem 
3 to 5 cm. long, reaching the apex of the peridium. Gleba light brown, 
formed of small irregular cells. Remote from the stem below, and 
covered with a membrane forming a cup into which the stem is in¬ 
serted. Spores small, smooth, oval, 5x6 mie. 
But one collection of this plant is surely known, collected by 
Drummond, Swan River about sixty years ago. The specimens exist¬ 
ing are rather fragmentary, and we could obtain no good illustration 
from them. Berkeley however, gave a good illustration and descrip¬ 
tion (Hook. Jour. 45-63). 
Recently a very similar and probably the same species was col¬ 
lected in Texas, U. S. A by W. H. Tong, Jr. The only difference we 
can note is that the gleba in the American plant is much darker color. 
The illustrations are made from the American plant and an unusually 
large specimen. The plant is apparently as rare in the United States 
as in Australia, for we know of only these two collections and we are 
not sure they are the same species. The Australian plant is said to be 
strongly scented. 
SECOTIUM MEUANO 
M (Plate 26, fig. 9, 10, 11 
& 12).—Pileus 5-8 cm. in diameter, subglobose. Stem 5-8 cm. high, 
thick, solid. Gleba dark brown, almost black, with small irregular 
cells remote from the stem below. Spores dark, almost black, smooth, 
oval, 6x8 mic. 
This plant differs from all other known species by the dark 
color of the gleba and spores. It is only known from one collection 
by Drummond at Swan River made about sixty years ago. We pre¬ 
sent on our plate, photographs of these specimens as they are preserved 
at Kew. The sticks shown in one are put through the specimen to 
hold the stem in place. 
* A recent European writer. Dr. Hollos, who evidently never saw a specimen, published that 
Secotium erythroceplialum is the young condition of Secotium acuminatum of Europe The doc¬ 
tor never made a worse guess in his life and the publication of such statements does not advance 
