THE GENUS PHELLORINA. 
Plants with a long stalk, not prolonged to the apex of the peri- 
dium. Gleba homogenous, consisting of globose spores and scanty 
capillitium threads. 
The genus Phellorina was proposed by Berkeley (Hook Jour. 
43-417) for a stalked plant from South Africa. The stem of this speci¬ 
men was hollow, but no one knows if the plant that grew on the next 
hill had a “hollow stem”. Montague proposed the genus Xylopodium 
on virtually the same plant from North Africa, the main difference 
being that his plant had a solid stem. There is a question if Mon¬ 
tague’s and Berkeley’s specimens are not co-specific ; there is no doubt 
they are co-generic and that Xylopodium is a synonym for Phellorina. 
The genus Phellorina grows only in sandy countries It is 
known from South and North Africa, Australia, India, Afghanistan, 
and rarely in southern and western United States. 
PHELLORINA DELASTREI (Plate 27, fig. 1 & 2).—Plants 
with a thick, woody stalk. Peridium double, the inner thin but firm, 
same texture and a continuation of the woody stem. Outer of large, 
loose, thin, scale-like membrane. The peridium when mature opens 
irregularly at the apex. Gleba uniform, filling the cavity, bright fer¬ 
ruginous in color. Capillitium scanty, light colored or subhyaline 
threads. Spores globose granular, 6-7 mic. 
This species w 7 as described* from North Africa, v r here it is 
not rare. Its occurrence in Australia is based on a large specimen 
(Plate 27, fig. 2) at Kew, collected at Stewart’s Range, Central Aus¬ 
tralia, by Charles Winnedse 
It is considerably larger than the plant usually becomes in North 
Africa, and is the only specimen known from Australia. 
PHELLORINA STROBILINA (Plate 27. fig. 3).-Plant with 
a thick, woody stem. Outer peridium cracking into large, thick, angu¬ 
lar scales. Spores globose, verrucose, 5-6 mic. 
This curious plant is known only from Australia and but two 
specimens; one the type at Berlin (see plate 27, fig. 3) from Rock¬ 
hampton, Queensland, the other at Kew from Darling River, Bennett. 
A grotesque figure purporting to represent the plant was pub¬ 
lished in Engler and Prantl.f 
SYNONYMS. — Scleroderma strobilinum (Grew 4-74), Areolatia strobilina 
(Sacc. 7-144) Xylopodium ochroleucum (Grev. 15-95) based on a very immature 
specimen. 
* Xylopodium Delastrei (Flo. Alg. p. 390.) 
t If the “artist” who drew this figure took for his model an artichoke, such as is common 
in the French markets, he did fairly well, for the figure is very good of an artichoke. It has 
however, no resemblance to the puff-ball. 
10 
