at Kew, from “Swan River” and from “Victoria-”* * * § We present on 
onr plate, photograph of onr West American plant as we have no speci¬ 
mens from Australia. 
THE GENUS POLYSACCUM. 
Peridium a single layer, when mature very fragile, breaking 
irregularly or crumbling away. Gleba consisting of numerous cells, 
containing the spores f Walls of the gleba cells permanent, crumb¬ 
ling away as the spores are dissipated. Capillitium none J Spores 
globose, rough. 
This genus is easily recognized on account of the permanent 
gleba cells, little sacs (peridioles) that give the plants a honeycombed 
appearance when broken. It is rather a rare genus in America and 
Europe, but seems to be quite common in Australia, judging from the 
number of specimens I have received. 
The genus is close to Scleroderma, some specimens having the 
gleba-cell walls so fragile that the plants can be taken for Scleroderma. 
There exists in the tissue of the peridium and walls of the peridioles 
a yellow coloring matter readily soluble in water. As it occurs in the 
plant it is black, but dissolved in water it is yellow. The plant is still 
used in the country districts of France (I am told by Monsieur P. 
Hariot of the Museum of Paris) for dyeing purposes.§ 
POLYSACCUM PISOCARPIUM.-Peridium subglobose, con¬ 
tracted into a short rooting stem. Spores globose, warted. 
The “species” of Polysaccum are much more puzzling than the 
genus, because they shade into each other and it is not practicable to 
draw sharp lines between. The characters of the “species” are drawn 
from color of gleba, size and shape of plants and neither character is 
of any value. Extreme forms seem widely different and would be 
good species if it were not that more specimens occur that are inter¬ 
mediate between the extreme forms than typical of them. The follow¬ 
ing are convenient names to designate extreme forms- 
POLYSACCUM PISOCARPIUM (Plate 29, fig. 1 & 2) —The usual form that 
occurs in Australia. Sub-globose contracted into a short, rooting stem. Typically 
illustrated (Plate 29, fig. 1). 
SYNONYMS.—Polysaccum album (Grew 20-36)a young condition with smooth, 
white, even peridium. Polysaccum australe(Ann.Sci. Nat.3-9-136). Polysacum micro- 
carpum, (Grev. 16-28) a small spored form, quite frequent in Australia, but is not 
* Two species have been described from Australia, neither however, presenting any points 
of specific importance. 
Battarrea Mulleri (Grev. 9-H) described as white, because an old weather bleached specimen 
as frequently found in collections. 
Battarrea Tepperiana (Bull. Soc. Myc. 89-XXXIV) is a small form with very scaly stem, but 
there is nothing specific about it. 
t These cells are often called peridioles, but they are quite different in their nature from 
those of the Nidulariaceae or the genus Arachnion. 
I Remains of the hyphae of the walls of the gleba-cells are usually mixed with the spores. 
§ Which suggests a query to the modern name changers who have dug up Pisolithus aren- 
arius why they did not dig up Persoon’s specific name tinctorium which is both prior and more 
appropriate. 
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