GALLACEA SCLERODERMA.—Peridium simple, globose, 
thin, ochra eeous, externally broken into scale-like areas. Gleba 
olivaceous in color consisting of a la) er of small 
irregular cells, which adhere to the peridium, 
the center of the specimen being hollow. Capil- 
litium none. Spores 
(fig. 40) elliptical, 
hyaline, smooth, 4x10 
mie. 
This plant external¬ 
ly somewhat resem¬ 
bles Scleroderma aur- 
antiacum in color and 
scales but the plant is 
so light and fragile 
that the resemblance 
stops with the ex- 
Fig. 40. terior. It reminds me 
of an “oak-ball”.* Only one specimen is known (fig. 41), now at Kew> 
which was collected by Reader, New Zealand. 
THE GENUS CASTOREUM. 
Plants with a strong rooting stem. Peridium double, cartilagi- 
nousf opening (apparently) by an irregular fracture. Gleba homoge¬ 
neous. Capillitium hyaline. Spores fusiform. 
This is a most distinct genus known only from Australia. The 
spore relations are to Mesophellia but there is no genus that is very 
close to it. 
CASTOREUM RADIC ATUM (Plate 38, fig. 1 and 2). - Peridia 
double, about of equal thickness, smooth, fibrous, tough, dehiscing? 
by an irregular opening. Gleba filling the cavity. Capillitium of flac¬ 
cid, crumpled, white threads mixed with brownish spores. Spores 
fusiform, verrucose, about 10 x 5 mic. 
This is a most curious plant, known from a couple of specimens 
at Kew, collected St. George’s Bay, Tasmania by G- Wintle. One of 
the specimens (as shown on our plate) is double, but that double plants 
are usually borne on the same rooting stem is not probable. The col¬ 
lector states that the plant is “eaten by the kangaroos and bandicoots.” 
The plant is well shown in Handbook fig 122, though the gleba is too 
yellow and threads are not tense and straight as shown. 
THE GENUS ARACHNION 
The genus Arachnion can be briefly described as being puff-balls 
within puff-balls. The entire interior (fig. 42, enlarged 3 times) of a 
ripe specimen is filled, not with dust (spores and capillitium) as most 
*1 do not know that Australian readers are familiar with ‘ oak-balls.” They are excrescences, 
a kind of gall, caused by an insect and very common on the oak (Quercus) in the United States. 
tl know not why the inner peridium is described as u subgelatinous.” 
38 
