contained in a special sac lining the endoperidium. As the plant 
matures the sac contracts forcing the spores through the slits of the 
rayed mouth. 
The genus Mitremyces* is one of the strangest in the known 
puff-ball world. It occurs in the United States, Japan, Australia, Java, 
Ceylon, India and the Malay Peninsula. Eight species (with numerous 
synonyms) are known. But one from Australia.f 
MITREMYCES FUSCUS. — Plant very dark color, almost 
black when dry.J Exoperidium (fig 43) falling off in one piece as a 
cap.§ Spores (fig. 44) elliptical, oblong, minutely rough, varying in 
size 7 to 10 mic. 
This plant judging from the collections that have reached Eng¬ 
land is not rare in Australia. There are collections at Kew (fig- 45) 
from Melbourne,Miss Campbell,” “Tasmania, Milligan,” “Melbourne, 
Berggren” “Epping Forest Van Dieman’s 
Eand, Eawrence,” “Take Muir, Th. 
Muir” and at the British Museum “Beenah 
Victoria, Miss Flora Campbell.” 
Fig. 44 
Fig. 45 
MITREMYCES RURIDUS (Fig. 46.) —With every character of 
the previous species excepting size, I can consider it only a small form 
of Mitremyces fuscus.ji There is but one collection known viz. by 
Drummond, Swan River, many years ago. 
:; -We use the generic name that was employed by Berkeley and by botanists generally for 
more than seventy years. Recently much confusion has been introduced by digging up an old 
name “Calostoma” for the purpose of making “new combinations.” We strongly disapprove of 
this method of confusing names. 
•fIf we consider, as I do, Mitremyces luridus as a small form of Mitremyces fuseus Mitre¬ 
myces viridis in Cooke’s Handbook is based on specimens so determined at the British Museum, 
collected by Miss Campbell at Beenah Victoria. It was afterwards described as Calostoma aeru¬ 
ginosa. It is Mitremyces fuseus tout a fait. 
Mitremyces australis under which name Berkeley labeled several specimens at Kew is 
purely an error, I think due to misreading the specific name of Mylitta australis on the page fol¬ 
lowing the description of Mitremyces fuseus. 
Mitremyces coccineus (Sac. 7, 70), is also purely an error of compilation, no such species be¬ 
ing described 
Jin this respect the Australian species differs from all others known. Several are noted for 
their bright color, one, Mitremyces cinnabarinus of the United States being bright red. 
§ Another character in which the Australian species differs from all other known species. 
|| When described it was said to differ from all species in not having a red lining to the end- 
operidium teeth. I think this is an error as I notice an indication of the red lining on the speci¬ 
mens but it has mostly faded out. I think there is no known exception to the rule that all species 
of Mitremyces have the lining mouth red when fresh. 
41 
Fig. 46. 
