GASTEROMYCETES OF AUSTRALASIA. ii. A Revision of the Genus Tulostoma. By G. H. Cunningham, Mycologist, Dept. of Agriculture, Wellington, N.Z. (Plates xxxiii-xxxv.) [Read 29th July, 1925.] This paper is the second of a series dealing with the genera and species of the Australian and New Zealand Gasteromycetes. It is the intention of the writer to deal with all genera and species of this sub-class, revising the descriptions and presenting photographs when available, together with micro-photographs of salient microscopic characters. In addition it is intended to work out the develop-ment of one or more species of each genus (when material is available), and finally to rearrange the whole according to a modern system of classification. When completed, all these papers will be issued in book form. The author will gladly receive material for description and determination, especially any showing develop-mental stages of different species and genera of Gasteromycetes. Dr. J. B. Cleland, The University, Adelaide, has very generously lent the whole of his extensive collections, comprising more material than exists in the whole of the other herbaria of Australasia. Members of the genus Tulostoma are found in practically every country throughout the world, but are most abundant in hot and sandy regions. They are characterized by the stipitate, two-layered peridium, which dehisces by an apical orifice, the long, frequently branched, septate capillitium and the coloured, continuous spores. They are usually found with the peridium alone projecting above the surface of the sand or other substratum in which they grow. This makes them diflficult to observe, as owing to their inconspicuous colour they are readily overlooked. Immature plants are buried 5-6 cm. or more beneath the surface, and may be obtained only by careful examination of the soil in the vicinity of mature plants. Structure of the Mature Plant. Pei'idium. — This consists of two layers, an exoperidium and an endo-peridium. The exoperidium is usually fugacious, soon falling away, save at the base, where it persists as a thick toughened membrane enclosing the endo-peridium in a cupulate structure. The former is perforated by the stipe, to which it may occasionally be attached, but usually it is free. In structure the exoperidium consists of somewhat loosely woven hyphae in which are embedded numerous particles of sand, earth or vegetable matter, according to the sub-stratum in which the plant may happen to be growing. Occasionally it does not fall away, but persists as an investment surrounding the endoperidium; this was the principal character upon which was erected the species T. adhaerens Lloyd. In other species it is partly adherent, then giving a shaggy appearance
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