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A MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS PODAXIS DESV. (== PO0AXON FR.). 37
small sinuous cavities, bounded by thin tramal-plates having their
free surfaces completely covered with large, obovate, four-spored
basidia. In Caidof/Iossum proper the base of the peridium does not
break away from the central axis at maturity, the dispersion of the
spores taking place only after the decay of the entire fungus, as in
most, if not all, of the members of the Hymenogastrece.
The genus Secotium agrees in detail with Caidoglossum in the
structure of the gleba, but in Secotium the gleba, instead of being
elongated and clavate, as in Caulogiossum, forms a flattened
expansion bent down all round the stem. Intermediate structures,
with a similar gleba and central axis, connect the two last so-called
genera. Berkeley's genus PoUjplocmm proves on examination of
the type-specimen to be closely allied to Montagnites. Numerous
specimens in the Kew and British Museum Herbaria, at present
named and arranged according to the Friesian method, prove that
the whole group at present known as the Gastromgcetes requires a
thorough revision ; this can only be done by a careful examination
of individual specimens, and not by a rearrangement, taking the
already accepted names and descriptions as a basis, as has been
done in Saccardo's ' Sylloge.' Caulogiossum jEggpticum of the lastnamed
work is a true Podaxis.
Eeturning to Fischer's statement, the case is quite different
the species figured is undoubtedly that known as Podaxon carcinomalis
Fries, and the clavate structures that I have described as
asci in Podaxis indica are considered as basidia, and drawn with
four spores springing from the apex. It is difficult to realize that
two funguses resembling each other so closely in every other
respect, that from external characters alone would undoubtedly be
considered as being the same species, should belong to the Basidiamycetes
and Ascomycetes respectively, as would be the case assuming
both observations on the origin of the spores to be correct, and yet
every worker with specimens must know how treacherous general
resemblances prove in many cases, and even in the seven known
species of Podaxis we meet with other remarkable differences,
certainly not so important as the above, nevertheless such as would
hardly be expected in a small genus, as the presence of a copious
capillitium in some species, and its rudimentary condition or total
absence in others, or the difference in origin of the spores, which
can perhaps be explained by assuming that the existing known
species represent the two poles of a once larger genus, and some
colour is given to this idea when we take into consideration the very
wide geogi-aphical range combined with the comparative rarity
of existing species.
I have had no opportunity of examining young spirit-preserved
material of P. ca)rino)iialis, but this is one of the commonest species
in herbaria, and I have devoted a considerable amount of time in
examining dry material in various stages of development, and
I invariably fiud dense tufts of what I take to be asci, as represented
in fig. 10 ; when dry, and for some time after being placed iu water,
the clavate bodies are shrivelled, as in fig. iaa, but after soaking
for some time they become inflated, and in spite of prolonged and