Plants at first globose and submerged, becoming superficial and expanded when 2-6 cm. across. Exoperidium split to about the middle into 7-12 subequal, narrow, acute rays which are expanded when wet, strongly involute when dry, then folding completely over (rarely under) the endoperidium; fleshy layer adnate, smooth, umber, rimose when old; exterior at first covered with debris held by the closely adnate mycelial layer, soon flaking away and leaving exposed the glabrous, ochraceous or brown fibrous layer; base strongly umbilicate. Endoperidium to 15 mm. diameter, sessile, depressed globose, minutely furfuraceous, glabrous when old. Stoma naked, indefinite, conical or more frequently plane, irregularly torn and apically fibrillose in old specimens. Gleba umber; pseudo-columella cylindrical, small. Spores globose or subglobose, 5.5-7.5um diameter, epispore dark brown, 1um thick, closely and coarsely warted. The characters of the species are the hygroscopic exoperidium, sessile endoperidium, naked indefinite stoma and large spores. The stoma does not at any time approach the fibrillose condition, so that even in old specimens its indefinite nature may be ascertained readily. The spores are somewhat variable in size, in some collections being slightly smaller than those of typical plants.

DISTRIBUTION : Europe; North America; South Africa; Australia; New Zealand. New South Wales: Bibbenluke; Forbes (1). Victoria: Dimboola: Melbourne ( 9 ) ; Mildura; Mathalia (4). South Australia: Port Elliot; Adelaide; Ooldea; Aldinga Bay; Kinchina.; Naidea, River Murray (1). Central Australia: Echo Hill, 200 miles north-west of Oodnadatta (1). New Zealand: Wellington—Masterton. Canterbury—Ashburton. Otago •—Dunedin; Karitane (2).

TYPE LOCALITY: Europe