Plants at first globose, small, submerged, becoming erumpent and expanded when to 3 cm. across. Exoperidium split to about the middle into 4-8 unequal acuminate rays which, commonly expanded, sometimes become fornicate through fleshy and fibrous layers splitting from the mycelial layer, save at the apices of the rays, and inverting over the latter which remains attached to the substratum; fleshy layer brown, rimose, frequently flaking away in patches. Endoperidium pedicellate, 3-12 mm. diameter, obovate, elliptical or depressed globose, variable in size and shape, pallid white, tan or bay brown, sometimes umber, glabrous, farinose or coated with closely adnate glistening particles; pedicel to 3 mm. long, frequently with an apical apophysis. Peristome variable, typically conical and fibrillose-fimbriate, frequently silkyfibrillose, sometimes almost indefinite and plane, seated on a definite silky area outlined by a depressed groove, or indefinite when the groove is scarcely apparent or absent. Gleba ferruginous; pseudo-columella inevident. Spores globose, 4.5-6.5um diameter, epispore fuscous or umber, 1um thick, closely though somewhat irregularly verrucose. This is the most variable species present in the region. Specimens range in size from minute plants 5 mm. across when fully expanded, to forms which may exceed 4 cm. The endoperidium may be expanded ("G .minimus"), fornicate ("G.coronatus"), hygroscopic ("G.arenarius"), or saccate, when plants resemble small forms of G.triplex. It may be pedicelled or almost sessile; exteriorly smooth, covered with minute glistening particles, or with a thick white incrustation ("G.calceus"). The peristome may be plane, conical, or scantily developed; nbrillose-silky, distinctly fimbriate-lacerate, or almost indefinite; seated on a flattened silky zone outlined by a depressed groove, or the zone may be inevident and the groove absent. The spores also vary, both in size and nature of the verrucse. Two types may be recognized, one with spores averaging 5-6.5um the other 3.5-4um. Names have been given to the various forms, but it is not practicable to maintain any as a distinct species, owing to the difficulty of delimitation. An exception is G.arenarium, which may be separated by the hygroscopic nature of the exoperidium. Fornicate and revolute forms have usually been considered as distinct species, the former as G.coronatum, the latter G.minimum. Coker (1924, p. 206) showed that the fornicate condition was but a stage of the other, since both fqn^s were found in the same collection.

DISTRIBUTION: Europe; North and South America; India; Japan; South Africa; Australia; New Zealand. New South Wales: Baan Baa (1). Victoria: Dimboola ( 9 ) ; Frankston; Myperfeld National Reserve, two collections (4). South Australia : Berri; Beaumont, Adelaide ; Monarto South ; Fullarton, Adelaide; Port Lincoln; Glen Osmond; Marble Range, West Coast; Kinchina; Pearson Island; Mt. Wedge, Eyres Peninsula; Boggabri: Narrabri; Bangham; Mt. Liebig; Encounter Bay; Gooleva; Flinders Range (1). Western Australia: Tammin (1). New Zealand: Wellington—Levin; Palmerston North. Marlborougr Wairau River. Canterbury—Ashburton. Otago—Dunedin (2).

TYPE LOCALITY: Europe