Plants globose, submerged, becoming superficial and expanded when to 4 cm. across. Exoperidium split to about the middle into 7-8 unequal acute rays, which are expanded when wet, involute when dry, folding over or usually under the endoperidium, sometimes drying partially expanded; fleshy layer thick, adnate, umber, rimose or continuous; exterior at first covered with debris held by the adnate mycelial layer, usually flaking away leaving exposed the ochraceous or bay brown fibrous layer; base strongly umbilicate. Endoperidium sessile, depressed globose, to 15 mm. diameter, glabrous, ochraceous. Stoma a minute, indefinite plane aperture, lacerate or nbrillose when old, slightly wrinkled or folded. Gleba ferruginous; pseudo-cohimella inevident. Spores globose, 4-5.5um diameter, epispore fuscous, 1 um thick, finely and moderately verrucose, sometimes briefly pedicelled. The species may be separated from G.floriforme by its subhygroscopic habit and manner in which the basal portion of the exoperidium becomes arched and carries the endoperidium upwards to appear as if seated on a broad short pedicel. The thick rays of the exoperidium and small spores with their distinctive markings are also diagnostic features. The species appears to be intermediate between G.rufescens and G.floriforme, possessing the spores and stoma of the former, and hygroscopic habit of the latter. It was erected by Lloyd upon a specimen in Kew herbarium collected in Western Australia by Drummond and labeled by Berkeley G.hygrometricum. Ahmad (1941, b) recorded the species from India.

DISTRIBUTION : Australia; India. New South Wales: Manildra, det by;Lloyd as. Geaster simulans (1). Victoria-. Boning County; Mallee (4)- South Australia: Kinchina; Pemberton (1).

TYPE LOCALITY: Swan River, Western Australia