Medium to large agaric growing on the ground or termite mounds. Pileus pale, brown or grey, dry. Lamellae free; at maturity dark brown to blackish brown, dry and brittle. Stipe central. Volva well-developed, saccate. Partial veil remnants a ring zone, a membranous annulus or absent. Spores brown, smooth; germ pore absent. Cheilocystidia absent. Lamellar trama regular. Clamp connections absent.

The dry, dark lamellae are otherwise found only in Montagnea, which also occurs in arid regions and is similar in general aspect (including the presence of a volva), but generally has smaller fruit-bodies, and the spores have a germ pore. The lamellae of Gyrophragmium are also referred to as 'tramal plates' and with age can break into short segments, giving the hymenium a tooth-like appearance.

Gyrophragmium Mont., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 2, 20: 77 (1843).

One species: Gyrophragmium inquinans (= Polyplocium inquinans).

Gyrophragmium inquinans (Berk.) Lloyd, Mycol. Not. 18 [Mycol. Writ. 1] 195 (1904).

N.T., S.A. and Qld (and might be expected in arid areas of W.A. and N.S.W.).

In native vegetation in the arid interior.

On the ground or on termite mounds.

Saprotrophic.

Aberdeen, J.E.C. (1979), An Introduction to the Mushrooms, Toadstools and Larger Fungi of Queensland. Queensland Naturalists' Club. [B&W Illustration of G. inquinans]

Bottomley, A.M. (1948) Gasteromycetes of South Africa, Bothalia 4: 473–810. [Description and B&W Illustration of Gyrophragmium inquinans (as Polyplocium) from South Africa, and same for another species in the genus, G. dunalii (as G. delilei)]

Cribb, J.W. (1987), An uncommon gasteromycete fungus near Cape York, Queensland Nat. 28: 73–74. [Description and B&W Illustration of Gyrophragmium inquinans]

Dring, D.M. & Rayss, T. (1963), The gasteromycete fungi of Israel, Israel J. Bot. 12: 147–178. [Description and B&W Illustration of Gyrophragmium inquinans from Israel, and same for the similar, but more gracile, G. dunalii]

Kreisel, H. (1973), Die Gattung Gyrophragmium Mont. und ihre Stellung im System der Basidiomycetes, Feddes Repert. 83: 577–583. [Description, B&W Illustration and Microcharacters of Gyrophragmium inquinans]