Flowerless-Plant Study 



713 



A common species "the beaker puffball" -is pear-shaped, with its 

 small end made fast to the ground, which is permeated with its vegetative 

 threads. 



The interior of a puffball, "the 

 meat," is made up of the threads and 

 spores. As they ripen, the threads 

 break up so that with the spores they 

 make the "smoke," as can be seen if 

 the dust is examined through a micro- 

 scope. The outer wall may become 

 dry and brittle and break open to 

 allow the spores to escape, or one or 

 more openings may appear in it as 

 spore doors. The spores of puffballs 

 were used extensively in pioneer days 

 to stop the bleeding of wounds and 

 especially for nosebleed. 



In one genus of the puffball family, 

 the outer coat splits off in points on 

 maturing, like an orange peel cut 



lengthwise in six or seven sections but still remaining attached to the base. 

 There is an inner coat that remains as a protection to the spores, so that 

 these little balls are set each in a little star-shaped saucer. These star 

 points straighten out flat or even curl under in dry weather, but when 

 damp they lift up and again envelop the ball to a greater or less extent. 



An earth-star. 



Photo by Verne Morton. 



LESvSON CLXXX 

 PUFFBALLS 



A big puffball. 



Photo by Verne Morton. 



Leading thought 

 The puffballs are 

 fungi that grow from 

 the threads, or my- 

 celium, which per- 

 meate the ground or 

 other matter, on 

 which the puffballs 

 grow. The puffballs 

 are the fruiting or- 

 gans, and "smoke" 

 which issues from 

 them is largely 

 made up of spores, 

 which are carried off 

 by the wind and 

 sown and planted. 



Method Ask the 

 pupils to bring to 

 school any of the 

 globular or pear- 

 shaped fungi in the 

 early stages when 



