STINK-HORN FUNGI. 213 



tips being free. At this stage the plant is a very beautiful object 

 with the crown of vermilion strips radiating outward from the base 

 of the fruit body at the top of the stem, and the inner peridium rest- 

 ing in the center and terminated by the four to seven teeth with ver- 

 milion edges. At this time also the light yellow spore mass is oozing 

 out from between the teeth. The spores are oblong to elliptical, 

 marked with very fine points, and measure 15-18 x 8-10 /^. 



Figure 211 is from plants collected at Blowing Rock, N. C., in 

 September, 1899. The Mytremyces lutescens reported in my list of 

 " Some Fungi of Blowing Rock, N. C.," in Jour. Elisha Mitchell Sci. 

 Soc. 9: 95-107, 1892, is this Calostoma cinnabarinum. 



CHAPTER XV. 



THE STINK-HORN FUNGI : PHALLOIDEAE Fries. 



Most of the stink-horn fungi are characterized by a very offensive 

 odor. Some of them at maturity are in shape not unlike that of a 

 horn, and the vulgar name is applied because of this form and the 

 odor. The plants grow in the ground, or in decaying organic matter 

 lying on the ground. The spawn or mycelium is in the form of rope- 

 like strands which are usually much branched and matted together. 

 From these cords the fruit form arises. During its period of growth 

 and up to the maturity of the spores, the fruit body is oval, that is, 

 egg form, and because of this form and the quite large size of these 

 bodies they are often called "eggs." The outer portion of the egg 

 forms the volva. It is always thick, and has an outer thin coat or 

 membrane, and an inner membrane, while between the two is a thick 

 layer of gelatinous substance, so that the wall of the volva is often 

 3-6 mm. in thickness, and is very soft. The outline of the volva 

 can be seen in Fig. 215, which shows sections of three eggs in differ- 

 ent stages. Inside of the volva is the short stem (receptacle) which 

 is in the middle portion, and covering the upper portion and sides of 

 this short stem is the pileus ; the fruit-bearing portion, which is 

 divided into small chambers, lies on the outside of the pileus. In 

 the figure there can be seen cross lines extending through this part 

 from the pileus to the wall of the volva. These represent ridges or 

 crests which anastomose over the pileus, forming reticulations. The 

 stem or receptacle is hollow through the center, and this hollow opens 



