PUFF-BALLS. 



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woods, or in open places on the ground, usually. It is known from 



its characteristic top shape, the more or less erect scales on the upper 



surface intermingled with smaller ones, the larger ones falling away 



and leaving circular scars over the surface, which gives it a reticu- 



late appearance. The plants are white, becoming dark gray or gray- 



ish brown when mature. They vary 



in size from 3-7 cm. high to 2-5 cm. 



broad. They are more or less top- 



shaped, and the stem, which is stout, 



is sometimes longer than the rounded 



portion, which is the fruiting part. 



The outer part of the wall (outer 



peridium) when quite young sep- 



arates into warts or scales of varying 



size, large ones arranged quite reg- 



ularly with smaller ones between. 



These warts are well shown in the 



two plants at the left in Fig. 210, and 



the third plant from the left shows 



the reticulations formed of numerous 



scars on the inner peridium where 



the larger scales have fallen away. 



The plant at the extreme right is 

 mature, and the inner peridium has 

 ruptured at the apex to permit the 

 escape of the spores. The spore 

 mass, together with brownish threads 

 which are intermingled, are greenish 

 yellow with an olive tinge, then they 

 become pale brown. The spores are 

 rounded, 3.5-4.5 /LI in diameter, 

 smooth or minutely warted. 



Another small puff-ball every- 

 where common in woods is the Lyco- 

 perdon pyriformc, so called because of 

 its pear shape. It grows on very 

 rotten wood or on decaying logs in 

 woods or groves, or in open places 



where there is rotting wood. It is somewhat smaller than 

 gem-bearing lycoperdon, is almost sessile, sometimes many crowded 

 very close together, and especially is it characterized by prominent 

 root-like white strands of mycelium which are attached to the base 



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