Lycoperdacese 



individuals. It grows in the open on the ground or from both ground Lycoperdon. 

 and wood, in woods. 



I think it equal to any other puff-ball. But great care -must betaken 

 to examine each specimen before putting it into the pan. A single one, 

 which has turned yellow in the slightest degree, will spoil a whole dish. 

 And this is the case with any of the small puff-balls. One ageing L. 

 pyriforme will embitter a hundred. 



L. perla'tum Pers. perfero, to endure. (Enduring through winter.) 

 Peridium turbinate, broad and depressed above, plicate underneath 

 and contracted into a short and pointed or sometimes elongated and 

 tapering base; mycelium fibrous. Cortex of long slender spines, 

 mingled with smaller spinules and warts, gray brown or blackish in 

 color; the longer spines first fall away, leaving a reticulate surface to 

 the inner peridium. Subgleba occupying one-third to one-half of the 

 peridium; mass of spores and capillitium greenish-yellow, then brown- 

 ish-olivaceous ; the threads mostly simple, some of them thicker than 

 the spores. Spores globose, even or very minutely warted, 3.5-4.5^ 

 in diameter. 



Growing on the ground in woods. Peridium 1-2 in. in diameter and 

 12 in. in height. This is L. gemmatum, var. Jiirtum, of Peck's United 

 States species of Lycoperdon. Morgan. 



New York, Peck, 46th Rep. ; Maryland, James; West Virginia, New. 

 Jersey. Occasional. On ground and decaying wood. Mcllvaine. 



Edible. Same habit and quality as L. gemmatum. 



() Cortex of stout spines which fall away, etc. 



L. excipulifor'me Scop. excipula, a receptacle. Peridium turbin- 

 ate, depressed above, plicate below and contracted into a more or less 

 elongated base. Cortex of large stout spines, convergent above, 

 becoming smaller downward, which at length fall away, leaving a 

 tomentose surface to the inner peridium. Subgleba occupying one- 

 half or more of the peridium ; mass of spores and capillitium greenish- 

 yellow, then brownish-olivaceous ; the threads about as thick as the 

 spores, scarcely branched. Spores globose, minutely warted, 4-5 /x, in 

 diameter. 



Peridium 1-2 in. in diameter and 1-4 in. in height. Morgan. 



599 



