Order Gasteeomycetes. Sub-order Trichoyastres. 



Plate LIV. 



LYCOPERDON GEMMATUM, var 5«f.c/^ 



studded Puff-Ball. 



Gen. Char. Peridium membranaceous, with an adnate subpersistent bark, within furnished at the base, with a 

 spongy sterile stratum. CapiUitium unequal. 



Spec. Char. Lycoperdon gemmatum, var. Proteus, Sow. 



Peridium membranaceous, persistent, naiTowed at the base, subrotund, covered with the mealy adnate bark and 

 scattered subspiBulose warts ; stem elongated, somewhat pKcate at the base. Flocci persistent, forming in the centre 

 a columella ; mouth prominent, umbonate from the conical columella. Spores brownish green. 

 LycoPEEDON gemmatum, Batsch, Fries, Berkeley. 

 Proteus, Sowerby, Withering, var. "pestle shaped." 



Hah. In fields, extremely common. 



This being but one among the Protean forms of oiu- present subject, it seems as well to add the specific 

 character of some others since the student could scarcely suppose them all to be the same Lycoperdon gem- 

 matum, varying according to soil, situation &c., but having no real botanical difference. 



" Peridium rounded, depressed, warts deciduous, compact with a firm mucro (dagger shaped), stem round some- 

 what scabrous." 



Lycoperdon perlatum, Persoon. 

 hirtum and echinatum, Bull. 



" Peridium turbinate substipitate rough with stout spinous rather distant warts." 

 Lycoperdon candidum, Ic. and Besc. 



" Turbinate subsessile, haii-y, with thin soft at length generally blackish warts." 

 Lycoperdon umbrinum and quercinum, Persoon, 



" Turbinate seldom spiuidose fuifuraceous with more or less dust-hke warts." 

 Lycoperdon moUe, Persoon. 



" Subrotund sessile papillary furfuraceous, pulverulent." 

 Lycoperdon Proteus, var. Withering. 



And so we might go on, for the above forms are not all that this variable fungus assumes, although 

 quite enough to prove that Proteus is a very proper title for it; it is the common Puff-ball of pastures, 

 often growing in large rings, and when the student picks up anything of the kind which is decidedly not 

 the smooth giant Lycoperdon, it is probably this. Lycoperdon pyriforme grows in tufts upon decaying wood 

 or on sandy sites, not grassy pastures, it never has warts, and this and its habitat will serve to distinguish 



