111. 1M'KK-I;.\I.LS. 



riitV-lialls Ix'ldiii;- to a class of i'iiiii;i ti' \\lii<-li l>ni;iiii>ts i^'ivv the 

 iiaiiic Gaslero)injceicae, "stomach funp'' — a iiatnc suji-^cstcd l>y 

 the fact tliat their spores are prodiiccil witliin the recci)taclc, or 

 spore-bearing' part. In most of them, the whoh' interior of tlie 

 mature ]ilant is tilled Avith a dnstv mass of spores, inlermingled 

 in manv cases with minute threads or tilanieuts. They are 

 among' the most easily recognized of our fungi, and the larger 

 ones in their early state are among the best of our edible species. 



Almost every one, whether botanist or not, confidently thinks 

 he knows a puff-ball Avhen he sees it. Over and over again, the 

 liltle globular growths consisting of a ]xiperv envelope stuffed 

 full of brown dust and cottony filaments have been seen lying 

 singly or in clusters on the ground, or adhering to the decaying 

 wood of old stumps or prostrate trunks of trees. Often in child- 

 hood days these have been subjected to sudden pressure between 

 the thumb and fmgei's, that there might be seen the little cloud 

 of dust-like s])ores that is thereby ejected, and that quickly van- 

 ishes in the air like a little puff of smoke. 



Xo one would think these good to eat, and indeed they are 

 not, when in this condition. Xearly all puff-balls are white with- 

 in when young, and their substance is then of a soft, fleshy con- 

 sistence, very unlike the dusty filamentous material that fills 

 ther.i when mature. And it is onli/ irliUe ihey are white within 

 that therj are fit for food. AVhen they reach maturity, the flesh 

 at f'rst assumes greenish-yellow or brownish-yellow hues. They 

 are then spoiled for eating. Soon they become moist within, and 

 when this moisture dries away, the whole interior (except in 

 some species a small cellular ])art at the base) is found to be 

 transformed into the usual dusty brown mass that characterizes 

 the mature puff-ball. 



There avc in this coiniti-y many s]-)ecies of the genus Lj/roper- 

 don, to which most of our ])uff-balls belong; ju'obablv not less 

 than forty. They may be arranged in two groups. In one group 

 the plants are commonly small, rarely exceeding an inch and a 

 half or tw'o inches in <liaiiieter. These, when mature, burst at 

 the top, in a somewhat circular but rather ragged aperture, to 

 permit the spores to escape. The other group, to which generic 



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