I'l IF-HALLS. 



•_'I 1 



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

 its >.haracteristic top shape, the more or less erect scales on the upper 

 surtace 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 w hen mature. They vary 

 in size fri)ni 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) wlien quite young sepa- 

 rates into warts or scales of varying 

 size, large ones arranged quite reg- 

 ularl\- with smaller ones between. | 

 These warts are well shown in the § 

 two plants at the left in Fig. igg, and ^ 

 the third plant from the left shows ^ 

 the reticulations formed of numerous =■ 



r. 



scars on the inner peridium where ^ 

 the larger scales have fallen away, i: 



The plant at the extreme right is " 

 mature, and the inner peridium has '^ 

 ruptured at the ape.x to permit the 7 

 escape of the spores. The spore J 

 mass, together with brownish threads c, 

 which are intermingled, are greenish Z 

 yellow with an olive tinge, then they | 

 become pale brown. The spores are 2 

 rounded, 3.5-4.5 // in diameter, ^- 

 smooth or minutely warted. ^ 



Another small puff-ball every- 

 where common in woods is the Lyco- 

 pi'iihm pyrijoinw, 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 the 

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

 very close together, and especially is it characterized by prominent 

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



r. 



crs 



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