214 STUDIES OF AMERICAN FUNGI. 



out at the end so that there is a rounded perforation through the 

 upper portion of the pileus. 



The spores are borne on club-shaped basidia within the chambers 

 of the fruit-bearing portion {gleba), and at maturity of the spores the 

 stem or receptacle begins to elongate. This pushes the gleba and 

 the upper part of the receptacle through the apex of the volva, leav- 

 ing this as a cup-shaped body at the base, much as in certain species 

 of Amanita, while the gleba is borne aloft on the much elongated 

 stem. During this elongation of the receptacle a large part of the 

 substance of the gleba dissolves into a thick liquid containing the 

 spores. This runs off and is washed off by the rains, leaving the 

 inner surface of the gleba exposed, and showing certain characters 

 peculiar to the various genera. 



Among the stink-horns are a number of genera which are very 

 interesting from the peculiarities of development ; and some of which 

 are very beautiful and curious objects, although they do possess 

 offensive odors. In some of the genera, the upper part of the plant 

 expands into leaf-like — or petal-like, bodies, which are highly colored 

 and resemble flowers. They are sometimes called " fungus flowers." 



DICTYOPHORA Desvaux. 



Dictyophora means "net bearer," and as one can see from Fig., 

 201 it is not an inappropriate name. The stem or receptacle, as one 

 can see from the illustrations of the two species treated of here, pos- 

 sesses a very coarse mesh, so that not only the surface but the sub- 

 stance within is reticulated, pitted and irregularly perforated. In 

 the genus Dictyophora an outer layer of the receptacle or stem is sep- 

 arated as it elongates, breaks away from the lower part of the stem, 

 is carried aloft, and hangs as a beautiful veil. This veil is very con- 

 spicuous in some species and less so in others. 



Dictyophora duplicata (Bosc.) Ed. Fischer. — This species is illus- 

 trated in Fig. 20I, made from plants collected at Ithaca. The plants 

 are from 15-22 cm. high, the cap about 5 cm. in diameter, and the 

 stem 2-3 cm. in thickness. According to Burt (Bot. Gaz. 22: 387, 

 1896) it is a common species in the Eastern United States. The cap 

 is more or less bell-shaped and the sculptured surface is marked in a 

 beautiful manner with the reticulations. 



