66 



GUIDE TO THE MODELS OF FUNGI. 



Small, and common in pastures and on downs. 



Dr. Bull describes it as well-flavoured, rich, and good when 

 young. 



B. plnmbea commonly grows in company with As;aricus cam- 

 pestris, and is sometimes taken by mushroom gatherers, from its 

 resemblance to button mushrooms. 



GENUS XXXIH.—LYCOPERDON Tourn. 



In Lycoperdon the peridium is membranaceous, disappearing 

 above, or becoming flaccid ; outer peridium adnate, sub-persistent, 



^::iBss^ breaking up into scales or 

 "^v^^i\ warts; capillitium soft, dense, 

 adnate to the peridium and 

 : spongy oase. There are 

 eleven British species, three 

 of which are represented by 

 models. 



mmmm^ 



Kig.. 67. — Lycoperdon caelatum Fr. 

 (One quarter natural s.izc.) 



168. Lycoperdon gigan- 

 teum Batsch. Giant Puff-ball. 

 — Peridium very fragile above 

 and obtuse, cracking, evanescent, widely open, white, sometimes 

 very faintly shaded with buff" or ochre, soft and smooth like kid 

 leather; outer peridium floccose, rather distinct; capillitium vanish- 

 ing together with the dingy-olive spores ; stalkless. 



Found in rich pastures, orchards, and grassy places ; very 

 abundant in some localities. Sometimes it grows in rings 30 ft. to 

 50 ft. in diameter. Edible when young, when the flesh is firm 

 and perfectly white ; it must be rejected if the flesh is tinted with 

 yellow. 



It is distinguished from the other British species of puff'-ball 

 by its large size ; it is usually about nine inches in diameter, but 

 often much larger. Prof. Bessey, in the American Naturalist for 

 May 1884, records an oval specimen found in Herkimer County, 

 N.Y., measuring 5 ft. 4 in. in its greatest diameter by 4 ft. 6 in. in its 

 least, though its height was only 9.I in. An example was sent to 

 the Gardeners' Chronicle office in 1884 for a name which measured 

 5 ft. 4 in. in circumference. A specimen was exhibited at the 

 Edinburgh Fungus Show, in October 1878, which was 4 ft. 6 in. in 

 circumference and weighed 20 lb. 



169. Lycoperdon caelatum Fr. — Peridium flaccid above, falling in 

 or collapsing, obtuse, dehiscent at apex, at length open, cup-shaped ; 

 inner peridium distinct all round; capillitium nearly free, collapsing; 

 spores dingy-olive; base stalk like, blunt, spongy, obconical. 



L. ccclatwn is common in pastures and is large, though smaller 

 than L. gigautcmn. Odour disagreeable, musty, mouse-like. 



