Truffle." M. mtrie<jatits is usually gregarious and sul)terranoiiii in Inihit. 

 The exterior is minutely granular, tawny yellow or reddish rust-color; 

 the interior soft, bluish-blaek, streaked with yellow, the spore mass in 

 maturity becoming pubescent. The odor is pleasantly aromatic, and the 

 taste sweet. Under trees in woods. The variety liroonieidiius Berk, is 

 paler in the marbling, which shows reddish instead of yellow streaks. 

 The pulpy mass is at first white, changing to a yellowish, smoky hue. 



LyCOPEUDACE^ and PHALLOIDEiE. 



The plants figured in Plates G and H belong to the Lycoperdacene and 

 Phalloidese. 



LYCOPERDACEiK. 



Massee, who has given the Pufl'-Ball group very close study, says that in 

 the gleba of the Lycoperdacea^, " at a very early period two sets of hyphje 

 are present. One, thin-walled, colorless, septate and rich in protoplasm, 

 gives origin to the trama, and elements of the hymenium, and usually 

 disappears entirely after the formation of the spores ; the second type 

 consists of long thick-walled aseptate or sparsely septate, often colored 

 hyphi^e, which are persistent and form the capillitium. The latter are 

 branches of the hyphse forming the hymenium." 



Genera Lycoperdon and Bovista. 



To the genera Lycoperdon and Bovista belong most of the " Puff-balls " 

 and all of the species figured in Plate G. In the plants of these two gen- 

 era the peridium is more or less distinctly double, and the hypha?, or del- 

 icate threads which are seen mixed with the dusty mass of spores in the 

 mature plant, forming what is called the capillitium, are an important 

 element in classification. 



Genus Lycoperdon Tourn. In this genus the investing coat or perid- 

 ium is membranaceous, vanishing above or becoming flaccid ; bark or 

 outer shell aduate, sub-persistent, breaking up into scales or warts ; cap- 

 illitium soft, dense, and attached to the peridium, base spongy and sterile. 



Plate G. 



EDIBLE PUFF-BALLS. 



Fig. 1. — Lycoperdon caelatum Fries. '■'■Collapsing Puff-Ball." 



Peridium flaccid above, with mealy coating, obtuse, at length collapsing, 

 the sterile stratum cellulose. Inner peridium distinct from the outer all 

 round ; capillitium nearly free, collapsing when mature, threads long 

 and brittle ; spores dingy olive, turning brown ; base stem-like, broad 

 and blunt, with root, obconical, somewhat spongy. Common in pastures 

 and open woods. Edible when young, but not much commended. Plant 

 pale cream color. 



