Puff balls 



like coat. The coat of this ball is thin and papery, and opens by 

 one apical mouth. The threads or capillitium, which bear the 

 spores, project from the tissue of the inner wall and also from a 

 central columella. 



The Geasters have no economic value, but are rather inter- 

 esting to the nature student on account of their beauty and their 

 curious methods of discharging their spores. 



The Smallest Earth-star 



Geaster mim'mus 



Peridiuni or Pouch — Globose, depressed, not pointed; vaulted 



underneath. 

 Bark or Outer Coat — Segments acute at the apex, many lobed; 



the lobes, seven to nine, expanding >4-i inch. 

 Inner Coat — Ovoid, X-i i"ch in diameter, white to pale brown, 



with a distinct pedicel, seated in a plain circular disk. 

 Mouth — Lifted on a cone, lip bordered with hair-like fringe. 

 Spores — Brown, globe-shaped, minutely warted. 

 Threads — Transparent. 

 Habitat — Grassy grounds. 



Water-measuring Earth-star 



Geaster hygrometricus 



Peridium or /5?«r/i— Sub-globose, depressed, the bark or skin fall- 

 ing with the mycelium. 



Bark or Outer C^^/— Deeply parted; the segments, acute at the 

 apex, seven to twenty. Strongly hygrometric, expanding to 

 a breadth of 2-3 inches. 



Inner Coat — Globose, depressed, sessile, covered with a network. 

 Whitish or greyish. 



Mouth — Rim irregular. 



Spores — Brown, globe-shaped, minutely warted. 



Threads — Transparent, much branched and interwoven ; continu- 

 ous with the hyphae or threads of the inner coat. 



Habitat — Fields and woods, in sandy soil. 



The Geaster hygrometricus, or Astrmis hygrometricus as it 

 is called by some, is found all over the world. When the 



Mln'-T-miis Hy'-gro-met'-rl-cus 



130 



