An HISTORY of FUNGUSSES. 117 



LYCOPERDON fubrotundum, lacerato dthifcens. Sp. PL cxlv. 

 1656. SchceJ. Fung. t. 184, 185, 186, 187, 189, 190, bovijia. 

 191, 292, 293, 294, 295. Marjiglii Hiji. Fung. Carr. 

 Jig. 1, 2. Mag. monjlrofa. Mich. Gen. t. 97, 98. Vaill. 

 Paris, t. 16, Jig. 4. t. 12, Jig. 15, 16. Relhan, Flor. 469, 

 No. 979. Lightfoot, Scot. 1067, 2. HudJ'on Angl. 642, 4. 



VARIABLE PUFF-BALL. 



TAB. CXVII. 



HPHE varieties of this plant in lize, figure, colour, and fur- 

 ■^ face, are almoft endlefs. In the annexed plate, I have 

 felected fuch fubjeds, as I thought mod likely to give an idea 

 of the plant in all its ftates. The eight figures before us, 

 being mixed and blended together as they are in Nature, will 

 exhibit almoft, endlefs forms ; but to give particular defcrip- 

 tions of each is not neceffary. 



Schteffer, in his HiJlory of FunguJfes, has bellowed 

 eleven large plates on this fpecies, and has copied many of its 

 varieties in near fifty elegant figures. In the Floras of Rel- 

 han, Hudson, Lightfoot, &c. the Synonyma of former 

 authors are, with much care, applied to thofe varieties, which 

 they refpeclively were meant to difcriminate. 



The beft fpecific character of diftinction iri the fpecies, is, 

 its being furrounded with three feparate coverings; the firft of 

 thefe is infeparably connected with the pith or fubfiance of the 

 plant; the fecond is a tough, leathery, fmooth coat; the third 

 or outermoft, a foft epidermis, eaiily rubbed off; and it is in 

 thefe epidermi only, that thofe varieties of figures, we obferve 

 on the furface of the plants, have their exiflence. 



This character, however, muff be attended to, while the 

 plants are growing and in a ftate of vigour; for afterwards the 

 epidermis, with its figures, falls off, vanifhes, and leaves the 

 plant quite fmooth in its lafi ftages. 



S 



