LYCOPERDACEAE 63 



Hollos. L c, pi. 12, figs. 4-6. 



Kriegcr. Xat. Geog. Mag. 37: 415. 1920. 



Murrill. Mycologia6: pi. 126. 1914. 



Nees von Esenbcck. Syst. Tilzc Schw., pi. 11, fig. 124C. 



Patterson and Charles. U. S. Dept. Agric. Bull. 175: pi. 38, fig. 2 (as C. gigantea). 1915; also 



Farmers' Bull. No. 796, fig. 18 (as C. gigantea). 1917. 

 Schaeffer. Fung. Bavar., pi. 191. 

 Sorokine. Rev. Myc. 1890, pi. 26, fig. 360. 

 Taylor. Food Products I, fig. 11. 1894. 



Wisconsin. (Univ. Wis. Herb, and U. N. C. Herb.) Spores smooth, subspherical, 3.5-4^, with a short 

 pedicel. Capillitium fragmenting, occasionally branched, frequently pitted, up to 5.5^. 



Calvatia cyathiformis (Bosc) Morg. 

 Lycopcrdon cyathijorme Bosc 

 Bovista lilacina Berk. & Mont. 



Plates 35, 36 and 112 



Plants nearly globose or turbinate, 7.5-15 cm. thick, attached below by a short 

 root; cortex smooth or slightly scaly, the upper part often cracking into areas. Inner 

 peridium thin and delicate, at maturity scaling away by degrees together with the 

 cortex to expose the dark purple interior; lower, sterile part (subgleba) remaining intact 

 as a persistent, dark, cup-like base which may remain in place over winter. Gleba at 

 first white, then changing through yellow to deep purple brown as the plant matures. 



Spores (of No. 550) globose, with numerous distinct spines, 4.4-6. 5ju thick, ex- 

 cluding the spines. Capillitium threads up to 4.3/i thick, very long, sparingly branched, 

 interwoven, considerably septate and breaking into sections at the septa, walls with 

 minute pits which are not easily visible except under high power. 



The species is common in Chapel Hill from July to late autumn in open places, 

 uncultivated fields, lawns and orchards. When it is young and the inside white it is 

 excellent food when fried like an egg plant. 



Some interesting facts concerning this Calvatia have been brought out in a study by 

 Shantz and Piemeisel (Journ. Agric. Research 11, No. 5: 191. 1917). They find that 

 the so-called "fairy rings" caused by this fungus advance about 24 cm. a year. One 

 ring has been found which is estimated to be 420 years old. The grass is stimulated 

 just behind the fruiting bodies of the ring, and forms a deeply colored, luxuriant growth, 

 whereas it is dry, often dead over the mycelium of Agaricus tabularia and Marasmius 

 oreades and shows a luxuriant growth on both sides. When disturbed, as by being 

 plowed up, the rings cease to fruit, and cannot be detected in vegetation, while in the 

 closely related species, C. polygonia, they continue to grow and fruit, as is also the case 

 with Agaricus tabularia. 



Cunningham considers C. novae-zelandiae Lev. an additional synonym for this 

 species (Trans. N. Z. Inst. 57: 191. 1926). 



Illustrations: Cunningham. Trans. N. Z. Inst. 57: pi. 2, fig. 3 (as C. lilacina). 1926. 

 Hard. Mushrooms, pi. 58 and fig. 457 (as C. lilacina). 

 Hollos. 1. c, pi. 13, pi. 14, figs. 1-5, pi. 29, fig. 7. 

 Krieger. Xat. Geog. Mag. 37: 416. 1920. 

 Lloyd. The Lycoperdaceae of Australia, etc., pi. 35, fig. 1. 

 Murrill. Mycologia 1: pi. 15, fig. 1. 1909. 

 Sweetzer. Univ. Oregon Leaflet, Bot. Ser. No. 9, fig. 3. 



