82 THE GASTEROMYCETES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 



Dr. House has kindly sent us two plants of the type collection of L. muscorum from 

 West Albany (Peck, as L. molle, 1. c, p. 310). The spores are spherical, minutely 

 warted, 4^-5.5/z with a short pedicel; capillitium threads about 3-4ju thick, pitted, easily 

 broken up. 



Hollos considers this the same as L. polytrichum Lloyd and L. pseudoradicans 

 Lloyd. Lloyd states that his L. polytrichum grows only in hair cap moss, but he refers 

 to that species a collection from Maine by Beardslee, a part of which at least was not 

 growing in Polytrichum. Three plants of this collection seen by Lloyd and returned to 

 Beardslee show no Polytrichum, but a much smaller moss attached, and Beardslee 

 writes that the plants did not all grow in Polytrichum. The individual of this lot 

 figured by Lloyd (pi. 67, fig. 7) has a moss plant attached that looks like Polytrichum. 

 We find on examination of Beardslee's plants that the spores are like those of the type, 

 faintly warted or many smooth, usually with a mucro, 3.8-5//, rarely 6/*; capillitium 

 easily fragmented by slight pressure on the cover glass, pitted, often encrusted, up to 5/x 

 thick. It is to be noted that the resemblance to Calvatia data in general appearance 

 is further emphasized by the breaking up of the capillitium into short joints under slight 

 pressure. This fragmentation is found in all or nearly all Calvatias. It does not occur 

 in any other Lycoperdon we have seen. As to L. molle of Persoon, this cannot be that 

 species, as the plant in his herbarium, which may be considered the type, has smaller 

 spores, and according to the original description grows in oak woods. Fries says it 

 grows in mossy fields. 



Illustrations: Hollos. 1. c, pi. 29, figs. 1 and 2. 



Lloyd. Myc. Notes No. 9, figs. 50 and 51 (as L. pseudoradicans); also pi. 67, figs. 1-5 (as L. mus- 

 corum) and figs. 6-10 (as L. polytrichum) . 

 Lloyd. Genera of Gasteromycetes, pi. 10, fig. 45 (as L. muscorum, later changed to polytrichum) . 



Connecticut. Miss White, coll. (N. Y. B. G. Herb.). Two plants on Polytrichum, one on Leucobryum 



glaucum (det. by Mr. R. S. Williams). 

 Maine. West Harpswell. Eeardslee, coll. No. 676. (U. N. C. Herb.) 

 Ohio. Foerste, coll. (N. Y. B. G. Herb., as L. glabellum). On Polytrichum. 



Lycoperdon gemmatum Batsch 

 L. excipuliforme Scop. 

 L. macro gemmatum Lloyd 



Plates 52, 53 and 113 



Plants 3-7.5 cm. high and 2.5-6 cm. broad, obovoid to turbinate with a distinct 

 base which is comparatively large and often elongated and stalk-like; growing on mouldy 

 woods earth or from decaying wood or leaves. Cortex made up of intermingled long 

 and short terete spines or warts, the short ones being considerably more numerous than 

 the long ones and all becoming smaller and more uniform downward and fading to 

 scurfy granules toward the base; the color grayish tan to buff or leather color, the 

 longer spines often darker. The large spines fall off first and leave pale smooth spots 

 that are very obvious and characteristic; the other warts fall very slowly, if at all, and 

 even in quite old collapsed plants only the top is free from them in areas so as to entirely 

 expose the smooth, straw-colored inner peridium. Gleba at maturity dull ochraceous 

 brown with a tint of olive or in some old plants brown with a tint of purple. Subgleba 

 occupying the stem-like base which is usually a third to more than a half of the whole, 

 its chambers up to 1 mm. wide. 



