100 THE GASTEROMYCETES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 



held on by a rather inconspicuous mycelial felt, this wearing away slowly and exposing 

 the pale grayish, then reddish brown, flaccid inner peridium, except for a basal remnant 

 as an earthy point or disc, opening tardily by a small, apical mouth. Gleba olivaceous, 

 then brownish; subgleba none. 



Spores (of No. 2416) oval, smooth, 3-3.7 x 3.8-5/*, with long, wavy pedicels up to 

 15// long. Capillitium of branched units as in its relatives; main threads up to 22^u 

 thick, with thick walls. 



This rare plant was described by Morgan from Ohio and Nebraska and is doubtfully 

 reported from Massachusetts by Lloyd. We have drawn the above description from 

 two Canadian plants noted below and kindly sent us by Dearness. One of these plants 

 is still covered all over with the thin sand case except for spots here and there; the other 

 is clean of dirt, the cortex remaining only as a basal disc. This last has the inner per- 

 idium deep red-brown, while in the former it is grayish where exposed. The spores and 

 capillitium in both plants are identical. The thin, papery peridium would seem to 

 indicate a close approach to the genus Bovistella. 



Hollos (1. c, p. 126) reduces both this species and Bovistella dealbata Lloyd (Myc. 

 Notes, p. 86) to Bovista tomentosa (Vitt.) De Toni of Europe. We have examined an 

 authentic specimen of Bovistella dealbata (pi. 61 and pi. 114, fig. 14) and find it quite 

 different from the plant described above. It is an epigean species exposed throughout 

 the entire growth of the fruit body and in this way differing sharply from what we are 

 taking to be B. minor and also from Morgan's description of that species. The spores 

 of the Lloyd specimen are larger than in the Dearness plants and are as Hollos said 

 furnished with minute warts (x 2160). They are spherical to subspherical, 4.3-5.5 x 

 5-6. 3p (rarely 6.8//), with pedicels 6-12. Su long, usually about 8ju long. Capillitium 

 threads up to 10/j. thick, moderately branched into long, slender, tapering branches. 

 We have also examined a specimen of B. tomentosa from Bresadola's herbarium from 

 Andola, collected and determined by him, and find that it agrees well with Hollos's 

 description and figures except that the spores are practically smooth (3.5-4.2 x 4-5. 5/u). 

 The plants are the same size as B. dealbata, but seem to be darker at all stages, the spores 

 are somewhat smaller, and the capillitium threads are thicker and more branched. 

 Without further evidence we prefer to keep the two species separate. As the European 

 species is obviously epigean we cannot see how it could be Bovista minor. We have 

 not seen an authentic specimen of the latter, but as both Morgan's (Journ. Cin. Soc. 

 Nat. Hist. 14: 147) and Lloyd's (Myc. Notes, p. 117) descriptions agree in every respect, 

 we use the name for the Canadian plants. 



Plants in the U. S. National Museum from Nevada de Toluca, Mexico, determined 

 by Lloyd as B. brunnea Berk., are, in appearance, spores and capillitium, like those of 

 specimens of Bovistella dealbata from the Lloyd Herbarium, sent us by Lloyd. Bovista 

 brunnea Berk, was originally described from New Zealand, and plants from that country 

 sent us by Cunningham under that name are distinctly olive-brown in the immature 

 condition and otherwise look somewhat different from the others. The spores and 

 capillitium are, however, the same. Lloyd thinks that B. brunnea is the same as B. 

 tomentosa and not the same as B. dealbata. 



Illustrations: Lloyd. Myc. Works, pi. 3, figs. 3-5. 



Morgan. Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist. 14: pi. 5, figs. 10-12. 



Canada. London. On clay bank by spring. Dearness, coll. (Dearness Herb, and U. N. C. Herb. 

 No. 2416). 



