102 THE GASTEROMYCETES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 



New Jersey. Newfield. Ellis, coll. (N. Y. B. G. Herb., as M. spinulosum). Spores dark, reticulated, 

 9.3-11. 2/i. Capillitium threads of branched, spiny units about 12. 5m thick in main 

 threads. 



Wyoming. Pitchfork. Oct. 1912. Simon Davis, coll. (U. N. C. Herb.). 



Canada. Eastern Ontario. Dearness, coll. (N. Y. B. G. Herb.). 



Also specimens seen from Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Colorado, Texas. 



GEASTER Mich. 



Plants at first subglobose and with or without an apical beak; either just buried 

 in the soil, trash, or moss they grow in and with or without a fine flocculence all over 

 which binds the substratum to the surface, or in some species seated on the surface of 

 rotting wood, trash, or earth and attached only at the base (epigeal). Outer peridium 

 at maturity splitting from the apex into few or many rays which expand more or less in a 

 stellate way, or even recurve strongly and are composed typically of three layers, the 

 surface one a delicate, interwoven coat of flocculence or tomentum that in some species 

 is scarcely obvious, but in others forms a more or less perfect membrane which remains 

 attached to the next layer on expansion, or becomes more or less detached from it, 

 and in some cases is completely stripped off and remains as an empty sac in the ground 

 when the rest of the plant is lifted out by the recurving lobes of the next layer. This 

 next inner layer, called the fibrous layer, is thicker and tougher and is formed of closely 

 woven, homogeneous fibers. Lining this layer and splitting with it is a third layer of 

 turgid, fleshy tissue which dries out and shrinks after opening, either remaining attached 

 to the inner side of the fibrous layer as a continuous or much cracked cartilaginous- 

 looking membrane, or peeling off and disappearing in places or throughout. Sometimes 

 a part is separated and remains as a kind of collar around the center. For the micro- 

 scopic structure of peridia, see under G. velatinus. Inner peridium (spore sac) thin, 

 tough, membranous, pliable, stalked or sessile, opening by a single, apical mouth that is 

 simply a small torn hole or an elevated pore which may or may not be surrounded by a 

 circular area (peristome) of different texture, and more or less sharply circumscribed 

 outline. In one group of species this area is prettily and regularly fluted (sulcate). 

 Gleba pure white when young, composed of tramal fibers and plates which radiate 

 straight from the columella to the peridium, and which enclose the very narrow, much 

 elongated, almost tubular cavities which are lined with the basidia. The glebal 

 chambers are not visible in longitudinal section and barely so in cross section. Basidia 

 thick, elliptic to pyriform, borne on very slender hyphae, 4-8-spored. Spores spherical 

 or subspherical, usually warted or asperulate. Capillitium abundant, composed of 

 simple, rarely-branched threads which arise from the walls and also from the more or 

 less prominent (in some species vague or absent) columella. 



An interesting genus of numerous species that are popularly known as "earth stars." 

 The dry spores puff out of the mouths as in puffballs, leaving the persistent capillitium 

 behind. A peculiar, long-stalked species (G. stipitatus Solms) is recorded from Java 

 (Fischer, Hedwigia 32 : 50, pi. 5. 1893). Before opening it has much the appearance 

 of Lycoperdon muscorum but has a short point. Another peculiar plant should be men- 

 tioned here, although not found in America. It is Trichaster melanocephalus from 

 Europe. It is like a large Geaster fornicatus in general appearance except that the inner 

 peridium wall very soon disappears. It differs also in the very large, globose, hard 

 columella around which the capillitium forms a matted mass filled with spores. There 

 is a specimen in Washington under the name of G. fornicatus (Myc. and Path. Herb.; 

 Petrak, Fl. Bohemiae et Moraviae exs. No. 1498). It is just like Lloyd's figures 

 (Myc. Notes, p. 189, pi. 17) and has all the characters of the species. The spores are 

 about like those of fornicatus, distinctly warted, 3.8-4.5/n. The plant is said to be quite 



