128 THE GASTEROMYCETES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 



Good collections of this species from San Diego, California, in Washington and 

 New York show an interesting variation in the mouth. In the plants at the New York 

 Botanical Garden the two plants with mouths visible show a depressed zone around 

 the mouth but the surface of the zone is not silky as in most Geasters, but of the same 

 texture as the remainder of the surface. In one of the plants the mouth was an elevated 

 Dapilla in the center of this zone; in the other it was a plane opening. For a similar 

 variation see plants from Florida and North Dakota entered below. The plants in 

 Washington show a plane opening without a depressed zone. In most herbarium 

 material the spore sac is nearly smooth or faintly powdery. The granules when present 

 are not so large as in G. asper. The rays when dry are either folded over the top of the 

 inner peridium or are curved in more abruptly with their tips under it, or they may take 

 any intermediate position. The species grows in sandy soil and in this country is 

 apparently confined to the western states, occurring also in Europe and Africa. A 

 large form of this with the spore sac 2 cm. thick (in the pressed condition) is represented 

 in the Herbaiium of the Museum of Paris from western Africa. Except in size they 

 do not differ apparently from the American plants. The spores are distinctly warted, 

 5-6.5 x 6-7(x. An interesting plant that seems referable to this as a variant is repre- 

 sented in the Far low Herbarium from Lake Titicaca, Bolivia (Mrs. Shepard, coll.). 

 The rays are thick, strongly hygroscopic, covered with sand; spore sac densely furfura- 

 ceous, nearly white, peristome vaguely defined by a low ridge, fimbriate; spores spherical 

 to irregular, distinctly warted, 4-5/u thick or up to 6// long. 



In his treatment of G. delicatus (The Geastrae, p. 11), Lloyd makes the mistake of 

 referring to G. lageniformis when he should have said G. florijormis (see Hollos, p. 67). 



Illustrations: Cunningham. Trans. N. Z. Inst. 57: pi. 11, fig. 37. 1926. 

 De Toni. 1. c, pi. 1, fig. O. 



Hollos. 1. c, pi. 10, figs. 20-25; pi. 29, figs. 29, 30. 



Lloyd. The Geastrae, figs. 14, 15 (as G. delicatus) and fig. 78; also pi. 98, figs. 12-18. 

 Morgan. The Genus Geaster, fig. 2 (as G. delicatus). 

 Petri. 1. c, fig. 43. 

 Vittadini. Monog. Lycoperd., pi. 1, fig. 5. 1842. 



Florida. Grasmere. Baker, coll. (Lloyd Herb.). Mouth indistinct. Two other boxes of same show 



very minute plants, many not over 4-5 mm. in diameter when closed; many with depressed 



mouth area. 

 Alachua Co. Couch, coll. (U. N. C. Herb., No. 7274). 

 Texas. Denton. Long, coll. (Lloyd Herb.). Columella cylindrical, about 4 mm. long. 

 California. San Diego. Orcutt, coll. (Path, and Myc. Herb, and N. Y. Bot. Gard. Herb., as G. 



delicatus). Spores subspherical, about 5-6.8^ thick. 

 Catalina Island. Mrs. Trask, coll. (Lloyd Herb.). 

 South California, 32-36° N. Lat. Parry, coll. (Curtis Herb., as G. rufescens). 



Colorado. Yuma. Clements, No. 613. (N. Y. Bot. Gard. Herb.) Spores sacs distinctly granular. 

 North Dakota. Brenckle, coll. (Path, and Myc. Herb, and U. N. C. Herb., No. 152 of Sydow, Fungi 



Exot. Exs.). Spores spherical or somewhat elongated, 4.2-5 x 5-7/x. In Lloyd's Herbarium 



plants from N. Dakota (Brenckle, coll.) show a more or less definite, depressed area around the 



mouth. 

 Nebraska. Lincoln. Webber, coll. (N. Y. Bot. Gard. Herb.; also in Path, and Myc. Herb, as Ell. 



& Ev., N. Am. Fungi, No. 1941). 

 Washington. Cheney. Mrs. Tucker, coll. (Lloyd Herb.). Lloyd has a note saying, "Mrs. Tucker 



writes me that this species proves quite a pest in flower beds." 



