LYCOPERDACEAE 129 



Canada, London, nearness, coll. (TJ. N. C. Herb.). 



Transvaal. Pretoria. Evans, coll (Lloyd Herb.). 



New Zealand. Rangitata. Barker, coll. (Lloyd Herb.). 



Geaster coronatus (Schaeff.) Schroet. 



G. minimus Schw. (.not Gcastrum minimum Chevallier) 

 G. marginatus Yitt. 

 G.quculrithluni Pers. 

 G. Cesalii Rabenhorst 



Plates 71, 72, 115 and 116 



Tlants when expanded 1.5-3.5 cm. broad and up to 3.3 cm. tall excluding the basal 

 cup when present; outer peridium splitting into 4-8 strongly recurved or rarely hori- 

 zontal lobes, the mycelial layer often being stripped off and remaining as an obscure 

 weft which holds together a hollow mass of earth or trash out of which the plant was 

 lifted, the tips of the rays attached to its margin (typical or fornicate form); in other 

 cases the mycelial layer with the adhering trash is lifted with the plant and forms a 

 more or less' persistent coat on the outer surface (form minimus) ; fleshy layer brown, 

 cracking and often seceding in large part from the rays, the central part most persistent 

 and at times forming a low collar around the base of the stalk. Inner peridium ovoid 

 to oblong, 4-14/j thick, brown to umber or slate color, the surface, except when weather- 

 worn, powdered with minute glistening particles; stalk distinct, about 1.5-2.5 mm. 

 long and expanding above into a ridge which in some specimens may have an acute rim 

 like a little collar. Mouth delicately fimbriated, not sulcate, low, abruptly or gradu- 

 ally elevated from a nearly flat, sharply defined silky area which is outlined by a groove. 

 Columella in mature plant not obvious. 



Spores (of No. 3881) dark smoky purplish, distinctly rough, 4-5. 1/x thick, most 

 about 4.5/1. Capillitium threads up to 6m thick, not sinuous and branching rarely if 

 at all. 



This species has been confused with G. fornicatus both in Europe and America 

 and it is treated under the latter name by Morgan. We are following Lloyd and Hollos 

 in using the name G. coronatus for the present species. The true G. fornicatus, as now 

 understood, is usually larger and is easily distinguished by the absence of a well defined 

 mouth area, the different surface of the spore sac, and by the smaller and less strongly 

 warted spores. 



The type of G. minimus in the Schweinitz Herbarium is just like the usual G. 

 minimus of herbaria; the spores distinctly warted, 3.7-4.4ju thick. Another authentic 

 specimen of G. minimus from Schweinitz, now in the Michener Herbarium in Washing- 

 ton, is just like the form that we are calling G. minimus. Lloyd has seen the plant in 

 the Schweinitz Herbarium and says that it is the same as the minimus form. We find 

 it impossible to distinguish between G. coronatus and G. minimus. If the mycelial 

 layer with its trash remains attached and is lifted when the rays bend back we have 

 the minimus form, if not it is the coronatus form, and both forms with intermediates 

 may occur in the same colony. Smaller size does not distinguish minimus, as we have 

 seen the fornicate form with the inner peridium less than 5 mm. thick. 



In several plants in our collections the ridge around the expanded top of the stem, 

 which is often obvious in stalked species, is terminated by a distinct, fimbriated frill, 

 recalling the broader frill of G. Bryantii. The last mentioned is distinguished by its 

 sulcate and more narrow and elevated mouth, by the distinct columella and by the 



