130 THE GASTEROMYCETES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 



broader frill. Both forms of G. coronatus are widely distributed in the United States 

 and are not uncommon. In Europe the minimus form seems much rarer. The 

 European plant is represented in Torrend's Mycotheca Lusitanica No. 79 (in pinetis), 

 also in Cesati's Herbarium Mycol., No. 1634 (as G. Cesatii. Both in Path, and Myc. 

 Herb., Washington). In G. Cesatii the spores are distinctly warted, 3.8-4.5^ thick. 



Geaster granulosus is an extreme form or variety of G. minimus with distinctly 

 larger granules on the spore sac and in some cases covering it almost solidly with a 

 white crust, at least as much so as in G. calceus as shown by Lloyd's fig. 9, pi. 95. 

 We have studied authentic specimens of G. granulosus from Austria (Fuckel, coll.) and 

 find the spores to be larger and rougher than in G. minimus, 4.2-5. 6yu thick, often with 

 an angular appearance from the irregular warts (pi. 116, fig. 12). A plant from Ymala, 

 Mexico, has the exact superficial appearance of G. granulosus and the spores approach 

 those of that species, with the same irregularity, but are somewhat smaller, 3.8-5/u. 

 They have the form of spores of G. minimus shown on pi. 1 15, fig. 24, and are only slightly 

 larger. Geaster calceus Lloyd (Myc. Notes, p. 311) from South Africa is very near the 

 last, but with smaller spores (3.5-4.2p), of regular, spherical shape and with equal warts 

 (pi. 116, fig. 11). 



A peculiar plant is represented in the Path, and Myc. Herbarium by three speci- 

 mens from Waste Land, South Dakota (Wilcox, coll.). It looks like a small, nearly 

 sessile specimen of G. minimus but the spores are distinctly larger and irregular (4.8-5.5 x 

 6.4-7.5^), with large, unequal warts (pi. 116, fig. 16). The plant bears the ms. name 

 of G. lerreus Ellis, n. sp., with description in ms. attached. It may be a new species, 

 but is more probably an extreme variant of the minimus type. Macbride describes as 

 a new species, G. juniper inus, a plant from Iowa, very close to G. coronatus. It seems 

 scarcely more than a form (Mycologia 4 : 84. 1912). 



Noack (cited below) reports this fungus, which he calls G. fornicatus, as forming 

 mycorrhizas on the roots of conifers. 



Illustrations: De Toni. 1. c, pi. 63, fig. H and fig. I (as G. marginatus). 

 Fries, Th. C. E. Sveriges Gasteromyceter, fig. 28 (as G. quadrifidum) . 

 Hard. Mushrooms, fig. 482 (as G. minimus). 



Hollos. 1. c, pi. 7, figs. 11-14 (as G. coronatus); pi. 10, figs. 8-10; pi. 29, fig. 28 (as G. minimus). 

 Lloyd. The Geastrae, figs. 50-52 (as G. minimus); figs. 58-61 (as G. coronatus; fig. 59 was first 

 published as G. fornicatus, Myc. Notes, p. 71, fig. 36). Also pi. 95, figs. 1-7 (as G. minimus). 

 Macbride. Mycologia 4: pi. 62, fig. 2 (as G. marginatus) and fig. 3 (as G. minimus). 1912. 

 Morgan. North Amer. Geasters, fig. 1 (as G. fornicatus) and fig. 7 (asG. minimus). 

 Nees von Esenbeck. Syst. Pilze Schw., pi. 12, fig. 128 (as Geastrum quadrifidum). 1817. 

 Noack. Bot. Zeit. 47: pi. 5, fig. 1 (as G. fornicatus). 1889. 

 Petri. 1. c, fig. 37, No. 1 (asG. minimus); fig. 44, No. 4 (asG. coronatus). 

 Schaeffer. Fung. Bavar., pi. 183. 



Schmidel. Icon. Plant., pi. 37 figs. 1-3 (as G. coronatus). 1747. 

 Vittadini. Monog. Lycoperd., pi. 1, fig. 6 (asG. marginatus). 1843. 



75. On mossy shaded ground under cedars, November 10, 1911. Fornicate form. Spores 3.7-4.4/1, 



most about 3.9m thick. Capillitium threads sinuous, up to 5.5ji thick. 

 3881. By a decaying oak stump in Strowd's low grounds, December 13, 1919. Fornicate form and 



minimus form mixed insame colony. 

 6065. By a cedar stump in a pasture, February 12, 1923. Fornicate form. Spores distinctly warted, 



4-5.3m, most about 4.6p thick. Capillitium threads straight, apparently unbranched, up to 



5.1/i thick. 



