SCLERODERMATACEAE 161 



The plants are firm or even hard until mature, and while probably not harmful so 

 far as known are not of much value as food. Mcllvaine says (American Fungi, p. 615) 

 that all the Sclerodermas are edible when young and never poisonous. Marshall says 

 (Mushroom Book, p. 134) that S. aiiranlium (S. vitlgarc) has been eaten without harm, 

 but is pronounced very unattractive. According to Bulliard it is claimed that S. 

 vcrrucosum is deadly if eaten, but it is pronounced good by Mcllvaine (at least the plant 

 he discusses as such). The spiny spores are distinctly irritating to the eyes. 



Literature 



Bambeke. Bull. Soc. Roy. Belgique 43: 104, figs. 1-4. 1906. 



Beck, t'ber die Sporenbildung der Gattung Plilyctospora Cda. Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 7: 212, one 



figure. 1889. 

 Lloyd. The Genus Melanogaster. Myc. Notes, p. 1064. 1921. 

 Petri. Flora Italica Cryptogama (Gasterales), Fasc. 5: 93. 1909. 

 Rabinowitsch. Bcitrage zur Fntwickelungsgeschichte der Fruchtkbrper einiger Gastromyceten. 



Flora 79: 385, pis. 10 and 11. 1894. 

 Sorokine. FieVeloppement du Scleroderma icrrucosum. Ann. Sci. Nat., 6th ser., 3: 30, pis. 5 and 6. 



1876. 

 Tulasne, L. R. and Ch. De la Fructification des Scleroderma comparce a. celle des Lycoperdon et des 



Bovisla. Ann. Sci. Nat., 2nd ser., 17: 5, pis. 1 and 2. 1842. 



Key to the Species 



Plant large (4-10 cm. thick), the peridium thick and scaly and splitting at maturity into several more 



or less stellate and recurved lobes 5. geasler (p. 161) 



Plant smaller (2-5.5 cm. thick), the peridium thinner (from very thin up to 1 mm. when dry) and less 

 stellate in dehiscence 

 Peridium straw-colored before opening, smooth except for coarse cracks; spores not reticulated 



S. flavidum (p. 162) 

 Peridium yellowish, nearly smooth or finely areolated; spores strongly reticulated 



5. bovisla (p. 163) 



Peridium ochraceous or brownish, thick when fresh, thin when dry, the surface cracked into distinct, 



inherent scales about 1-3 mm. wide, which are with or without a stout central wart; 



spores strongly reticulated S. auraniium (p. 165) 



Peridium leather or bay color, thick when fresh, thin when dry, the surface only delicately cracked 



into areas and in large part smooth; spores not reticulated S. cepa (p. 167) 



Peridium light brown or yellow-brown, dotted over with minute, dark brown, inherent scales; thin 

 when fresh and very thin when dry 



Spores spiny, not reticulated S. lycoperdoides (p. 168) 



Spores reticulated S. lycoperdoides var. reticulatum (p. 170) 



Scleroderma geaster Fr. 



Sderangium polyrhizon (Gmel.) Lev. 

 Stella amerkana Mass. 



Plates 82, 86 and 120 



Peridium about 4-13.5 cm. thick when closed and up to 15 cm. broad when open, 

 subglobose, depressed and often irregular and lobed; sessile and entirely embedded 

 until nearly mature, often remaining more than half buried; connected beneath with 

 diffused plates and strands of floccose mycelium; peridium hard and rigid, up to 5 mm. 

 thick when fresh, about 1-2 mm. thick when dry, nearly white, then yellow or dull 

 yellowish clay or straw color, rough and more or less cracked into areolations and scales; 

 splitting up irregularly at maturity into a varying number of lobes which curl back 

 as they dry and expose the dark spore mass which is deep brown when fully mature. 



