162 THE GASTEROMYCETES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 



Spores deep brown with a slight tint of purple, globose, asperulate, not rarely with 

 an imperfect reticulum, 5-10,u (most about 6.5-8yu) thick, including the spines which 

 are up to about 0.5— 1/x long. 



This species gets its name from the way in which it cracks up, which is more or less 

 stellate like the dehiscence of the outer peridium in the genus Geaster. It is a common 

 plant in Chapel Hill, and is found from September through the winter in hard ground, 

 preferring clay. The plants open in the fall and persist a long time, becoming black- 

 ened and empty with age. They often appear on the clean, newly eroded pure clay 

 sides of gullies, a most remarkable choice for a home. Scleroderma pteridis Shear 

 (Bull. T. B. C. 29: 451. 1902) does not seem to differ essentially from S. geaster. The 

 type was collected 2-A feet below the surface of the ground and attached to dead rhi- 

 zomes of Pteris aquilina. The spores are given as 6-8/* and the peridium as 3-8 mm. 

 thick, and the author states that the species differs from S. geaster in the thicker perid- 

 ium and smaller spores. In our numerous collections of the latter the great majority 

 of the spores come within these limits, and the peridium thickness is almost exactly 

 3-8 mm. in moist, unopened specimens. A plant from the type collection kindly sent 

 us by Dr. Shear is unopened, as were all his plants, and most of the spores are im- 

 mature. We find, however, a few that are like those of S. geaster, about 7.7-10/i 

 thick, with surface spines. Dr. Shear writes (Nov. 27, 1923) that he is "now inclined 

 to think that this may be merely a form or variety of 5. geaster." 



Illustrations: Boudier. Icon. Myc, pi. 186. 

 Hard. Mushrooms, pi. 65. 



Lloyd. Myc. Notes No. 9: fig. 47. 1902; also pi. 30, figs. 1-3. 1905. 

 Massee. 1. c, pi. 2, figs. 35-35a. 

 Murrill. Mycologia2: pi. 17, fig. 9. 1910. 

 Vittadini. Monog. Lycoperd., pi. 2, fig. 1 1 ; pi. 3, fig. 14. 1842. 



674. In woods, top of Lone Pine Hill, and along roadside in fields, Sept. 20, 1908. 

 973. In hillside pasture, Nov. 11, 1913. Spores 6-8.3/u thick. 

 1014. In a clay gully, Oct. 22, 1913. Spores 5-8.6/x, including spines, not rarely with an imperfect 



reticulum. 

 2938. Unearthed in digging trenches (depth not known), Nov. 1, 1917. Spores asperulate, 6.7-9^ 



thick, omitting spines. 

 7571. Under cedars, Oct. 29, 1924. 

 Also Nos. 657, 660, 920, 978, 1029, 1761, 7106. 



Asheville. Beardslee. 



South Carolina. Hartsville. Coker, coll. (U. N. C. Herb., No. 6014). In Bermuda grass lawn, 

 Dec. 26, 1922. Spores warted and with a faint sign of a reticulum, 7.2-11^ thick. 

 Ravenel. Fungi Car. Exs. No. 76. (Phil. Acad. Herb.) 



North Island. Coker and party, colls. (U. N. C. Herb.). Spores scurfy-warted, 7-10/j thick. 

 Florida. Gainesville. Weber, coll. (U. N. C. Herb., No. 7576). Stalked form. Spores very dark, 

 strongly warted and partly reticulated, 7.4—11.2^1. 



Scleroderma flavidum E. & E. 



Plates 87, 88 and 120 



Plants gregarious, at times crowded, 2-4 cm. broad, subglobose, compressed, 

 sessile, plicate below around the thick basal attachment which holds the earth firmly; 



