240 THE MYXOMYCETES 



Reticularia lycoperdon Bull. 



Champ. 95. 1791. 

 PI. XVI, Fig. 403. 



1794. Lycogala argentea Pers., Roemer N. Mag. Bot. 1 : 87. 



1801. Lycogala turbinata Pers., Syn. Meth. Fung. 158. 



1801. Lycogala punctata Pers., Syn. Meth. Fung. 158. 



1803. Fidigo lycoperdon (Bull.) Schum., Enum. PI. Saell. 2 : 193. 



1804. Reticularia argentea (Pers.) Poiret, Lam. Encycl. 6 : 183. 

 1809. Strongylium fuliginoides Ditm., Schrad. n. bot. Jour. 3 : 3. 

 1829. Reticularia umbrina Fr., Syst. Myc. 3 : 87. 



1908. Reticularia jurana Meylan, Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sc. Nat. 44 : 297. 



^Ethalium pulvinate, 2-8 cm. broad, at first silvery white, later less 

 lustrous, the cortex irregularly and slowly deciduous; hypothallus at 

 first conspicuous as a white margin extending round the entire astha- 

 lium, evanescent without, but persisting as a firm membrane beneath 

 the spore-mass, pseudocapillitium abundant, tending to form erect 

 central masses which persist long after the greater part of the fruit 

 has been scattered by the winds; spore-mass umber, spores turbinate, 

 by transmitted light pale, reticulate over about two-thirds of the 

 surface, the remainder slightly warted, 8-9 fx. 



Often confused with Enteridium rozeanum, the spores of the two 

 forms being very much alike; the internal structure, however, is 

 entirely different, and once compared, the two are thereafter easily 

 distinguished at sight by external characters. The plasmodium is 

 white, as noted by Bulliard. Fries cites with approval the words of 

 Schweinitz, — "color corticis ab initio argenteus sericeo nitore insignis; 

 sed deinde sordescit e griseo in subfuscum vergens." Sometimes the 

 surface does indeed shine as silver! The fructification appears to be 

 isolated in each case; the entire plasmodium consumed in a single 

 plasmodiocarp. 



Both Rostafinski and the Lister monograph cite Mucor lycogalus 

 Bolt. (Hist. Fung. 3 : 133, 1789) as a synonym. If this citation is 

 warranted, Bolton's specific name should take precedence over that 

 of Bulliard unless the latter, as thoroughly established, should be 

 recognized as a nomen conservandum. 



Not common in North America, but widely distributed, Maine to 

 Ontario, Washington and California and south, Haiti, Argentina. In 

 north temperate regions generally; apparently more frequent in 

 Europe; Africa, Ceylon, Japan. 



