210 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Like the two preceding puflf-balls the spores of this species are dis- 

 tributed by the wind after the breaking away of the outer layers. The 

 enormous number of spores which one of these puff-balls contains is as 

 much beyond comprehension as the number of flakes in a snow storm. 

 It occurs during the summer in fields and pastures. 



Figure 20. The left-hand figure represents a vertical section through a young plant of the 

 Gemmed Puff-ball, showing the cellular structure of the stem-like lower half. 

 This portion does not change Into a spore mass but remains after the spores are 

 discharged from the upper part. The right-hand figure shows a vertical section 

 tlirough the young, or egg stage of an amanita, a very poisonous fungus which 

 grows in woods and which might possibly be mistaken for a young puff ball, If not 

 cut open. This fungus forms just below the surface of the soil and finally bursts 

 the outer covering sending up a parasol-shaped mushroom. Natural size, (0^!^":nal. t 



The Oemmed Puff Ball. (Lycoperdon gemmatum.) Fig. 20. 



This little puff-ball is often quite abundant in woods and about decay- 

 ing wood lying on the ground. The upper part is somewhat spherical and 

 narrows into a stem-like base. The surface is adorned with little pointed 

 warts which fall away at maturity leaving the surface marked with slight 

 indentations. It is a'uout one and one-half to two inches in height but 

 sometimes makes up in numbers what it lacks in size. Thus in one case 

 the writer found an area of several square yards, in a rather low woods, 

 which was so thickly covered with these little puff-balls that it was 

 almost impossible to cross it without treading on many of them. At first 

 entirely white they become yellowish brown throughout, the spores escap- 

 ing when mature through a small opening in the top. 



Several other species of puff-balls are sure to be met with in our state 

 by those who hunt mushrooms, but as they do not differ much in structure 

 or edible qualities from those already described it seems unnecessary to 

 give them special mention in this connection. 



