Sphcei'obolus.] 



FUNGI. 231 



55. PiLoBOLUs. Tode. Pilobolus. 



Peridium membranaceous produced into a stem, shooting 

 forth a globose sporangium replete with sporidia. — Name from 

 -T/^.or, a cap^ and (Sa?.>.w, to proJecL 



1. P. crj/stalli?ms, Tode. (crystalline Pilobolus); uterus obo- 

 Tate stem-shaped below, sporans^ium hemispherical black. Tode^ 

 in Schrift. Btr. Nat. Fr. 3. ;;. 46. t. 1. {fide Fr.) Pers. Obs. 1. 

 t. 4. /. 9, 10. Fr. Si/st. M>jc. v. 2. p. 308. Grev. Fl. Ed. p, 

 448. Mucor urccolatus. Bull. t. 480. /. 1. Dicks. Crypt. 1. t. 

 3./. 6. Bolt. t. 133. /. 1. Sow. t. 800. With. v. 4. p. 369. 

 Flirt. V. 2. n. 1123. Pilobolus zirccolaius, Purt. v. 3. p. 3*23. 

 t.Sl. 



On horse dung. Common. — At first appearing, as Fries observes, 

 under the form of a small yellow Sclerotium, which gradually acquires 

 a stem, becomes inflated above, and loses its yellow hue ; often densely 

 tufted. Very fugacious. 



2. P. roridus, Bolt, (globidar -headed Pilobolus) ; uterus glo- 

 bose, stem elongated filiform, sporangium dot-like black. Fr, 

 Syst. Myc. v. 2. p. S09. 31ucor roridus, Bolt. t. 132./ 4. 



On horse dung. Not common. — Smaller and slenderer than the 

 last. Purton and Greville consider this a variety only of the foregoing, 

 but possibly incorrectly. 



56. Sphjerobolus. Tode. Sphairobolus. 



Subimmersed. Peridium double, each bursting in a stellate 

 manner ; internal membrane at length inverted and elastically 

 shooting forth the globular sporangium which contains the 

 sporidia in its centre. — Name, from G:paiprx, a sphere, and /3a/.>.w, 

 to project. 



1. S. stelldtus, Tode. (star-like Sphceroholus) ; star-like glo- 

 bose yellow at length pallid orifice regularly tootlied. Tode, 

 Fung. Meek. 1. ;;. 43. Part. v. 3. ;/. 1580. t. 30. Fr. Syst. 

 Myc. V. 2. p. 310. Lye. carpobolus, Linn. Sp. Plant. 2. p. 1654. 

 Soiv. t. tL2. 



On rotten wood, sticks, S:c. Autumn. — Possibly more common 

 than usually supposed, for it is easily overlooked. Plants at first con- 

 nected by a web, at length smooth, subglobosc, yellowisb ; outer jjcri- 

 dium consisting of two substances, lined by the inner jtcridnnn which 

 is quite distinct and separated by some moisture, white pclluciil and 

 shining ; at length both split together in a stellate manner, and the 

 inner l)ecomcs suddenly inverted while in general it still remains 

 attached by the apices of the stellate margin, nnd the sporanijium is 

 shot forth to a considerable distance. Sporidia :jr.or)th of an inch long 

 elliptic or curved and irregular. The rays of the cuter j)cridiinn arc 

 orange within ; I do not find that the orange colour extends lower 

 into the cup. 



Tribe II. Pyrenomvcetes. (from ci;.-7;v, n capsule, nnd fiurr,;. 



