North .lincrican Fitufi^i. 13 



A. PcridiiDii obovoid or turbinate, the sub^ieba tvell 

 developed. 



/. Cortex of lon^ spines mingled with shorter ones ; the 

 former at length fall aivay, leaving a reticulate 

 surface to the hnier peridium. 



13. L. CKMMATUiNr, Batsch. Peridium tur])iiiate, de- 

 pressed al)()\-e, the base short and oljconic or more elongated 

 and tapering or subcylindric, arising from a fibrous mj'celium. 

 Cortex consisting of long, thick, erect spines or warts of irreg- 

 ular shape, with intervening smaller ones, whitish or gray in 

 color, sometimes with a tinge of red or brown ; the larger 

 spines first fall away, leaving pale spots on the surface, and 

 giving it a reticulate appearance. Subgleba variable in 

 amount, usually more than half the peridium ; mass of spores 

 and capillitium greenish-yellow, then pale brown ; threads 

 simple or scarcely branched, about as thick as the spores ; 

 spores globose, even or very minutel}- warted, 3.5-4.5 mic. 

 in diameter. 



Growing on the ground and sometimes on rotten trunks in 

 woods, often caespitose. New England, /"r^j-/; New York, 

 Peck; New Jense}', Ellis; Pennsylvania, Gentry; Maryland, 

 James; North Carolina, Curtis; South Carolina, Atkinson; 

 Ohio, Lea; Wisconsin, Trelease ; Kansas, Cragin; California, 

 Harkness. Found in every part of the world. Peridium 1-2 

 inches in diameter and 1-3 inches in height. This species is 

 distinguished from all others by the peculiar large erect terete 

 spines or warts, the so-called gems which stud its upper 

 surface. 



14. L. PERLATUM, Pers. Peridium turbinate, broad and 

 depressed above, plicate underneath and contracted into a 

 short and pointed or sometimes elongated and tapering base ; 

 mycelium fibrous. Cortex of long slender spines, mingled 

 with smaller spinules and warts, gray brown or blackish in 

 color ; the longer spines first fall away, leaving a reticulate 

 surface to the inner peridium. Subgleba occupying one-third 

 to one-half of the peridium ; mass of spores and capillitium 

 greeni.sh-yellow, then brownish-olivaceous; the threads most- 

 ly simple, some of them thicker than the spores ; spores glo- 

 bose, even or very minutely warted, 3.5-4.5 mic. in diameter. 



