North Atnerican Fungi. 7 



>^i. PrKi>LK-SpoKi-;n vSkkiks. Mass of spores and capilli- 

 tiuni iinnu-diately after deliquescence, usuall\' olivaceous, 

 then changing to violet or brownish-purple, and finally to 

 purplish-brown ; the threads branched, rarely simple, the 

 main stem with a thickness about equal to the diameter of the 

 spores, the branches long, slender and tapering, bright 

 l)urplish-brown in color by transmitted light ; the spores 

 globose, distinctly warted, mostly sessile, but always accom- 

 panied by the long hyaline sterigmata, which persist along 

 with them after deliquescence, sometimes some of them 

 pedicellate ; when fully matured dark ]nir])lish-brown in color 

 and opaque. 



a. Cortex consisting of very long coyivergent spines. 



1. L. ECHINATUM. Pers. Peridium broadly obovoid, 

 sometimes much depressed, usually with a narrow short and 

 pointed base; mycelium of long, slender white fibers. Cortex 

 composed of very long brown spines, converging and often 

 coherent at the apex, with minute scurfy spinules interven- 

 ing; the long spines at length fall away, at least from the 

 upper part of the peridium, leaving the pale brown inner 

 peridium ornamented with an elegant net-work of dark 

 brown reticulations ; these finally disappear, leaving behind 

 a smooth pale-brown shining surface. Subgleba occupying 

 about a third part of the peridium, sometimes quite shallow; 

 mass of spores and capillitium olivaceous, then violet to 

 brownish-purple ; the threads much branched, the main stem 

 nearly as thick as the spores, the branches long, slender and 

 tapering; spores globose, distinctly warted, 5-6 mic. in diam- 

 eter. Plate I, Fig. 5. 



Growing on the old leaves in dense woods. New York, 

 Peck ; Pennsylvania, Schweinitz ; Ohio, Morgan; Wisconsin, 

 Trelease. Peridium Y^-iY^ inches in diameter, scarcely more 

 than an inch in height. My specimenSj which are abundant, 

 agree exactly with European specimens of L. ecJiinatiiam, 

 Pers; furthermore L. cotistellatuni, Fr., does not appear to be 

 separable as a distinct species. 



2. L. PUiXHERRiMUM, B. & C. Peridium usually obovoid, 

 sometimes subturbinate. with a short stout base ; the mycelium 

 forming a thick cord-like root. Cortex consi.sting of very long 



