142 Ciiiciniiaii Society of A'a/ura/ /fistory. 



.6-.8 mm. in extent, three to five times branched, the main 

 stem 6-8 mic. in thickness, the branches tapering ; spores 

 globose or oval, even, 4-5 mic. in length by 3.5-4 mic. in 

 breadth, with long hyaline persistent pedicels. See Plate 

 v., Figs. I, 2, 3. 



Growing on the ground in old pastures in fields and open 

 woods. South Xl^arolina, Ravcnel, Atkinson; Florida, Brou-n ; 

 Mississippi, Tracy: Louisiana, /Mn^/ois; Ohio, Morgan; 

 Indiana, Gentry; Illinois, ScJnicck ; Missouri, Trclcase. 

 Peridium i ' j-3 inches in diameter and about the same in 

 height. This is Mycenastriun 0/iiense, Ell. & Mor. Journal 

 of Mycology, Vol. I, p. 89. 



Genus XI. — C.vt.vstom.v, Morg., nov. gen. 



Mycelium filamentous, proceeding from all parts of the 

 surface. Peridium subglobose, without a thickened base ; 

 cortex a fragile coat of loosely interwoven hyphac, after ma- 

 turity torn asunder, leaving the lower part in the ground and 

 a cap-shaped portion adherent above ; inner peridium sub- 

 coriaceous, dehi.scent by a basal aperture. Capillitium orig- 

 inating from the inner surface of the peridium ; the threads 

 long, branched, subhyaline, after maturity gradually breaking 

 up into short pieces, which appear among the spores as free, 

 short, simple or scarcely branched threads with blunt extremi- 

 ties; spores globo.se, warted, pale-brown, sessile or pedicellate. 



PufFballs growing just beneath the surface of the ground 

 and connected immediately with it by filamentous threads, 

 which issue from every part of the cortex : after maturity, 

 when the peridium breaks away, the lower ])art of the outer 

 coat is held fast by the soil, while the upper portion, which 

 has attained the surface, remains, covering the inner peridium 

 like a cap or inverted cup ; consecpiently the apparent apex at 

 which the mouth is situated is the actual base of the plant as 

 it grows. The capillitium threads are similar to the densely 

 interwoven hypha.-, which form the inner peridium and are 

 evidently branches of tliem radiating into the interior. It is 

 plain that the affinities of these plants are clo.sest with 

 Tylostoma and Astrceus, but the needs of a systematic arrange- 

 ment, according to more obvious characters, causes us to place 

 them next lo Hovista. 



