REPORT OF THE BOTANIST. . 67 
is generally about one inch in diameter, and obovate, pyriform or subturbinate 
in shape. To the naked eye it appears to be smooth, or only mealy, or mi- 
nutely papillose; but under a lense it is seen to be covered with minute, 
granular, or branny warts. These, in all the specimens that I have seen, are 
persistent. The character of the warts and the different color of the peri- 
dium enable this species to be easily distinguished from the preceding one, 
to the smaller and smoother forms of which it otherwise approaches. 
* * Spores olive-tinted o7 brown. 
a. Plant shaggy or echinate. 
Lycorerpon Wricuti B. dC. Wricnt’s Pourv-Batt. 
Peridium globose depressed-globose or lentiform, 6’’—24" in diameter, gen- 
erally sessile, white or whitish, echinate with deciduous sometimes crowded 
stellate spines or pyramidal warts, when denuded smooth or minutely velvety ; 
capillitium and spores dingy-olive, columella present ; spores smooth, .00016/ 
in deameter. Edible. 
Ground in pastures and grassy places. Very common. July—October. 
This is another very variable species. The typical form was a small one, 
minutely echinate and having the denuded peridium smooth. The plant often 
occurs much larger and more coarsely echinate with stout angular spines or 
pyramidal warts which fall off and generally leave the surface of the peridium 
velvety. This larger form was published in the Twenty-sixth Report of the 
N. Y. State Museum under the name Lycoperdon separans, but it is impos- 
sible to keep the two forms distinct. The larger ones sometimes have the 
denuded peridium smooth and there are other forms intermediate in the size 
and roughness of the peridium. I have therefore modified the specific descrip- 
tion so as to include both forms. 
Another puff-ball occurs which is probably a variety of this species but of 
which I haye seen only immature specimens. It is of a purer white color and 
has the warts or spines tipped with black. For the present I have placed it 
with this species as a variety. Itis probable that L. calvescens B. & C., is 
merely another form of this species differing simply in having a stem-like 
base. The following are the characters of the varieties noticed : 
Var. typicum. Small, 6/’-9” broad, globose, minutely echinate, the warts 
quickly falling off and leaving the peridium smooth. (. Wrightii B. & C.) 
Var. separans. Larger, 10''—24’ broad, subglobose or lentiform, echinate 
with coarse substellate spines or pyramidal warts which at length fall off and 
leave the peridium smooth or velvety. (L. separans Pk.) 
Var. atropunctum. Larger, 10’ -15’ broad, subglobose, pure white, warts 
or coarse spines brown or blackish at the tips. 
This species is generally gregarious, but sometimes it forms tufts of several 
individuals closely crowded together. It sometimes occurs in cultivated 
grounds and stubble fields. The under surface is occasionally plicate as in 
the Long-stemmed puff-ball. In the variety separans the warts or spines are 
crowded at their thickened bases and slightly attached to each other so that 
they come off at maturity in flakes or patches. When the denuded surface 
of the peridium is velvety it is usually of a darker color than when smooth, 
being subcinnamon, reddish-brown or dark-brown. 
