56 



NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN. 



gelatinous hyphal development. From the (6) inner perid- 

 ium the collenchymatous layer is separated by a soft, loose 

 hvphal tissue which may be called (5) the layer of cleavage. 

 At maturity in consequence of the swelling of the colloid 

 layer the outer peridium breaks up in stellate fashion, while 

 the cleavage layer remains hanging in form of deciduous flakes, 

 partly to the colloid layer and partly to the inner peridium. 

 In some cases, as in G. fornicatus the outermost mycelial 

 envelope becomes strongly developed enclosing in its growth 

 particles of surrounding earth and various fragments of organic 

 matter as in Catastoma, and, at the separation of the peridium 

 from the fibrous envelope, becomes detached and forms 

 beneath the latter an open empty sac. Upon the hygrosco- 

 picity of the colloid layer, which is very great in the case of 

 G. hygrometricus, depends the peculiar property which some 

 species possess of expanding in moist weather and closing up 

 again when it becomes dry. 



TABLE OF SPECIES OF GEASTER. 



A. Inner peridium pedicellate. 



a. Mouth sulcate-plicate. i. G. fornicatus. 



b. Mouth ciliate-timbriate. 2. G. limbatus. 



B. Inner peridium sessile. 



a. Mouth ciliate-fimbriate. 



i. Segments 4-6 3. G. triplex. 



2. Segments 6-9 4. G. saccatus. 



/>. Mouth sulcate-plicate. 5. G. striatus. 



c. Mouth lacerate 6. G. hygrometricls. 



i. Geaster limbatus Ft. 



Outer peridium deeply parted into several segments, at 

 length reflexed, dry, leathery, within dark brown at length 

 yellow or grayish brown, about 4-5 in. in diameter; inner 

 peridium about one inch in diameter, on a short, thick, gen- 

 erally compressed pedicel gradually widening into the apophy- 

 sis which appears at the base of the globose, generally de- 

 pressed, brownish inner peridium; mouth ciliate-fimbriate, 

 depressed conical in a paler circular areole; capillitium and 

 spores dark brown; columella prominent; capillitial threads 



