I860.] CHAPTERS ON FUNGI. 179 



tomentose, at first ochraceous, then ferruginous, within smooth 

 and of a pallid yellow-brown. — Grev. Sc. Crypt. Fl. t. 34. 



A very curious and pretty little Fungus. The peridia, which 

 are gregarious, are from j to 5 inch high, and are at first closed 

 by a kind of lid or membrane. When this separates, the lenti- 

 cular sporangia are discovered lying in the bottom of tlie cup- 

 shaped peridium, like eggs in the nest of a bird. 



It grows on pieces of decaying fir- wood, straws, sticks, etc., 

 but is not a common plant by any means. The general colour 

 is an oclirey yellow. 



Suborder 5. Trichogastres. 



A generally-known group, containing the Pufi'-buUs and allied 

 Fungi. The substance is at first fleshy, but at maturity becomes 

 a dusty mass of threads and spores. The peridium, which is 

 either simple or compound, generally bursts at the summit when 

 the plant is ripe, aud the spores are dispersed by the atmospheric 

 influences. 



I shall instance two genera, Geaster and Lycoperdon. 



Geaster. 



Peridium double, outer distinct, persistent, splitting into star- 

 like expanding rays. 



Geaster limbatus, Fr. Multijid starry Pvff-ball. Outer 

 peridium coriaceous, multifid, expanded -, inner subpyriform, pe- 

 dunculate; mouth fimbriato-pilose, depressed, subacute. — Grev. 

 Sc. Crypt. Fl. t. 306. 



Woods and hedge-banks ; not common. 



At first globular and tomentose, and sunk in the ground. In 

 its progress to maturity the outer peridium bursts and expands 

 into several unequal segments, exposing the inner one, which is 

 slightly stipitate, and has a conical orifice composed of striated 

 segments, terminating in small woolly tufts. This inner peri- 

 dium contains a mass of dark purplish-brown spores and fila- 

 ments {flocci) . The whole plant when mature is of a pale red- 

 dish or dingy grey. 



A beautiful Fungus, but rare. There are several other British 

 species, but all apparently rare also. There is a good figure of 

 the plant in Greville. 



