THE PUFFBALLS 



559 



Catastoma circumscissum. B. & C. 



Circumscissum means divided into halves. 



The peridium is usually round, more or less depressed, commonly rough 

 because of the soil attached ; the larger part of the plant remaining in the soil as 

 a cup; the upper part with the inner peridium, depressed-globose, thin, pallid, 

 becoming gray, with branny 



scales, with a small basal mouth. 

 A thin spongy layer will fre- 

 quently be seen between the outer 

 and inner peridium. The mass 

 of the spores is olivaceous, chang- 

 ing to pale-brown. The spores 

 are round, minutely warted, 

 4-5/x. in diameter, often with very 

 short pedicels. 



The plants are usually found in 

 pastures along paths. I have 

 seen them in several parts of 

 Ohio. They are found from 

 Maine to the western mountains. 

 This is called Bovista circum- 

 scissa by Berkeley. 



There is a species of a western 

 range called C. subterraneum. 

 This differs mainly in having larger spores. It seems to be confined to the middle 

 west. However, it does not grow under the ground, as its name would suggest. 



There is also another species called C. pedicellatum. This species seems to 

 be confined to the southern states and differs mainly in the spores having marked 

 pedicels and closely warted. 



Photo by C. G. Lloyd. 

 Figure 478. Catastoma circumscissum. 



Podaxinccc. 



This tribe is characterized by having a stalk continuous with the apex of the 

 peridium, forming an axis. Some of the plants are short stalked, some long 

 stalked. The tribe forms a natural connecting link between the Gastromycetes 

 and the Agarics. Thus : Podaxon is a true Gastromycetes, with capillitia mixed with 

 spores ; Caulogossum, with its permanent gleba chambers, is close to the Hymeno- 

 gasters ; Secotium is only a step from Caulogossum, the tramal plates being more 

 sinuate-lamellate ; and Montagnites, which is usually placed with the Agarics, is 

 only a Gyrophramium with the plates truly lamellate. 



