560 



MUSHROOMS, EDIBLE AND OTHERWISE 



KIJY TO THE GENERA. 



Gleba with irregular, persistent chambers 



Peridium, elongated club-shaped Cauloglossum. 



Peridium, round or conical, and dehiscing by breaking 



away at the base Secotium. 



Gleba with sinuate-lamellate plates Gyrophragmium. 



Walls of gleba chambers not persistent Podaxon. 



Lloyd. 



Secotium. Kuns. 



This is a very interesting genus. When I found my first specimen I was 

 much in doubt whether it was an Agaric or a puffball, as it seemed to be a sort of 

 connecting link between the two classes. The genus is divided into' smooth-spored 

 and rough-spored species, both having a stalk continuing, as an axis, to the apex 

 of the plant. The peridium is round or conical and it dehisces by breaking away 

 at the base. Secotium is from a Greek word meaning chamber. 



Figure 479. Secotium acuminatum. Life size of small specimens. 



Secotium acuminatum. Montague. 



This is an exceedingly variable species, as found about Chillicothe, yet the 

 variability extends only to the outward appearance of the plant; some are almost 

 round, slightly depressed, some (and a large majority) are inclined to be irregu- 

 larly cone-shaped. 



The peridium is light-colored, of a soft texture, not brittle ; it slowly expels 

 its spores by breaking away at the base; the stalk is usually short, but distinct 

 and prolonged to the apex of the peridium, forming an axis for the gleba. The 



