4: KEY TO GASTEROMYCETALES 



HYSTERANGIACEAE. 



Peridium globose, separable. Gleba cartilaginous, or] 

 mucilaginous, cavities at first empty / yste 



HYMENOGASTRACEAE. 



A. Peridium without external mycelial strands. 

 Spores elliptical to fusiform, with a prominent) 

 papilla; sterile base well developed J 

 Spore globose, or broadly elliptical, echinulate, 

 or verrucose. 



Tramal plates splitting, sterile base well de-) 

 veloped } 



Tramal plates not splitting, no sterile base Hydnangium. 



B. Peridium with external mycelial strands; glebal ,->, . 

 cavities at first hollow, spores elliptical, smooth J 



LYCOPERD ACE AE . 



A. Exoperidium consisting of a pseudo-parenchy- 

 matous layer. 



1. Capillitium threads attached to the peridium,1 



or the columella, not consisting of a distinct stem \ Lycoperdon. 

 and branches 



2. Capillitium threads free, consisting of a distinct 

 stem and pointed branches. 



Sterile base present Bovistella. 



Sterile base absent Bovista. 



B. Exoperidium consisting of a pseudo-parenchy- 

 matous layer, and a fibrous layer, splitting open 

 in a star-like manner. 



Endoperidium with many stems, and dehiscing! 

 by many mouths / 



Endoperidium with a single stem, or sessile, } t 

 and dehiscing by a single mouth J 



NlDULARIACEAE. 



Peridium subglobose, of one layer, without an epi-j 



phragm. Peridiola without a funiculus J 



Peridium cup-shaped, of two layers, with an epi-l 



phragm. Peridiola attached by a papilla to thej- Crucibulum. 



funiculus 



1 Cf. Astraeus. 



