SCLERODERMA 49 



sharply separated from the gleba. Gleba at length becoming pulverulent. 

 Basidia pear-shaped, to clavate, bearing 2-5, shortly pedicellate spores. 

 Capillitium rudimentary, the remains of the sterile veins. Spores 

 coloured, globose, echinulate, verrucose, or reticulate. Superficial. 



*Spores reticulate. 



76. S. aurantium Pers. (= Sderoderma vulgare (Hornem.) Fr.) Berk. 



Outl. Brit. Fung. t. 15, fig. 4, as Sderoderma vulgare Fr. in text. 



Aurantium, golden. 



Pe. 5-15 cm., whitish, or yellowish, often becoming pink when cut, 

 globose, subsessile, or substipitate, often depressed, verrucose, or 

 broken up into minute, rigid scales; peridium thick, tough, often 

 attached by a dense mass of cord-like mycelium at the base. Gleba 

 greyish white, then blackish with a purple tinge, tramal plates white. 

 Dehiscing by an irregular mouth. Spores blackish with a purple tinge, 

 reticulate with small meshes, verrucose, globose, 8-12^. Smell often 

 somewhat unpleasant. Woods, heaths, and under trees. July Jan. 

 Common, (v.v.) 



var. laevigatum (Fuck.) W. G. Sm. Laevigatum, made smooth. 



Differs from the type in the even, smooth peridium. Woods and 

 heaths. Sept. Oct. Not uncommon, (v.v.) 



var. aurantiacum (Bull.) W. G. Sm. Aurantiacum, golden. 



Differs from the type in its brassy yellow colour. Woods. Sept. 

 Oct. Not uncommon, (v.v.) 



var. spadiceum (Pers.) W. G. Sm. Spadiceum, date brown. 



Differs from the type in its smooth, date brown peridium. Beech 

 woods. Sept. Uncommon, (v.v.) 



var. cervinum (Pers.) W. G. Sm. Cervinum, fawn colour. 



Differs from the type in its small size, and granular surface. Coni- 

 ferous woods. Uncommon. 



77. S. Bovista Fr. Hollos, Gasteromyc. Ung. t. 23, figs. 16-20. 



Bofist, puff-ball. 



Pe. 2-5 cm., yellowish, subsessile, obovate, often irregular, thin, 

 pliant, smooth, or slightly scaly, sometimes breaking away in 

 patches, rarely substipitate, springing from a dense mass of cord- 

 like mycelium at the base. Gleba olive brown; tramal plates yellow, 

 floccose, the flocci with clamp connections. Dehiscing by an irregular 

 mouth. Spores olive brown, reticulate with large meshes, verrucose, 

 surrounded by an irregular, transparent border, globose, 10-1 3 p. 

 Sandy soil in woods, and on heaths. Sept. Nov. Uncommon. 

 (v.v.) 



