THE "GEMMATUM" SECTION. 



LYCOPERDON GEMMATUM (Plate 46). Plants usually 

 turbinate, with a globose head, and a cylindrical well developed base. 

 It takes a number of forms, sometimes more globose with a thicker 

 stem, sometimes more elongated, almost cylindrical ; sometimes it is 

 distinctly lacunose. Cortex of soldered warts like little "gems" that 

 fall away and leave scars on the peridium.f These warts vary in shape. 

 Some have a thickened base tapering rather abruptly to slender apex ; 

 most are thick and pyramidal. All are surrounded at the base by a 

 circle of minute spinules which remain after the wart has fallen form- 

 ing the "scar." In old weathered specimens these spinules finally fall 

 away leaving the old peridium smooth. Lycoperdon gemmatum can 

 always be easily recognized by these peculiar soldered warts or the 

 scars where they have fallen. Sterile base usually well developed of 

 large cells. Columella prominent. Capillitium colored,} branched 

 threads. Gleba olivaceous, then brown. Spores small 4 mic. minutely 

 rough. 



This is one of the two very common species of Lycoperdon in all 

 temperate countries. It grows usually on ground in woods, rarely on 

 logs. Sometimes it is caespitose, generally more scattered. The 

 various forms are hardly worth separate mention. Yellow forms are 

 not rare. I have often collected a little rigid form in clayey soil. 

 When particularly robust the plant is usually lacunose. 



SYNONYMS.- There seems to be a tradition among writers 

 that there is a Lycoperdon perlatum that should be separated from 

 Lycoperdon gemmatum. I never could grasp the difference between 

 them. Persoon's specimens of perlatum are the ordinary form of gem- 

 matum tout-a-fait. There is also a tradition that there is a plant differ- 

 ing from gemmatum that should be called Lycoperdon excipuli forme. 

 I do not know the plant but Scopoli based this name on Vaillant's 

 figure, surely of Lycoperdon gemmatum. If there is such a plant it 

 should be given another name. 



Specimens in our Collection. 



Sweden, L. Romell, Erik Haglund, C. G. Lloyd. 

 Denmark, J. Lind. England, Annie L. Smith, Wm. L. W. Eyre. 

 BelgiWK, Madame Rousseau, C. Vam Bambeke. 

 Germany, Johanna Schultze-Wege, W. Krueger, Otto Jaap. 

 Switzerland, Denis Cruchet. 



tl hold that all specimens with "soldered" warts that I have seen belong to this species. 

 I do not know whether the warts of this species are really "soldered" from originally separate 

 spines or whether the usual spines of other species are split by the growth of the peridium from 

 one original "soldered" wart. It is a question that can only be settled by a series of observa- 

 tions and cross sections of the warts of the cuticle of very young specimens. Observations of 

 the mature plants would tend to the latter conclusion and Prof. Massee who has done some 

 work in this line tells me it is his conclusion. However, that that may be, Lycoperdon gem- 

 matum is the only species to my mind where large warts remain "soldered" oil the mature 

 plant. 



{When the spores are shaken out the capillitium both of gemmatum and piriforme has a 

 whitish appearance to the eye. 



In water under a quarter objective they appear smooth. Boiled in lactic acid to swell 

 the epispore minute spines can be seen. One author describes the spores of Lycoperdon gem- 

 matum as smooth in one of his books and as rough in another. Smoothness or roughness of 

 Lycoperdon spores is largely a question of magnification. To my mind a spore to be called rough 

 should be plainly seen to be rough mounted in a drop of water and under a quarter objective. 



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