The following two species fuscum and cupricum belong to the atropurpureum 

 section, but the average spores are smaller and it is rarely one notes the typical 

 purple color of the g!eba."t These two species are really color forms of the 

 same species. 



LYCOPERDOX FUSCUM (Plate 45). Plants vary much as 

 to shape from little, globose specimens with scanty sterile base to long 

 stemmed specimens, the stem often lacunose. Cortex of minute, fascic- 

 ulate, black spines falling away and leaving the dark surface smooth. 

 Gleba dark umber, rarely purplish. Spores 5-6 mic. rough. 



The characters of the plant are its dark color and its habits. It 

 grows in woods usually over fallen, decayed leaves. The character of 

 the plant being color, and color being a bad character, it follows that 

 light colored forms with same cortex are more apt to be referred to 

 umbrinum. 



SPECIMENS IN OUR COLLECTION. 



Canada, Rev. P. Lemay, John Dearness; Maine, P. L. Ricker, H. C. Beards- 

 lee; New Hampshire, Hollis Webster; Massachusetts, F. L. Sargent, S. S. Davis; 

 Pennsylvania. Mrs. Geo. M. Dal'as; Illinois, Dr. L. H. Watscn; Washington, 

 D. C.. Fred J. Braendle, H. E. Warner; West Virginia, W. H. Walmesly, C. G. 

 Lloyd; Florida, C. H. Baker. 



LYCOPERDOX DRYIXUM* (Plate 59). This is a little, sub- 

 globose form of Lycoperdon fuscum agreeing in habits, color and cortex 

 but having very little or no sterile base. It bears the same relation to 

 L. fuscum that L. pusillum does to L. polymorphum. The spores are 

 smaller and smoother. It seems to be a rare form and we have but 

 two collections of it.J 



SPECIMENS IN OUR COLLECTION. 



Ohio. A. P. Morgan (Type). W. C. Dawson. 



LYCOPERDOX CUPRICUM (Plate 45). This plant is only 

 a color form of Lycoperdon fuscum. In its typical form it is a marked 

 plant, the smooth peridium after the fall of the cortex is bright copper 

 color, and resembles a sheet of copper. I have seen but two typical 

 collections from this country, || both western mountain forms. 



SPECIMENS IN OUR COLLECTION. 

 Colorado (Pike's Peak), Chas. E. Bessey; California (Quincy), E. P. Ely. 



LYCOPERDOX EXIMIUM (Plate 59). Prof. Morgan has 

 kindly given me two specimens of this plant, collected by Underwood 

 in Alabama. They are characterized by the oval spores (see silhouette 



t collected abundantly Lycoperdon fuscum one season at Eglon, W. Va., and only saw a 

 very few specimens in which I could detect any purplish tinge to the gleba. 



I It illustrates the dependence that can be placed on spore characters alone. It was de- 

 scribed as having spores even and the gleba olivaceous, both being correct, and no one would 

 think of placing it in the atropurpureum section. Yet to me it is certainly only a depauperate 

 form of fuscum. Recently we have had a new Geaster described (G. leptospermus , and much 

 stress placed on its smooth spores. I can see in it only a little reduced form of G. coronatus, 

 and the plant to my mind being depauperate in other respects the same as L. dryinum, I see no 

 reason why the spores should not be depauperate. 



|| The specimens from New Jersey on which the previous record of this plant in this 

 country has been based ; while yellowish beneath, I think are closer to rimulatum, at least one 

 of the specimens in its cortex. 



227 



