All the previous plants have thin peridia of the same nature both as to 

 peridia and cortex as the genus Lycoperdon. The two following are quite dif- 

 ferent in having much more rigid and almost smooth peridia. 



BOVISTELLA AMMOPHILA (Plate 87). Peridium thin, 

 rigid, brittle, smooth, with a long tap root. Sterile base of large cells, 

 firm, rigid, occupying about one-third the interior. Gleba dark brown. 

 Capillitium of separate, short, branched, deeply colored threads. Spores 

 oval, smooth, 4-5 mic., with slender, tapering pedicels. 



But one fragmentary specimen of this plant is known, (See Plate 

 87, fig. 7) collected in the sand near Bordeaux, France, by Leveille, 

 and preserved in the museum at Paris. Not much remains of the speci- 

 mens but the sterile base, which is more firm and rigid than I have 

 ever seen in any other puff ball. The cortex of the plant appears to be 

 smooth. 



BOVISTELLA JAPONICA (Plate 88). Peridium firm, rigid, 

 with a strong, rooting base. Cortex of minute, nodular, fasciculate 

 seines resembling in surface that of undressed 

 leather (Fig. 125 enlarged). Sterile base of 

 large cells (soft not rigid as in previous 

 species), occupying about half of the interior 

 of the peridium. Gleba light olive. Capilli- 

 tium separate, much branched, light colored 

 threads. Spores globose, 4-5 mic., smooth 

 with slender pedicels. 



This plant is closely allied to the previous, Fig. 126 



differing in spores, size, cortex and in not having a rigid sterile base. 

 ; Specimen collected at Sapporo, Japan, by Kingo ^Miyabe. 



SPECIMENS IN OUR COLLECTION. 

 Japan, Kingo Miyabe. 



Section 2. Bovistella-Lycoperdon. 



Capillitium long, intertwined threads. Spores pedicellate. Sterile base well- 

 ! developed. Plants of this section can be called either Bovistella or Lycoperdon, 

 and we would have no quarrel with any one who may adopt either of these views. 

 j We are quite willing to concede that the capillitium character of a Lycoperdon 

 j is a stronger character than the spore character of a Bovistella. At the same 

 : time the genus Lycoperdon is a large and unwieldy genus, and we feel it sim- 

 j plifies matters much to take out from it a natural section and place it in another 

 ; genus with which the section agrees in a prominent character and in which it 

 . disagrees from the remainder of the genus Lycoperdon. 



BOVISTELLA AUSTRALIANS (Plates 33 and 70). Plant 



with a well developed base of large cells. Cortex minute, nodular, fur- 



furaceous. Peridium becoming smooth when old. Gleba olive umber. 



', Capillitium long, branched threads with pointed branches. Spores glo- 



; bose, smooth, 4 mic. with slender pedicels, 12-15 mic. 



This is a small species with a strong tap root. The shape varies 

 from subglobose to somewhat elongated as shown in our plate. There 

 I is a corresponding variance in the development of the sterile base. It 

 appears to be the most frequent species of Bovistella in Australia. 



281 



