TYLOSTOMEAE. 



The Tylostomeae embrace all Gastromycetes with dry spores, hav- 

 ing peridia borne on distinct stalks that are not prolonged as axes. As 

 thus denned it is a very natural tribe f of "puff balls," differing from 

 the Podaxineae which also have the peridia borne on stalks which, how- 

 ever, are continuous as axes of the gleba to the apices of the peridia. 



GENERA OF TYLOSTOMEAE. 



We would divide the tribe into six genera, as follows : 

 Peridium without definite mouth, 



Volva none Queletia. 



Volva thick, permanent Dictyocephalos. 



Volva not permanent Schizostoma. 



Peridium opening circumscissilly, 



Gleba with capillitium and "annulated cells" Battarrea. 



Gleba without these characters Battarreopsis. 



Peridium with definite mouths, 



Peridium seated on the broad apex of the stipe Chlampdopus. 



Stipe inserted into a "socket" at base of peridium .... Tylostoma. 



The Genus Queletia. 



This genus consists of a single known species. It may be likened 

 to a huge Tylostoma, having the same colored gleba, and the stipe 

 inserted into a "socket" at the base of the peridium. The peridium 

 does not have a definite mouth, but breaks irregularly after the manner 

 of a Calvatia. The genus could be described in the same general terms 

 as the genus Schizostoma, but the plants are quite different. Queletia 

 is widely different from Tylostoma in general appearance, size, etc. 

 Schizostoma is a good Tylostoma save as to dehiscence. 



QUELETIA MIRABILIS (Plate 10. also Fig. 77, page 185). 

 Plants from 3 to 7 cm. in diameter, stem 8 to 15. cm. long. Cortex 

 apparently a thin, white coat that breaks up into granular particles and 

 mostly disappears from old specimens. Endoperidium firm, hard, brown, 

 breaking open irregularly when mature. Stem inserted into a "socket" 

 at base of peridium, thick, ragged with the shreddy scales of a fibrillose 

 cortex. Gleba dark, rusty brown. Capillitium light colored, subhyaline 

 under the microscope, tubular, branched. Spores globose, coarsely 

 warted, 5-6 mic. 



t Monsieur Patouillard tells me "c'est peu rationnel" to include in the same 

 tribe Chlamydopus and Dictyocephalos, which have permanent basidia, with 

 Tylostoma, etc., the basidia of which are quite different, and he is probably right. 

 As Ions, however, as the basidia of so few "puff balls" are known, I can not con- 

 sider it practicable to make them the basis of classification in these plants. 



