This plant is one of the mysteries of the puff ball world. It is 

 only known from four collections (all undoubtedly abventitious) , two 

 made in France, one in England and one in the United States. (Cfr. 

 Mycological Notes, pages 135, 185 and 217.) 



SPECIMENS ix OUR COLLECTION. 



Pennsylvania, Dr. Wm. Herbst. 

 France, Prof. N. Patouillard. 



The Genus Dictyocephalos. 



This is a curious genus, known from a single collection. It has 

 a thick volva, remaining as a cup at the base of the stem. A thick, 

 woody stem, thickening above and bearing a thick, flattened, pyramidal 

 peridium. 



DICTYOCEPHALOS CURVATUS (Plate 11). Volva thick, 

 persisting as a cup at base of stem. Stem long, hard, woody, tapering 

 to the base and bearing the peridium on its broad apex. Peridium 

 thick, rough, hard, flattened, pyramid in shape (supposed) to rupture 

 irregularly. Capillitium septate, colored, branched. Spores subglobose, 

 5-6 mic., warted. 



This curious plant was collected bv E. Bethel in 1897 at Colorow, 

 Colorado. The plants grew in alkaline, adobe soil in a semi-desert 

 region. The specimens are preserved in the Ellis collection at the New 

 York Botanical Garden and no others are known. (Cfr. Myc. Notes, 

 page 136.) 



The Genus Schizostoma. 



Plants resembling the genus Tylostoma, and having the stem inserted 

 in a socket at base of peridium. Peridium thin, fragile, not opening by 

 a definite mouth, but breaking into fragments as the peridium of the 

 genus Calvatia. 



SCHIZOSTOMA LACERATUM (Plate 20). Stem long, cylin- 

 drical, inserted into a socket at base of peridium. Cortex almost com- 

 pletely disappearing from mature plant. Peridium thin, fragile, the 

 upper portion breaking away irregularly in dehiscing. Capillitium long, 

 tortuose, intertwined, aseptate, deeply colored, branching threads. Spores 

 globose, 4-5 mic.. finely warted. 



This plant appears to be frequent in equatorial Africa and the 

 original type specimens are found in the museum at Berlin, also abun- 

 dant collections by Schweinfurth in recent years. (Cfr. Myc. Notes, 

 page 192.) 



SYNONYMS. Tylostoma laceratum (Fr. Syst. 3. 44), Tylostoma Scluvdn- 

 furthi (Eng. Jahr. 14-359), Tylostoma Karnbackii (Mss. .name). 



SPECIMENS IN OUR COLLECTION. 

 Africa, collected by Schweinfurth and given us by Dr. Hemiin^s. 



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