PUFF-BALLS. 



woods, or in open places on the ground, usually. 



its characteristic top shape, the more or less erect sc 



surface intermingled with smaller ones, the larger 



and leaving circular scars over the surface, which | 



late appearance. The plants are white, becoming da 



ish brown when mature. They vary 



in size from 3-7 cm. high to 2-5 cm. 



broad. They are more or less top- ^ 



shaped, and the stem, which is stout, S 



is sometimes longer than the rounded to 



portion, which is the fruiting part. ? 



The outer part of the wall (outer ^ 



peridium) when quite young sep- 8 



arates into warts or scales of varying g. 



size, large ones arranged quite reg- 



ularly with smaller ones between. ^ 



These warts are well shown in the 3 



two plants at the left in Fig. 210, and | 



the third plant from the left shows ' 



the reticulations formed of numerous ^ 



scars on the inner peridium where ^ 



the larger scales have fallen away. ^ 



The plant at the extreme right is ^ 

 mature, and the inner peridium has a 

 ruptured at the apex to permit the ^ 

 escape of the spores. The spore J 

 mass, together with brownish threads g 

 which are intermingled, are greenish a 

 yellow with an olive tinge, then they -^ 

 become pale brown. The spores are 

 rounded, 3.5-4.5 // in diameter, ^ 

 smooth or minutely warted. |' 



Another small puff-ball every- ^ 

 where common in woods is the Lyco- Q 

 perdon pyriforme, so called because of ^ 

 its pear shape. It grows on very ^ 

 rotten wood or on decaying logs in 

 woods or groves, or in open places 



where there is rotting wood. It is somewhat smaller than the 

 gem-bearing lycoperdon, is almost sessile, sometimes many crowded 

 very close together, and especially is it characterized by prominent 

 root-like white strands of mycelium which are attached to the base 



