Lycoperdaceee 



k. Cortex of minute spinules, scales or granules. Lignatile. Page 603. Lycoperdon. 

 B. PERIDIUM VERY SMALL, GLOBOSE, THE SUBGLEBA NEARLY OBSOLETE. 



/. Cortex a thin coat of minute spinules, scales or granules. Page 

 604. Morgan, 



I. PURPLE-SPORED SERIES. 



(ja) Cortex consisting of very long convergent spines ; denuded 

 peridium smooth . 



L. echina'tum Pers. prickly. (L. Peck' ii Morg. ) ( Plate CLVI, fig. 

 2, p. 568.) Peridium % 1) in. broad, subglobose, generally nar- 

 rowed below into a short stem-like base, whitish brownish or pinkish- 

 brown, echinate above with rather stout spines, which at length fall off 

 and leave the surface smooth ; toward the base spinulose or furfuraceous ; 

 capillitium and spores dingy-olive. Spores minutely rough, 4ft in dia- 

 meter. 



Ground and decaying wood in woods. Albany, Forestburg and 

 Adirondack mountains. August to October. 



The whole plant is generally obovate, pyriform or turbinate, and the 

 spines are larger and more or less curved at and near the apex, dimin- 

 ishing in size toward the base where they are more persistent. In the 

 immature condition it is difficult to distinguish it from L. pediceltetum ; 

 but when mature its smooth peridium and spores destitute of pedicels 

 separate it. Peck, 32d Rep. N. Y. State Bot. 



L. echinatum appears to be common to all the states. August to 

 frost. It is frequent but not abundant. Raw the taste is slight. Cooked 

 it is tender and of good flavor. 



L. pulcher'rimum B. and C. (L. Frost' ii Pk.) Peridium usually 



obovoid, sometimes subturbinate, with a short stout base; the mycelium 

 forming a thick cord-like root. Cortex consisting of very long white 

 spines, converging and often coherent at the apex; the spines at length 

 fall away from the upper part of the peridium, leaving the inner perid- 

 ium with a smooth purplish-brown shining surface, sometimes faintly 

 reticulated. Subgleba occupying about a third part of the peridium; 

 mass of spores and capillitium at first olivaceous, then brownish-purple; 

 the threads much branched, the main stem thicker than the spores, the 



591 



