Lycoperdacess 



GENUS XI. CATAS'TOMA Morg. 



Puff-balls growing just beneath the surface of the ground and con- Catastoma. 

 nected immediately with it by filamentous threads, which issue from 

 every part of the cortex; after maturity, when the peridium breaks 

 away, the lower part of the outer coat is held fast by the soil, while the 

 upper portion which has attained the surface remains, covering the in- 

 ner peridium like a cap or inverted cup ; consequently the apparent 

 apex at which the mouth is situated is the actual base of the plant as it 

 grows. The capillitium threads are similar to the densely interwoven 

 hyphas, which form the inner peridium and are evidently branches of 

 them radiating from the interior. It is plain that the affinities of these 

 plants are closest with Tylostoma and Astrasus, but the needs of a sys- 

 tematic arrangement, according to more obvious characters, causes us 

 to place them next to Bo vista. Morgan. 



( Plate CLXXVIII . ) Peridium sub- 



(Plate CLXXVIII.) 



C. circumscis'sum B. and C 



globose, more or less de- 

 pressed and often quite ir- 

 regular; cortex thickish, fra- 

 gile, usually rough and uneven 

 from the adhering soil, after 

 maturity torn away, leaving 

 the lower two-thirds or more 

 in the ground ; inner peridium 

 depressed - globose, subcori- 

 aceous, rather thin, pallid, be- 

 coming gray, minutely furfu- 

 raceous, with a small regular 



basal mouth. Mass of spores and capillitium soft, compact, then friable, 

 olivaceous, changing to pale brown; the pieces of the threads short, 

 unequal in length, flexuous, hyaline, 3-4f. in thickness. Spores glo- 

 bose, minutely warted, 4 5/u. in diameter, often with a minute pedicel. 



Growing in heavy clay soil in old lanes and pastures, especially along 

 the hard-trodden paths. 



Maine, Blake; Ohio, Morgan; "Kansas, Kellerman; Nebraska, Webber. 



Inner peridium K % in. in diameter. 



This is Bovista circumscissa B. and C., of Berkeley's Notices of 

 39 609 



CATASTOMA CIRCUMSCISSUM. 

 Showing method of growth, breaking away 

 and turning over. Section of same showing 

 origin of the threads of the capillitium. 

 (After Morgan.) 



