318 



PART III. THE CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS. 



Fam. 2. Sclerodermece. The structure of the compound gonidiophore is 

 essentially the same as that of the preceding family, but it is not subter- 

 ranean. 



Principal genera : 

 Scleroderma, Polysac- 

 cum. 



Fam. 3. Nidulariea. 

 The peridium is dehis- 

 cent at the apex. The 

 tramal tissue of the gleba 

 undergoes mucilaginous 

 degeneration and dis- 

 appears, leaving the by- 

 menium -bearing cham- 

 bers as closed indehis- 

 cent vesicles (peridiola), 

 either lying free (Nidu- 

 laria) in the vase -shaped 

 peridium, or loosely 

 attached to its inner 

 surface by strands (funi- 

 culi) of hyphae (Cyathus, 

 Crucibulum, Fig. 224 



FIG. 223. Part of the hymenium of Eussula rubra : sh sub- 

 hymem'al layer; 6 basidiuiri; s sterigma; sp basidiogonidia ; 

 p parapbyses ; c a cystidium. ( x 540 : after Strasburger.) 



CD). 



Fam. 4. Lycoperdeec. The peridium is generally dehiscent, differentiated 

 into two or more layers, constituting two distinct membranes the exoperidium 

 and the endoperidium. The tissue of the gleba constitutes, at the maturity of 

 the spores, a powdery mass, including, in most genera (except Calostoma, 

 Spheerobolus) hyphal filaments forming a capillitum (Fig. 224 B). 



The mode of dehiscence presents variations in the different genera. Thus 

 in Bovista and 

 Lycoperdon (Puff- 

 Balls) the exoperi- 

 dium becomes dry 

 and breaks up into 

 fragments, whilst 

 the endoperidium 

 dehisces forming a 

 small apical aper- 

 ture through which 

 the basidiogonidia 

 escape. 



In Geaster (Star 

 Puff-Bali) the ex- 

 operidium splits at 

 the apex into several 

 pointed segments 

 which bend con- 



Fio. 224. A Compound gonidiophore of Rhizopogou in section 

 (nat size) : fc the hymenial chambers. B Capillitial filament of 

 Lycoperdon (much mag.). C and D Compound gonidiophore of 

 Cyathus striatus' (nat. size) : C entire, showing the isolated hy- 

 menial chambers (peridiola) : D in longitudinal section ; p peri- 

 diolum ; 7i hymenium ; / f uniculus, attaching the peridiolum to 

 the peridium. 



