REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST 217 



pores and teeth, and these organs furnish the characters on 

 which the three principal families of the Hymenomyceteic are 

 founded. These characters will be more fully discussed in their 

 proper place. 



Gasteromyceteae. 

 Puff Balls. 



Puff balls belong to the class of fungi to which botanists have 

 given the name Gasteromyceteae. This name may be translated 

 stomach fungi. It has reference to the fact that those plants 

 which belong to this class have their stomach, that is, their 

 whole interior, filled with spores when mature. The spores are 

 developed on basidia as in the Hymenomycete^e. 



These are among the most easily recognized of fungi and the 

 larger species in their early state are among the best of our 

 edible species. Almost every country lad is familiar with the 

 globular plants with papery rind stuffed full of a mass of brown 

 dust like material intermingled with cottony filaments. Time 

 and again these have been seen lying on the ground or adhering 

 to old stumps or the dead trunks of trees, and often have they 

 afforded amusement by being subjected to sudden pressure 

 between thumb and fingers that there might be seen the little 

 cloud of dust-like spores belched forth like a miniature puff of 

 smoke, and like smoke quickly vanishing in the air. But no one 

 would think these good to eat, nor indeed are they while in this 

 condition. But most puff balls are white within when young 

 and their substance is then of a soft fleshy texture very unlike 

 the dusty mass that fills theaa in mature age. And it is only 

 while they are lohite ivithin that they are fit for food. AYhen they 

 reach maturity the flesh at first assumes greenish yellow or 

 brownish-yellow hues and is apt to become moist or watery. 

 They are then spoiled for edible purposes. 



Lycoperdon Toum. 

 Most of our puff balls and both the edible species here noticed 

 belong to the genus Lyeoperdon. There are about twenty species 

 of this genus found in our State, but most of them are quite small, 

 being less than two inches in diameter. They are naturally and 

 botanically divided into two groups characterized bv the manner 



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