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1903] 



BRIEFER ARTICLES 



429 



which extends from one fourth to over one half way around the fruit 

 body. In a few specimens this scar is interrupted, and in some it 

 forks or branches somewhat, but it is usually unbranched and continu- 



ous. 



As the fungi lie in their natural position in the soil, this scar 



maintains no fixed position in relation to the surface of the ground, 



but is turned in various directions. 



The surface of the fungus is 



smooth, slightly pruinose, becoming finally very slightly and minutely 

 areolate. The color is a light chestnut brown, which becomes blackish 

 in spots as the gleba begins to break down. The fungi have a pecu- 

 liar heavy but not disagreeable odor resembling that of "malted milk." 



vex^ 



Fig. 2. — A, diagram of a longitudinal section passing through the scar, X 8 ; i5 

 detail of a portion of the gleba, X 330. s^ septa ; v, ex., venae externae. 



The peridiura is rather thin, tough, and cartilaginous, composed of 

 an outer opaque layer and an inner translucent layer. The outer 

 layer of the peridium consists of hyphae having a general radial 

 arrangement, but so closely intertw^ined as to have almost the appear- 

 ance of pseudo-parenchyma. Within this is a thin layer of more 

 loosely interwoven hyphae, running for the most part parallel to the 

 surface of the fungus, and within this again a tissue composed of 

 closely packed strands of hyphae running in many directions but all 

 having a general concentric arrangement. The middle layer seen in 

 niicroscopic preparations is not visible to the naked eye, and may be 

 barely distinguished under the hand lens as a faint line between the 

 outer and the inner peridium. 



The gleba is violaceous brown, marbled with numerous veins of two 

 kinds. The venae internae, or septa (j, /^. 2) are extensions of the 

 inner layer of the peridiura into the interior of the fungus. The 



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