Puffballs 
of the fleshy interior becomes filled with dust-like spores, when 
the rind of the ball breaks to let the spores escape. 
Sometimes the wall breaks off in scales; sometimes it is 
punctured at the summit with one hole, sometimes with several, 
and sometimes it splits and turns back to form a star on the 
ground. Sometimes the balls contain elastic threads (capillitium), 
which help to push out the spores, and sometimes they do not. 
Sometimes there are threads massed at the base without spores 
in them, so that they form a sterile base or sterile subgleba, and 
sometimes the threads are massed to form a central column 
(columella) in the interior of the ball. These.characters, with 
others, form the basis on which the puffballs are separated 
into the genera Lycoperdon, Geaster, Calvatia, Bovistella, Bovista, 
and Calostoma. 
GENUS LYCOPERDON 
The Lycoperdons, or true puffballs, produce within the ball 
vast numbers of dust-like spores mingled with elastic threads. 
When the ball is compressed, the rind or peridium bursts at the 
summit to form a single mouth, and the 
elastic threads cause the spores to fly out in 
puffs like smoke. 
The spore-bearing part of the plant is 
globe-shaped, obovoid, or top-shaped, and 
at the base of the gleba no spores are pro- 
duced ; the cells here are coarse and empty. 
The rind or peridium of the ball con- 
sists of two parts, the outer bark or outer 
peridium being adorned with spines or scales or warts or gran- 
ules. Sometimes the exterior coat may be peeled off, sometimes 
it dries and falls away in fragments. 
The inner coat is thin and papery, and 
opens on the top with one opening. 
At first the ball is fleshy within, the 
microscope showing the flesh to con- 
sist of a great number of simple or 
branched threads and enlarged cells. 
The enlarged cells bear usually four Sie soe tvedne a 
Ly'-cd-pér'-don (diagrammatic) 
124 
ze : 
Lycoperdon 
