Genus Scleroderma 
ORDER NIDULARIALES 
The members of this order, Nidulariales, or bird’s-nest fungi, 
are curious fungi of small size. They resemble, when mature, tiny 
birds’ nests containing eggs, as the pouch in which the spores are 
developed opens at the top to form a nest or bowl or trumpet, and 
the globular cases in which the spores are contained have strong 
walls, and remain in the open pouch like eggs in a nest. 
One genus of the order, Spherobolus, has two walls or layers 
to its nest and but one spore case or ‘‘egg.” This ‘‘egg” is 
jelly-like, and is forcibly thrown from the nest when the spores in 
it are mature. While a part of this action is due to the mechan- 
ical working of the teeth, it is thought that underneath the spore 
case gases are formed which expand, and so help force out the 
“egg.” 
The other genera have but one wall to their nests. The 
genus Nidularia has ragged edges, the genus Cyathus is trumpet- 
shaped, and the genus Crucibulum is bow]l-shaped. 
ORDER SCLERODERMA TALES 
The puffballs of the order Sclerodermatales have the rind 
or peridium thick. The spores remain in the peridium until 
maturity, when they escape from an irregular opening in the 
rind. The species are not numerous, but some are abundant and 
widely distributed. 
GENUS SCLERODERMA 
The species of the genus Scleroderma, or thick-skinned puff- 
balls, represent a transition from the subterranean forms to those 
which emerge from the ground and have a definite opening from 
which they eject their spores. To illustrate: there is one group 
(Hymenogastrales) in which the species remain in the ground, 
Nid--18'-r-a'-lés 9 NY¥d-G-la'-rf-d Crii-gYb’-ti-Itim Sclér-3-dér'-ma 
Sphé-rdb'-6-liis Cy’ -a-thiis Sclér’-6-dér'-m4-ta’-lés 
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