1 68 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



lining of the peridium to be the. true inner peridium, and the thick 

 subcortical structure the cortex. This same peculiar membrane 

 appears to exist in C. sigillata. 



$2. Cyathiformes. Peridium large, obovoid or turbinate, 

 with a stout thick base; subgleba definitely limited and concave 

 above, persistent. 



a. Mass of spores and capillitium violet or purple. 



3. C. cyathiformis, Bosc. Peridium large, broadly obovoid 

 or turbinate, depressed above, the base usually thick and stout, 

 with a cord-like root. Cortex a smooth continuous layer, very 

 thin and fragile, easily peeling off, whitish gray or brown, taking 

 on a violet or purplish tinge, the upper part often becoming areo- 

 late ; inner peridium thin, pale to dark purple, velvety, extremely 

 fragile, after maturity the upper part soon breaking up into frag- 

 ments and falling away. Subgleba occupying from a third part to 

 one half of the peridium, cup-shaped above, a long time persist- 

 ent; mass of spores and capillitium at first violet, then pale to dark 

 purple; the threads very long, thinner than the spores, scarcely 

 branched ; spores globose distinctly warted or echinulate, 5-7 mic. 

 in diameter, sessile. 



Growing on the ground in meadows and pastures. New Eng- 

 land, Frost; New York, Peck; Pennsylvania, Gentry; N. Caro- 

 lina, Curtis; S. Carolina, Bosc, Ravenel : Mississippi, Tracy: 

 Ohio, Morgan. Peridium commonly 3-5 inches in diameter, 

 though sometimes found both larger and smaller than these dimen- 

 sions. This is the most common and abundant large pufTball in 

 the eastern United States. The original name is Lycoperdon cyathi- 

 forme, Bosc, in Berl. Mag., V., p. 87, Fries S. M. Vol. III., 

 p. 60. Bosc's figure and description were of the empty cup- 

 shaped base; but he having indicated the color, there can be no 

 doubt of the proper application of the name. Bovista lilacina, B. 

 & M., is undoubtedly this same species. Possibly this is the Lyco- 

 perdon arcolatum of Schweinitz's N. A. Fungi. Small forms of this 

 species with a short and pointed base are scarcely to be distin- 

 guished from the following species otherwise than by the larger and 

 more distinctly warted spores. This is said to be an edible 

 species. 



4. C. fragilis, Vitt. Peridium obovoid, plicate below, with a 

 ^hort pointed base and a cord like root. Cortex a smooth contin- 

 uous layer, very thin and fragile, separable, white or grayish 



