United States Species of Ly coper don. 



293 



Section I. Bovistoides. (Emended). 



Peridium rupturing irregularly ^ the upper part falling away 

 in fragments. Columella none. 



In the species of this section, the peridium is apt to 

 crack in areas and at maturity either the whole or the 

 upper part of it breaks up in irregular fragments and falls 

 away. The capillitium and spores are also soon dispersed 

 so that there remains only the sterile base which is some- 

 times margined by the lacerated but more permanent basal 

 part of the peridium. In this case the remains are some- 

 what cup-shaped. The bark or warts are usually of a soft 

 floccose character, and generally are not conspicuously 

 developed. This section as here modified receives L. sac- 

 catum and loses L. pusillum. 



Lycoperdon giganteum Batsch. 

 Giant Puff-ball. 



Very large, 10'-20'* in diameter, obconic or depressed- 

 globose. Dearly or quite sessile, white or whitish, becom- 

 ing discolored by age, smooth or slightly roughened by 

 weak spinules or minute floccose warts, sometimes crack- 

 ing in arc-as; capillitium and spores yellowish-green to 

 dingy-olive ; spores smooth, .00016' in diameter. Edible. 



Ground in helds, pastures and grassy places. 



Buffalo, Clinton. Oneida, Warne. Forth Galway, Teft. 

 Rensselserville, Doolitile. Catskill Mountains, Paine. Lat© 

 summer and autumn. It is also said to occur in ^iforth 

 Carolina, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. 



This is the largest puff-ball known in this country, and is 

 therefore very appropriately named the giant puff-ball. The 

 species, according to Fries, has also received other names 

 such as L. maximum Schaeff., the largest puff-ball ; L. Bo- 

 vista Jj., the Bovista-like puff-ball; L. vulgar e Yaill., the 

 common puff-ball ; and L. Proteus Sow., the Protean puff- 

 ball. Its dimensions are usually within the limits given in 



^ One accent signifies inch or inches, two accents, line or lines. 

 Trans, ix.] 38 



