United States Species of Ly coper don. 307 



or pinkish-brown, echinate above with rather stout spines 

 which at length fall off and leave the surface smooth, 

 towards the base spinulose or furfuraceous ; capillitium 

 and spores dingy-olive ; spores minutely rough, .00016' in 

 diameter. 



Ground and decaying wood in woods. August — Octo- 

 ber. Albany, Forestburgh and Adirondack Mountains. 



Fries, in his Sys^tema Mycologicum^ refers this species to 

 L. gemmatum as a variety, but it seems to me to be worthy 

 of specific distinction both on account of the different 

 character of its warts, its much more echinate appearance 

 and its smooth denuded peridium. He also gives as 

 synonyoms L. candidum Pers., and L. muricatum Willd. 



The whole plant is generally obovate, pyriform or tur- 

 binate, and the spines are larger and more or less curved 

 at and near the apex, but they diminish in size toward the 

 base where they are more persistent. In the immature 

 condition it is difficult to distinguish it from the preceding 

 species, but when mature its smooth peridium and spores 

 destitute of pedicels separate it. It grows chiefly in woods 

 among fallen leaves and on decaying vegetable matter. 



b. Plant not shaggy (warts minute except in the first 

 species). 



Lycoperdon gemmatum Batsch. 



Studded Puff-ball. 



Peridium 10''-18'' in diameter, globose or depressed- 

 globose, generally narrowed below into a stem-like base, 

 scattered or csespitose, subumbonate, whitish or cinereous, 

 often tinged with yellow pinkish or brown, warts gene- 

 rally unequal, the larger mostly gemmate or papilla-like, 

 pointed at the apex, scattered among smaller granular and 

 more persistent ones, at length falling off and leaving the 

 surface areolate-dotted or reticulate with a network of fine 

 dotted lines ; capillitium and spores greenish-yellow, then 

 dingy-olive or brown, columella present; spores smooth 

 or very minutely rough, .00016^-00018' in diameter. Edi- 

 ble but not pleasant flavored. 



