310 



United States Species of Lycojperdon, 



Lycoperdon molle Pers. 

 Soft Puff-ball. 



Peridium 6'' - 16'' broad, globose or depressed-globose, 

 narrowed below into a stem-like base, furfuraceous with 

 nearly uniform persistent minute weak spinules or granu- 

 lar warts, sometimes with a few larger papilliform ones 

 toward the apex, whitish, sometimes tinged with yellow, 

 when mature brownish or olive-brown, nearly smooth, 

 subshining; capillitium and spores dingy-olive, columella 

 present; spores minutely rough ; 00016' -00018' in dia- 

 meter. 



Among mosses, especially Polytrichum, in old meadows 

 and pastures. Albany, Summit and South Corinth. 

 Autumn. 



This puiF-ball closely resembles the ordinary forms of 

 the preceding species in the size, shape and color of the 

 immature plant, and by Fries was referred to it as a variety 

 under the name furfuvaceum. There may be connecting 

 forms but if so I have not observed them and for the 

 present prefer to keep the two distinct. In this plant the 

 warts or spinules are very small and weak so that it has a 

 smoothish, soft and delicate appearance much like that of 

 L. saccatum. They are mostly persistent but they wither 

 or shrivel with age so that the mature peridium appears 

 to the naked eye to be nearly smooth and somewhat 

 glossy or shining. In this respect it differs essentially 

 from the Studded puff-ball. I have never seen it with the 

 pitted, reticulate surface of that species. From the Long- 

 stemmed puff-ball it is with difficulty separated in its 

 immature state, but when mature the different manner in 

 which the peridium in the two species ruptures will at 

 once distinguish them. From its habit of growing among 

 mosses the stem is often elongated and is sometimes very 

 slender in proportion to the size of the peridium. In wet 

 weather the peridium of this and the preceding species 

 manifests a tendency to crack in areas. 



