314 United States Species of Lycoperdon, 



ally about a half an inch broad and nearly globose, though 

 sometimes it is narrowed towards the base where it is 

 usually furnished with a few delicate white radicular 

 fibres. The color of the immature plant is yellowish and 

 quite conspicuous, but when old it so closely resembles 

 the dead brown color of the fallen leaves among which 

 the plant grows, that it is difficult to detect it. But few 

 individuals are found in one place. The warts are very 

 minute and easily overlooked. They have a granular, or 

 almost mealy appearance and when old they usually be- 

 come blackish. At first the capillitium and spores appear 

 to have a sulphur-yellow color, but when fully mature, 

 if the capillitium is cleared of the spores it is seen to be 

 much darker. There is a slight depression in one side of 

 the spore so that when viewed in a particular direction it 

 appears flattened or depressed on one side, although if 

 viewed in a diflTerent direction it may appear globose. 



Lycopeedon calyptriforme Berk. 



Conical Puff-ball. 



Peridium about 6 high, 3''-4'' broad, ovate or subconi- 

 cal, sessile, whitish, furfuraceous with minute warts or 

 spinules ; capillitium and spores olivaceous or yellowish- 

 olivaceous; spores smooth, .00016' in diameter. 



Moss covered rocks. Adirondack Mountains. Very 

 rare. August. 



I have met with this very small and rare species but 

 once, and then only two specimens were found. In these 

 the apex was compressed or laterally flattened 'instead of 

 being papilliform as required by the original description 

 of the species, but in all other respects the specimens ex- 

 hibit the specific characters. This puff'-ball is very distinct 

 from all our other species by its ovate .or conical shape. 

 Probably L. acuminatum,^. & C. of the Catalogue of iTorth 

 Carolina Plants is another name for this species. 



Of the nineteen species already described I have seen 



