New North American Fungi. 



39 



8. Calvatia leiospora. — Peridium large, oblong-obovoid, with 

 a thick base plicate below and a cord like root. Cortex a smooth 

 continuous layer, very thin and fragile, whitish, reticulately marked; 

 inner peridium thickish but fragile, velvety, ochraceous, after matu- 

 rity the upper part soon breaking up into fragments and falling away 

 Subgleba occupying about one half of the peridium, convex above, 

 ochraceous in color; mass of spores and capillitium violaceous to 

 livid; the threads very long, scarcely so thick as the spores, 

 sparingly branched; spores globose, even, 3^-4 mic. in diameter. 



Growing on the prairies, South Dakota., Prof. Thomas A. 

 Williams. Peridium 6-9 cm. in height and 4-6 cm. in diameter. 

 The ochraceous inner coat and subgleba contrast quite peculiarly 

 with the violaceous capillitium and spores. 



9. Calvatia hesperia. — Peridium sub-globose or obovoid, 

 more or less irregular, with a thick cord-like root. Cortex a smooth 

 white coat apparently inseparable from the inner peridium; the 

 two together forming a thick tough rigid peridium, a long time per- 

 sistent and finally dehiscent by an irregular torn aperture. Subgleba 

 obsolete; mass of spores and capillitium compact and firm, clay- 

 color, greenish yellow to ochraceous; the threads very long, scarcely 

 branched, remotely septate and breaking easily at the septa, from 

 once to twice the thickness of the spores. Spores globose or oval, 

 even, 4-5 mic. in diameter, often with a minute pedicel. 



Growing in sandy soil; Pasadena, California, Prof. A. f. 

 McClatchie. Peridium irregular in shape, and quite variable in size 

 very different threads. It most resembles Bovista pila B. & C, but 

 has 4-8 cm. in diameter. The peridium is thick, tough, and persis- 

 tent; with more than a dozen specimens I could not find that it was 

 at any stage separable into two coats. Prof. McClatchie says it is 

 edible. 



10. Lycoperdon dryinum. — Peridium globose, sessile, with a 

 fibrous mycelium. Cortex a thin coat of small white scales sometimes 

 tinged with brown, these dry up into minute persistent brown or 

 blackish warts on the smooth shining surface of the inner peridium. 

 Subgleba obsolete ; mass of spores and capillitium greenish-yellow then 

 brownish-olivaceous; the threads much branched, the main stem 

 about as thick as the spores, the branches long and tapering ; spores 

 globose, even, 3^-4 mic. in diameter, often with a minute pedicel, 



