Seasonal Notes — October 267 



eight inches across, but under favourable conditions it 

 attains immense proportions. De Lisle Hay records speci- 

 mens 3 feet high and 20 inches across the pileus. 



The Lurid Boletus. 



Boletus luvidus — one of the commonest of Boleti. A showy 

 plant with minutely tomentose pileus and vermilion pore 

 openings. Immediately upon being cut or bruised the flesh 

 assumes a blue tint, which fades away within ten minutes, 

 leaving the flesh a dirty yellow. 



Spore Dispersal. 



We have already alluded to the curious manner in which 

 the spores of the common stinkhorn fungus are dispersed 

 (seep. 112). Another remarkable method of spore dispersal 

 is exhibited by the fungus Sphaevobolus stellatus, common in 

 this district on decayed sticks in damp woods, also upon 

 sawdust and old sacking, though often overlooked, as it is 

 not very conspicuous. Before expansion it looks like "little 

 grains of white mustard seed partially covered with a delicate 

 down." It is gregarious, and sometimes occurs in quite large 

 patches. In structure it consists of two layers, a coat and 

 lining, we may call them. The coat is often orange colour, its 

 lining, which is tough, thin, and colourless, forms a cup, in 

 the bottom of which lies the sporangium, a globose brown 

 body containing the spores. At maturity the coat splits half 

 way down into a few pointed divisions or rays. Soon after- 

 wards, the lining is suddenly turned outwards with such force 

 as to shoot out the sporangium like a shot from a catapult. 

 The lining does not leave the coat, being fastened to it at the 

 tips of the rays. Berkeley compared the action to that of a 

 body tossed from a blanket held at the four corners. The 

 sporangium is sticky, and adheres to whatever it may come in 

 contact with during flight. We have lately been much 

 interested in watching the discharges of these vegetable 



