THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 
Vol,. X JOLIET, ILL., JANUARY, 1906. No. 1 
THE GIANT PUFFBALL. 
{ Cahatia Gigautca. ) 
JN late autumn and early spring, when other objects of in- 
terest are scarce, the papery globes of various species of 
puffball are likely to attract the rambler's attention. Al- 
though often half hidden beneath the withered leaves, they do 
not long remain concealed, for the slightest touch is sufficient 
to cause them to send up a smoky cloud that makes their, 
whereabouts known at once. Taken in hand, each si>ecimen 
appears to be a more or less globular rind enclosing a browm- 
ish or purplish woolly mass that gives forth fresh clouds of 
smoke each time it is squeezed. Well might the superstitious 
and unbotanical countrv-man of the olden time call them 
devil's snuff boxes. In the present day, when a belief in the 
supernatural connections of plants no longer obtains, the ob- 
jects are usually called smoke-balls or puffballs. 
Although the mature puitball is a familiar sight to most 
frequenters of the country, there is an element of mvster\' 
snrroundinET its origin that many fail to fathom. The 
growing plant is so ven,- unlike the ripe specimen that only 
the initiated are likely to discover the connection iKtwcen 
Tf we investigate tlie l^egimiings of the pufin>all wc sha'l 
find that it is ver\- much like that of the niusbnwsm or anv c.{ 
the other conspicuous fungi. The greater part r' &c plar.r. 
Ix^dy is l:>elow the •=;nrface of the soil and civi^'^t- . f wliite 
thread-like >trati(is that ramify about in searcr; ■ f d. 
Unlike the common plants, tl'.c pufifbails ila^ e n- ch\ov< - 
phyl or plant-green, and in consequence tiiey are unable : ^ 
