304 
THE LARGER FUNGI 
494. Lycoperdon piisillum Pers. (L., pusilUis, very sniiill). — Peridium up to 
jSiii, {20 Him.) diamerer, glolioae or subglolioso, yellowish, becoming brown, with 
a strong basal rooting strand; cxoperidium covered with minute, fugacious, 
mealv S(|uamule8 or flattened verrucae, fugacious; endioperidium membranous, 
smooth, shining, fiacciil, dehi.scing by a small, irregular, plane apical stoma; 
sterile base absent. G'leba yellowish, becoming brown; columella absent; ca])illi- 
tium threads olive, continiuius, freely braneheil, pitted. Spores globose, ,'1.7 to 
.-) fi, apiculate; epispore olive, finely but distinctly verruculose. Scattered or 
in small groups on the ground, often in cultivated areas. — Cunningham. South 
.Australia- —Adelaide, Kincliina, Encounter Hay, Overland Corner, Wilpena 
Pound (Flinders Range), Ernabella (Musgrave Ranges), Ooldea. Central Aus- 
tralia — Alount Liebig. Western Australia — Tammin. New Zealand. Europe. 
Asia. Africa. America. February, March, May to August, October, November. 
This is a small plant with ii subglobose peridium, and small but strongly 
<levelo))ed rooting base. It is characterized by the absence of a sterile base, 
flaccid, shining endoperidium and freely branched capillitiuin. It is sci)arated 
from small Luans of L. pohjmorpham and L. spadicfum principally !«■ the 
absence of a stei'ile base. — Cunningham. 
495. Lycoperdon glabrescens Berk. (L., glahrescens, becoming smooth). — 
Peridium uji to 2in. (5 cm.) diameter, bay-brown, depressed globose or suli- 
globose, often jiyiiform, tapei'ing into a well-developed stein-like base; exo- 
]ieridium of small warts, larger towards the a))ex, fugacious; endoperidium bay- 
brown, smooth, membranoms, dehiscing by a small, erumj)ent, a])ical, torn stoma; 
sterile btise well-developed, cells small, often tinged with purple, occupying the 
stem-like base; diaphragm absent. Gleba dark olivaceous, often purplish; 
columella wanting; capillitiuin threads freely branched, deejily coloured, about 
the diameter of the spores, pitted, continuous. Spores globose, 4 to 5 y, pedicels 
tinted, acuminate; epispore olivaceous, min,itely verruculose. On the ground in 
grou))s, usually in ])astures. — Cunningham. South Australia — Monarto South, 
Mount Button Bay (West Coast). "New South W'ales. Victoria. Tasmania. 
New Zealand. January, Ajiril to -July, Nocemlier. 
The members of the pedicellate-spored section of the genus arc all, with one 
e.xception, L. Gun)iii, closely related, and are separated mainly on the nature 
of the exoperidiuni. In L. glabrexcms the sterile base is prominent, but of 
small cells, a character tending to separate it from L. asperum, in which the 
sterile base is scanty and frequently almost wanting. The minutely verruculose 
exoperidiuni seimrates it from L. iscahrum. — Cunningham. 
49(). Lycoperdon scabrum (Lloyd) Gunn. (L., scaher, rough). — Peridium up 
1o Llin. (M cm.) diameter, depressed globose or pyriform, umber, with a well- 
.leveloped rooting base; exoperidiuni of long black or brown spines, 1 to mm. 
long, free at the base, frequently connivent at the apices, fugacious; endo- 
peridium umber, at length smooth, shining, membranous, dehiscing by an 
erumpent, tom, toothed apical stoma; sterile base occupying the lower third of 
(he jieridium, of small cells, eoneoloroiis; diaphragm absent. Gleba olivaceous 
becoming umber; columella absent; capillitiuin threads olivaceous, freely 
branch, ed, pitted, continuous. Spores globose, 4 to 5 y, pedicels acuminate, 
tinted ; epispore olive, flnely and evenly verruculose. Solitary on the ground. 
— Ciunningham. South Australia — Pearson Island (Great Australian Bight). 
Victoria. New Zealand. January, February. 
Characterized by the long spines of the exoperidiuni, and the well-developed 
sterile base. It closely resemldes the preceding, being separated on account of 
the cruciate spines of the exoperidiuni. — Cunningham. 
497. Lycoperdon asperiim (Lev.) de Toni (L., asper, rough). — Peridium up 
to Kill. (,'! cm.) diameter, bay-brown, globose, depressed globose or pyriform, 
with a well-develo))ed rooting ‘base ; exoperidiuni of short, stout, pallid spines 
often convergent in fours at the apex, fugacious ; endoperidium membranous, 
bav-brown, smooth, dehiscing by a small, irregularly torn, plane apical stoma: 
sterile liase scantily developed, of small cells; diapliragm absent. Gleba pallid 
olivaceous; columeila wanting; capillitium threads olivaceous, branched, pitted, 
continuous, (fjmrcs globose, 4 to 4.5 y, pe<licels acuminate, tinted ; epispore 
])allid olive, minutely verruculose. Solitary or in small groups on the ground. 
— Cunningham. South Australia — Grange, Mount Lofty, Monarto South, Mount 
Compass, Pearson Island (Great Australian Biglit). New South Wales. Victoria. 
Tasmania. New Guinea, (’hile. South Africa. January, July to Septenilier. 
