306 
THE IjAKGER fungi 
usually elliptical, frequently indefinite, slightly orumpent and toothed, sometimes 
almost plane. Gleha olivaceous, heconiing umber, sterile base absent; eapillitium 
of the usual type, threads nuudi branched, thick-rvalled, pitted, dai'k chestnut. 
Spores globose, seldom obovate, 4 to 6 fx, pedicels tinted, attenuate, up to 15 «, 
long; epis])ore chestnut-brown, niinuteU' and delicately verrueulose, almost 
smooth, 1 IX thick. Solitary on the ground. — Cunningham. South Australia — 
Encounter Bay, Kangai'oo Island, Flinders Range (near Port Augusta). New 
South Wales. New Zealand. India. May, July, August, December. 
BO VISTA Dilleiiius. 
(The German name “buff- fist’’ Latinised.) 
Plaiits breaking away from the point of attachment at maturity. Peridiuni 
globose, subglobose or shortl.v pyriform; consisting of an outer, usually fugaci- 
ous e.voperidium, and a membianous, tough, firm endoperidium, which dehisces 
l.iy an apical, definite or indefinite mouth. Glelia without a sterile base; 
capillitiiun of fi’ee threads, each consisting of a thick stem and dichotomous, 
tapering, acuminate branches. Spores coloured, continuous, rough or smooth, 
globose, obovate or elliptical, pedicellate or apedicellate ; basidia tetrasporous. 
Solitary on the ground. — Cunningham. 
The species of Bovi.sta are known as “Tumblers” amongst the puff-l>alls from 
their habit of breaking loose from their attachment. 
501. Bovista brunnea Berk. (I,., brunneus, brown). — Peridiuni depressed 
globose, up to lin. (2.5 cm.) diameter, with a minute rooting base which usually 
falls away at maturity; exoperidium white, evanescent: endoperidium chestnut- 
brown or pallid umber-brown, firm, smooth, shining. Mouth uj) to 2 mm 
diameter, irregularly circular or indefinite and irregularly torn, slightly eruni- 
pent, toothed or entire, fre((uently almost plane. Gleba ))allid ferruginous- 
brown ; eapillitium of the usual type but more scantily branched, walls thin 
and ])itted. Spores globose or obovate, 4 to 6 |U, pedicels tinted o^T! hyaline 
acuminate, 10 to 13 /x long; epispore pallid-ferruginous, closely and finel.v verru- 
culose, 1.5 !i thick. Solitary on the ground. — ^^Cunningham. South Australia — 
Beaumont, Kinchina. New Zealand. May. 
This sjtecies is characterised by the firm, dark-brown, smooth and shining 
endoperidium, stout, sparingly branched, thin-walled eapillitium, and pallid, 
distinctly verrueulose spores. 
DISCISEDA Czernaiaiev (Syn. CATASTOMA Morgan). 
(L., discus, a quoit; sedeo, I sit.) 
Peridiuni depressed-globiose, of two layers; an exoperidium which may be 
thick or thin, membranous, or compact when formed of hyphae immixed with 
sand particles or vegetable debris, fragile, breaking array irregularly, save a 
small discoid or cupulate basal iiortion; endoperidium papyraceous or membran- 
ous, tough, variously coloured, smooth or furfuraceous, dehiscing by a definite 
stoma, which may be apical or basal; sterile base absent. Gleba pulverulent; 
eapillitium of short, simple or short-branched, continuous, non-pitted coloured 
hyphae. Spores globose, coloured, variously roughened, pedicellate, apiculate or 
apedicellate. Solitary or in small groups on or in the ground. — Cunningham. 
These ])uff -balls are usually more or less disc-shaped, the outer covering breaks 
away leaving a basal ring and the spores escape by a definite aperture. Aus- 
tralia is relatively rich in sx)ecies. 
KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
Spores long-pedicellate (10 /x or more). 
Spores sti'ongly verrucose, 8 to 10 n 502. Disciseda 
pedicellata. 
Spores finely verrucose-arcolate, 10 to 13 /x . . . . 503. 71. hyalotdirix. 
Spores apedicellate (or apiculate, stumps only of the 
pedicels persisting). 
Spores almost smooth 504. 71. Candida. 
Spores finely verrucose. 
Stoma fimbriate-mammose 
505. 71. cervina. 
