70 
TENTH REPORT. 
OUTLINE OF THE GASTEROMYCETES. 
It has been felt for some time that there is no available source of informa- 
tion on the Gasteromycetes of the state. It is true that various monographs 
exist, but they are scattered in the Botanical Journals out of reach of ordinary 
students. The most satisfactory for amateurs is the set of notes, beauti- 
fully illustrated with good photographs, which are distributed by Mr. C. G. 
Lloyd of Cincinnati, Ohio. But these are somewhat confusing to the beginner, 
first because full descriptions are lacking, and the information is somewhat 
scattered, and second, because Mr. Lloyd uses names which seem at variance 
with the names which appear elsewhere in books on fungi. The task was 
therefore undertaken to compile an “outline ” from the various papers at 
my command, with the view of furthering the study of the puff balls of the 
state, and of elucidating if possible the use of the different names used by 
different writers. It is to be understood at the outset that the author of 
this presumes no critical knowledge of buff balls. Moreover, in looking 
over monographs, etc., during the preparation of this paper, it became 
evident that even the doctors disagree. It was therefore necessary in many 
cases to reach an independent decision as to the name to be used for each 
species included in the outline. Every species which has been reported for 
the state, and a few others worth looking for, have been included in the 
outline. The name which seemed in most general use, and adopted by the 
majority of monographers was in most cases placed first. Following this, 
there is a list of names, mostly synonyms, which have been used by various 
people for the same fungus. These lists do not include all the synonyms, 
especially not the rarer ones, and not such as a student would hardly ever 
meet in his reading. They are intended to include the names in the mono- 
graphs and in the mushroom books of this country. Some important ones 
may have been omitted, and the writer will be pleased to have his attention 
called to such omissions. 
The Gasteromycetes are a large group characterized by the fact that the 
hymenium of the fruiting bodies is concealed until the spores are mature 
and ready for dispersion. They contain rare and most interesting fungi 
as well as the common puff balls. In characterizing the larger divisions, 
Massee, and Engler and Prantl have been freely consulted, and it is hoped 
that the necessarily brief descriptions of the orders and families are suffi- 
ciently clear for the purpose intended. The keys to species have been adapted 
from the monographs referred to below. The inclusion of full descriptions 
was found impracticable in a paper of this kind, but it is hoped that the 
means may lie found to publish for the State a properly illustrated report 
of this group in the form of a manual. 
The following papers on the Gasteromycetes have been consulted and 
should be used by the student whenever accessible. 
Fischer Ed. in Engler und PrantUs Die Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien. 
Vol. I. 1., pages 276-346. (1900). 
