British Gastromycetes. 29 
The Nidularieae, although a small group, have a world-wide 
distribution. 
The Sclerodermeae and Lycoperdeae are characteristic of 
temperate regions, although a few genera, as Calostoma , , are 
most abundant in warm regions. Lycoperdon , numbering one 
hundred and thirty species, is widely distributed in both north 
and south temperate zones, eighty-seven species are confined 
to the northern hemisphere, twenty-eight to the southern, and 
fifteen are common to both : the tropical species usually occur 
at considerable elevations ; Lycoperdon gemmatum , a common 
British species, was collected by Dr. (now Sir Joseph) Hooker 
between seven and eight thousand feet in the Himalayas, and 
L. Emodense , an extra-European species, in the same locality 
at an elevation of between nine and ten thousand feet. Bovista 
pusilla , a British species usually less than an inch in diameter, 
is represented in the Royal Herbarium, Kew, from Europe, 
North America, South America, Tropical and South Africa, 
Lower Pegu, East Nepal, Java, Ceylon. China, Bonin Islands, 
Australia, and New Zealand. 
To the British student of Mycology, the genera may appear 
to be well defined, but it is important to remember that this is 
due to the fragmentary nature of the flora, and it is only when 
the whole group is examined that the limitation of genera 
becomes a matter of difficulty. The following list of all known 
genera belonging to the Gastromycetes will give some idea as 
to the relative position of British genera, which are printed in 
capitals. The number following each genus indicates the 
number of species, and the bracketted number gives the num- 
ber of British species in each genus : — 
GASTROMYCETES. 
HYMENOGASTREAE. 
Hysterangium, 9. (2). Hymenogaster, 24. (12). 
OCTAVIANIA, 8. (3). HYDNANGIUM, 7. (2). 
Rhizopogon, II. (2). Gautieria, 4. 
Melanogaster, 9. (2). Macowanites, 1. 
