British Gastromycetes . 67 
examination of all the known species is undertaken, it is 
discovered that the numerous transitions from a well-de- 
veloped sterile base, as in L.gemmatum , to its total absence 
in B. nigrescens , shakes one’s faith as to the generic value 
of this character, and although both genera are kept up, it 
must be distinctly understood that I consider the distinctions 
given as artificial and not existing in nature. Pedicellate 
spores are common to both genera, and are not of specific 
value. In Saccardo’s Sylloge, the generic character admits 
only those species with a sterile base, but this distinction is 
disregarded in the descriptive portion. 
A. Spores Rough. 
Lycoperdon echinatum, Pers. (Fig. 32). Peridium obo- 
vate or subglobose, at first covered with long, pyramidal, 
tapering purple-brown spines, between which are minute 
mealy warts of the same colour, mouth small, irregularly 
torn ; root consisting of long white cord-like fibres. Mass of 
capillitium and spores purple-umber, threads densely inter- 
woven, about equal to diameter of spores, much branched, 
continuous with the well-developed, cellular, pale ochraceous 
sterile basal stratum ; spores purple-umber, spherical, coarsely 
warted, 6 /x diameter. 
Lycoperdon echinatum , Pers., Symb. Myc. p. 36 ; Pers., 
Syn. 147; Mass,, Mon. Lyc. n. 2. 
Lycoperdon gemmatum , y echinatnm y Fr., Syst. Myc. 
hi, p. 37 ; Wint, Kr. FI. 904 ; Sacc., Syll., vii, pp. 107 
and 476. 
Utraria echinata , Quel., Champ. Jur. et Vosg. ii, t. 
3 ; Quel., Enchirid. 241. 
Exs. — Fuckel, Fung. Rhen. 2486. 
In woods amongst leaves, generally solitary. Dinmore ! 
Coed Coch ! Seven Oaks ! Chiselhurst ! Scarborough ! 
Downton ! Reading! Wrotham! Marlow! Aboyne! — Europe; 
United States. 
P'rom i-ij in. across. The spines are often curved at 
the apex and split in a fibrillose manner at the base ; after 
