173—BO VIST A AND BOVISTELLA. 
As will be noted in the systematic portion of our recent pamphlet 
“The Genera of Gastromycetes’’ we propose three subtribes for the 
Lycoperdeae, viz: Geastrae, Bovistae and Lycoperdae, the latter two 
distinguished from each other by the nature of the peridia and their 
habits. 
Bovistae are quite different in several points from Lycoperdae 
but particularly in their manner of spore dispersion. When the Bo¬ 
vistae ripen they break away from their place of growth and are 
tumbled about by the wind. Nature has provided them with peridia 
suitable to such a method of spore dispersion. The peridia are 
firm, parchment-like, elastic, persistent, and their peculiar peridia 
can be recognized on sight. This nature of peridium is particularly 
suited to the habits of the plant. As it goes tumbling about, the 
elasticity of the peridium forces a few spores out with every ‘ ‘ tumble’ ’ 
and it is persistent for a long time. Usually specimens last during 
the winter and perhaps even several years. In this vicinity I have 
often picked up tumbling specimens of Bovista pila and yet, I have never 
seen the plant growing. 
Lycoperdeae when ripe on the other hand do not normally break 
away from their place of growth. The peridia are flaccid, and 
the dispersion of the spores is due largely to the collapsing of the 
flaccid peridium, just the reverse of the tribe Bovistae. The genus 
Bovistella of our view belongs to the subtribe Lycoperdae. The 
usual distinction of the three genera is as follows: 
Bovista—Threads separate, Sterile base none. 
Bovistella—Threads separate, plant with a sterile base. 
Lycoperdon—Threads proceeding from peridium or columella, 
plant with or without sterile base. 
We would characterize the genera as follows: 
Sub-Tribe Bovistae .— Tumblers , Threads separate.—Bovista, 
Sub-Tribe Lycoperdae —( True Puff-Ball). 
Threads separate—Bovistella. 
Threads attached—Lycoperdon. 
We know of no species of Bovista with a sterile base but it is 
conceded that it is not a good character to distinguish Lycoperdon 
from the proposed genus Globaria. Why then should the sterile 
base’’ be the character to distinguish Bovista from Bovistella? We 
would therefore include in Bovistella plants with and without sterile 
base (as we do in Lycoperdon). The following species on the author¬ 
ity of Prof. Patouillard is undescribed. When we received it we made 
no close examination simply judging from its nature that it was a 
Lycoperdon unknown to me and sent it to Patouillard who ad\ ises me 
that it is “an undescribed Bovista." 
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