174—BOVISTELLA DEALBATA. 
Peridiimi globose, thin, dehiscing by a definite small aperture. 
Kxoperidium a very thin, white, adnate coat, (like a coat of white¬ 
wash) at first cracking into areas and finally disappearing. Sterile 
Fig. 52. Fi §5 53 - 
Bovistella dealbata Spores of Bovistella dealbata 
(natural size). (Magnified.) 
base none. Spore mass brown. Capillitium of separate, slender 
branching threads. Spores smooth, globose, 4 me., furnished with long 
(about 12 me.) pedicels. 
This plant was sent me by 
W. N. Suksdorf and grew on 
“dry prairies near Rockland, 
Washington ” The largest 
specimens were about one cm. 
in diameter. It agrees with 
Bovista as to internal structure 
but differs as to habits. It 
does not when ripe break away 
from its place of growth but 
remains firmly attached to the 
soil by a large tap root. All 
specimens received had this 
root and most of them had a 
lump of adhering soil. The 
our illustration (fig. 52) is not 
Fig. 54. 
Capillitium threads of Bovistella dealbata. 
(Magnified.) 
specimens had been “pressed” hence 
as characteristic as we should wish. 
The plant might be confused with 
think is clearly distinct by its habits of growth 
operidium. _ 
Bovista plumbea but we 
and very thin ex- 
“Vittadini’s beautiful and thorough study Monographia Lyco- 
perdineorum is difficult to obtain. No library in Hungary has this 
work, and it is also absent in Vienna and the Berlin museums The 
Vienna University and Berlin Royal Library each has a copy. No 
wonder that the species established by Vittadini were misjudged and 
that they slowly sink into oblivion.”—Hollos 
Don’t worry, the work of no one that is so accurate and beauti¬ 
ful as Vittadini’s will ever “sink into oblivion” no matter how difficult 
it is to obtain. 
86 
