Montagne evidently thought it was, for he placed it with that species. 
The specimen on which Leveille founded Hippoperdon Pila 
(Ann. Sci. Nat. 44-221) while a sterile base of the same species is very 
deceptive. For several months after I was in Paris I did not feel sure 
about it. Leveille stating that Montague’s specimens were imperfect 
plants but that his was entire and the plant has every general appear¬ 
ance of so being (see fig. 71.) The tell-tale margin where the dia¬ 
phragm joins the peridium in most sterile bases was worn away in this 
specimen and the diaphragm has every apperance of being the top of 
the peridium. Finally one day while in Paris I received a fine lot of 
sterile bases of Calvatia lilacina from Dr. Florentine Fellippone, 
Montevideo, Uruguay, some of them fresh and their nature very evi¬ 
dent, others weather worn and closely resembling Leveille’s specimen 
so that there was to me no further doubt about it. 
Hippoperdon piriforme (Ann. Sci. Nat. 3-5-161) the type does 
not exist. 
Hippoperdon Sorokinii (Sac. Syll. 7-133) is described as having 
“ the mass of spores dark yellow ” and as the genus “ Hippoperdon ” 
never had “ a mass of spores ” it is not worth while to further trouble 
ourselves with this “species.” “The unique exemplaire’ was flat¬ 
tened by the foot of a camel.” What a pity! 
Hippoperdon pisiforme (Bull. Soc. Myc. 90-48) the only species 
of the genus not founded on a sterile base, is probably 
an immature Lycoperdon and its author now in a pri¬ 
vate letter to me accepts this view of it. Figure 72 is 
from the type specimen.* 
Figure 72. 
OTHER STERILE BASES. 
The early definition of the genus Bovista, and a very crude one 
in the light of the present knowledge of the subject was a “ puff-ball 
without a sterile base.’’ In other words a puff-ball with a homogenous 
substance. It happened in a few instances where specimens were re¬ 
ceived that were all sterile bases the authors finding the substance 
homogenous thought the plant had no sterile base and refered it to the 
genus Bovista. 
Bovista dealbata (Jour. Bot. 88-131) is a fragment of a sterile 
base probably of a Calvatia. 
Bovista stuppea (Grev. 2-50) is the sterile base of Bovistella 
Ohiensis. 
UNEXPANDED GEASTERS. 
A fertile source of error are unexpanded Geasters. Epigaean 
Geasters do not grow in Europe and unexpanded specimens are liable 
to be taken for perfect plants even in countries where they grow. 
When I first found them growing I had no suspicion of their true nature 
(cfr. Geastrae p. 35) and it was only by accident that I made the dis¬ 
covery. Up to very recent years we find them referred to other genera. 
*Kalchbrenner made a curious error in regard to this olant. It was described as Polyporus 
pisiformis (Grev. 10-98) by Cooke from specimens received by Kalchbrenner under this name. 
The type at Kew is a little fragment not worthy of mention much less description, but it is surely 
a polyporus. But Kalchbrenner sent lo merlin under the same name specimens that are young 
lveoperdons and have not even a superficial resemblance to those he sent to Cooke. The latter 
were described as ‘ Hippoperdon pisiforme.” 
180 
