297—GEASTER BERKELEYI. 
Those who express opinions second hand, regarding plants about 
which they really know nothing, are very apt to make mistakes. 
When we took up the subject of “ puff-balls ” we thought it a crime 
for a man to make a mistake and that he ought to be crucified for 
doing so. Our opinion has somewhat changed, first, because so many 
Fig 78. 
Geaster Berkeleyi. 
mistakes are made, that were this plan adopted there would be very 
few mycologists left, and second, we are among those who make mistakes, 
and are not seeking that kind of a 
death. We think however, that there 
have been surprisingly few r errors in 
Mycological Notes. The most serious 
one known to us is where w r e referred 
Geaster Berkele)d to Geaster asper 
from our book studies of the plant. 
As soon as we saw the plant we noted 
our mistake, for the two have little 
resemblance. 
Geaster Berkeleyi (fig. 78) seems 
to be a very local plant. We have 
seen no specimens excepting from 
England and Australia. A small form 
of it (called Geaster pseudo striatus*) [see fig. 79] grows in Hungary. 
* Before we knew Geaster Berkeleyi we refered that little form to Geaster asper. 
198 
