SPORES. 
The ripe spores of Gastromycetes are readily examined under a 
microscope (hi inch power is the best) and afford characters useful in 
distinguishing species. Some spores are smooth, some spinulose; 
more are globose but some are oblong or oval. They vary also in size 
and in color. Some spores are borne on the basidia on long sterigmata 
(see fig. 7c) which as the spores ripen persist attached to the spore and 
are known then as pedicels. (See Fig. 14.) The value of pedicellate 
Fig. 13. 
Globose spores of Mitremyces 
lutescens. 
Fig. 13. Fig. 14. 
Oblong spores of Mitremyces Pedicellate spores of Bovista 
einnabarinus. 
spores as a specific character is a disputed question. I am convinced 
that in some species the persistence of the pedicel depends on the stage 
of development when the plant is collected as I have found pedicellate 
and non-pedicellate spores in different plants of same species and of 
same collection. Massee says the pedicels of spores of old herbarium 
specimens are always broken off, hence the character of no value. We 
know however, that there are certain species such as Bovistella 
Ohiense, Bovista plumbea, in which the pedicellate spores are con¬ 
stant and persist for years, and we feel that in such cases the character 
is of value, even if it does disappear with age. 
STERILE BASE. 
In Lycoperdon, Calvatia and other genera, all portions of the 
gleba are not fertile and spore bearing. The lower portion called the 
“sterile base” consists simply of sterile cells or threads. The “sterile 
base” has been made a character to distinguish genera, Globaria of 
recent writers being simply Lycoperdon devoid of a sterile base. While 
it is a good primary character to divide the genus Lycoperdon, there 
are all shades of development from species with none at all, through 
species with very little, to species with it strongly developed, and I 
feel that it alone should not be held of generic importance. Several 
species shed their spores but the sterile bases persist through the win¬ 
ter and are often picked up for perfect plants. Bose described and 
illustrated Calvatia cyathiformis on such a remnant, thinking it was 
a perfect plant. 
8 
