ported on several, more or less confluent, pedicels. Surface minutely 
roughened ; mouths several, appressed fibrillose, round, plain or slightly 
elevated; Columellae several, filiform, probably the same in number as 
the pedicels ; spores globose, roughened, 3-6 me. ; capillitium simple, 
unbranched, long, tapering, about half diameter of spores. 
Fig. 3. Fig. 4. 
Mjriostoma coliformis (section showing columellae.) Myriostoma coliformis, (spores magnified.) 
The inner peridium with its several mouths can be, not inaptly, 
compared to a “pepper-box.” The specific name is derived from the 
latin colum, a strainer, and the old English name we find in Berkeley 
“Cullenden puff-ball” refers to a cullender (or colander more modern 
form) now almost obsolete in English but meaning a kind of strainer. 
This plant is first mentioned by Doody (in the appendix to Ray’s 
Syn. 2nd Ed., 1696.*) Dickson (f) 1785, beautifully illustrated the 
plant and as it is such an odd plant it has never been confused in litera¬ 
ture. Dickson called it Eycoperdon coliforme. Persoon (Syn. 1801) re¬ 
fers it to Geaster, and Desveaux (1809) proposed for it the genus 
Myriostoma. At the present day it is generally known as Myriostoma 
' coliformis, though some writers (strangely to our mind) still continue 
to call it Geaster coliformis. 
Geographical Distribution. 
In Europe the plant is reported from England, Holland, Germany, and 
Poland, and develops abundantly in the sandy plains of Hungary. In England it 
is a very rare plant. In this country species were sent to Chas. Peck from Colo¬ 
rado. We have it from Dakota and abundantly from Florida. 
Specimens in our Collection. 
Florida , (many specimens) Mrs. Delia Sains. 
Dakota , Black'Hills, Prof. T. H. McBride. 
Hungary , magnificent specimens, Dr. L. Hollos. 
Explanation of Figures. 
Figs. 1 and 2 plants natural size ; Fig. 3 Section showing columellae; Pfig. 4 
Spores magnified 450 diameters. Specimens all from Mrs. Delia Sams, Florida. 
All figures in this pamphlet are natural size unless otherwise specified. All 
micro-photographs are by Dr. Edward H. Thompson. 
(*) The previous citations of Ray to Merrett (1667) is more probably a Geaster. 
(t) Fase. Plant, Cryp. Britanniae. 
7 
