Geographical Distribution. 
Hungary, (Hollos). Australia, (Kalchbrenner). South Africa, (Henning). 
New Jersey, (Ellis). 
Specimens in our Collection. 
Hungary, Dr. Hollos. 
Florida , Specimens from A. P. Morgan, (I am in some doubt as to these 
specimens, they are not so typically hygroscopic as all others I have seen.) 
Explanation of Figures. 
Fig. 18. Geaster Drummondii. a—Expanded, b—Unexpanded. Speci¬ 
mens from Dr. U. Hollos, Hungary. 
4—GEASTER MAMMOSUS- 
Exoperidium thin, rigid, hygroscopic, smooth, divided almost 
to base into about ten linear segments, often mnbilicate at the base as 
shown in fig. 17b. Inner peridium globose, smooth, sessile, furnished 
Fig. 16. Fig. 17. 
Geaster mammosus, (expanded.) Geaster mammosus (unexpanded.) 
with a conical, even, protruding mouth seated on a definite area. 
Columella short, globose, evident (though indistinct in mature plants). 
Capillitium simple, tapering, hyaline, often flattened, slightly thinner 
than the spores. Spores globose, roughened, 3-7 me. (*) 
This plant differs from other hygroscopic species by its even 
conical mouth. The plant was early (1809) beautifully illustrated by 
Sowerby (t. 401). Fries (1829) gave the name Geaster mammosus to 
some plant, but not to this, as he describes it as drying with the exo¬ 
peridium reflexed, and refers Sowerby’s characteristic plate, doubt¬ 
fully, to Geaster hygrometricus. Chevallier (1836) clearly describes 
and characterizes its difference from hygrometricus by its mouth. He 
is usually (and justly in our opinion) cited as the author of the name. 
Vittadini (1843) gave a fine figure of the plant, but strangely in his text 
states that it is the Friesian interpretation of the plant and “not 
Chevallier.’ ’ 
(*) Morgan states 5-6 me. We have specimens from Canada where the spores vary in the 
same plant from 3 to 7 me. in diameter. Our English specimens run more uniform, 3 to 4 me. 
13 
