EXOPERIDIUM FORNICATE.—NON-RIGIDAE, MOUTH EVEN. 
The word fornicate means arched but as applied to a Geaster means arched 
over the mycelial layer which separates and remains as a cup in the ground. The first 
two species are thus strongly characterized, the third not to such a strong extent. 
KEY TO SPECIES. 
Mouth indeterminate, plant not rooting, .(10) fornicatus. 
Mouth indeterminate, plant strongly rooting,. (17) radicans. 
Mouth determinate, plant small,. (18) coronatus. 
16—GEASTER FORNICATUS. 
Outer peridium strongly and typically fornicate, the mycelial 
layer forming a perfect cup at base of plant. Fibrillose layer arched 
above the cup, to which it is attached by the tips of the segments, cut 
into four (rarely five) long segments. Fleshy layer partly adherent. 
Inner peridium distinctly urn shape as shown in our figures (not glo¬ 
bose as Massee depicts) tapering below into a short thick peduncle. 
Mouth indefinite. Columella. (*) Spores globose, almost smooth, 4 me. 
While the very early botanists 
(Persoon and Buxbaum) distinguished 
the plant from coronatus, as varieties of 
same plant, from the day when Fries 
made his confusing compilation (1829) up 
to last year, these two plants, so widely dif¬ 
ferent Gee figs. 56 and 61) that even the 
crude cuts are readily distinguished, have 
been confused by authors in general under 
the name “fornicatus.” We have con¬ 
cluded to retain it (f) for this plant for two 
reasons. 1st, Hudson who first gave the 
name to a species of Geaster while con¬ 
fusing as to his citations, evidently knew 
only this plant, as evidence all tends to 
the fact that the other (coronatus) prob¬ 
ably does not occur in England. Kvery 
English illustration, Bryant, Blackstone, 
Sowerby, Smith, Massee,) represents this 
plant It is the only one we have re¬ 
ceived from England and English bot¬ 
anists advise US it is the Only Olie they Fig. 55. Geaster fornicatus. 
know. 2nd, The idea of a “fornicate” species is so strongly con¬ 
nected with the genus Geaster that it should be perpetuated in nomen¬ 
clature, and applied to the plant that typically represents the idea. 
This plant which grows only in deciduous woods is much rarer in con¬ 
tinental Europe than coronatus that grows common in pine woods, 
hence the latter plant is the usual species that has been distributed in 
exsiccatae under the name “fornicatus ” These two plants are so dis¬ 
tinct that it is strange to us how they could ever have been considered 
(*) We do not wish to mutilate by cutting the few specimens we have of this plant, 
(f) This is a reversal of our decision last year (see Myc. Notes, p. 71). 
29 
