or three times as thick as the spores. When ripe they break into short- 
pieces.* Spores small, globose, 4-5 mic., smooth. 
Calvatia caelata is not so widely distributed as the previous 
species. It grows quite commonly in Europe and the western portion of 
the United States. Two forms occur which at first view seem quite 
different. The usual plant has an even surface, and this form we 
would call Calvatia caelata because it is the common plant and the one 
usually so known. As a matter of history however, Bulliard’s figure 
on which the name is based is the next form. 
CALVATIA FONTANESII (Plate 36, figs. 2 and 4.)-Certainly 
only a form of the previous plant. The warts are thick and the surface 
broken into large areoles. This form is more rare in Europe and more 
common in our western United States. There is a New Zealand 
specimen at Kew from Colenso. 
Calvatia favosa is a form with peridium becoming lacunose as shown on plate 
36, fig. 3. It was figured by Rostkovius, and lacunosa would have been a better 
name for it. We have specimens of this form from Robert Brown, Andover, New 
Zealand. 
Specimens in our Collection. 
New Zealand, Christ Church , Robert M. Laing. Andover, Robert Brown. 
CALVATIA GIGANTEA (Plate 37). —Plant globose, reaching 
often a very large size.f Peridium with a smooth cortex, when ripe 
breaking into fragments and falling away. Sterile portion none, or 
sometimes slightly developed, but compact, of the same texture as the 
fertile portion^ Gleba bright yellow, then brownish olivaceous. 
Capillitium long, intertwined, branching, deeply colored threads about 
as thick as the spores. Spores globose, smooth, 4-5 mic. 
This large plant which is popularly called the “giant puff-ball” 
is of wide distribution. It is of rather rare occurrence in the United 
States§ but one of my correspondents writes me it grows in great 
abundance in New Zealand. The thickness of the peridium varies. In 
New Zealand specimens from Robert Brown it is little over one mm. 
thick; in an American specimen fully 2 mm. No one can mistake 
the plant for it is the only large globose species known in Europe, Aus¬ 
tralia or the United States. Notwithstanding, it has a wealth of syn¬ 
onyms, viz: Calvatia maxima. Bovista maxima, Lycoperdon maximum, 
Lycoperdon Bovista, Globaria Bovista, Lycoperdon giganteum, Bovista 
gigantea, Globaria gigantea, Langermannia gigantea. 
Specimens in our Collection. 
New Zealand, Andover, Robert Brown, a liberal lot. 
Oval sporedfor?n from J. G. O. Tepper, Norwood, Australia. We 
have some specimens with spores not truly globose but slightly oval. 
It has been suggested that this may be the original form of Calvatia 
gigantea and the name Calvatia primitiva proposed, and that the spores 
have become round through evolution, but of course that is merest 
supposition. 
*Hence the gleba of this species has very little cohesiveness and falls out from the specimen 
so readily that they are usually the “dirtiest” puff balls we receive. 
fit has been stated that specimens have been collected three feet in diameter. I have several 
times seen them a foot and a half through. 
JWhen present it is of a different nature from the sterile base of most puff-balls. It is never 
formed of large cellular tissue as erroneously shown in Bulliard’s figure. 
§1 have seen it growing but once. 
36 
