70 
GASTEROMYCETES 
and resembling rough, reddish leather; 2-4 in. diam. when 
expanded. Inner per. globose, pale to dark umber. Orifice 
slightly mammiform, often torn. Spore mass blackish- 
brown. Differs from G. limbatus in the prominent, persistent 
columella and the red-brown colour. Woods and pastures, 
aut. and early win. Rare. 
G. fimbriatus (from the sometimes fimbriated mouth of the 
peristome). Plate XXIII. 8. 
Outer per. usually 6-8 segmented (sometimes 15), the 
segments extending about halfway, slightly recurved when 
expanded, with a tendency to split into two layers ; 1 \-2\ in. 
diam.; buff or umber-white, with whitish cracks. Inner per. 
sessile, subglobose, pale umber. Orifice indeterminate, fibril- 
lose. “ The idea that fimbriatus can be known by its 
‘ fimbriate ’ mouth is an error. The mouth does not differ 
from several other species with indeterminate mouths ” 
(Lloyd). Spore mass blackish-umber. In pine woods in 
late aut. and early win. 
G. hygrometricus (Gr. hugros , moisture; metron, a measure— 
from its absorption of moisture from the air), “ Hygroscopic 
Earth-star.” Plate XXIII. 1-4. 
Outer per. 7-20 segmented, 1 J-2J in. diam. when expanded, 
horny, yellowish-brown, often cracked all over. Inner per. 
sessile, ovato-globose in section, floccose, crimson-brown or 
purple-lavender. Orifice narrow, irregularly torn. Columella 
obsolete. Spore mass dark brown. It develops under the 
ground, and is of very slow growth. Care must be taken 
not to mistake an unexpanded specimen for an undeveloped 
puff-ball. Various genera have been based on unexpanded 
earth-stars. Lloyd remarks: “ The plant ripens in late 
sum. or fall of the year, and the thick outer peridium splits 
into segments, sometimes as few as four, sometimes as many 
as twenty. They are strongly hygroscopic, and in moist 
weather recurve, and, standing on their tips, lift up the 
inner ball. In dry weather they closely curve in, clasping 
