I
fri
i’r i;
f . I
(i;
' !
i l
A Y
SCLEROD ERMA v e r k ü c o s u m .
W a rty fa lse Puff-ball.
C l a s s a n d O r d e r CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI, L im — N a t . O r d . G A S T RO M YC l, Link, ■
GreD.—FUNGI, Juss. &c,
G E N E R IC C H A R A C T E R .
Plantæ ghbosoe sæpe stipitaloe. Peridium simplex, durum, verrucosum. Sphæ-
rulæ in ghmeruhs coacervatæ, Jhccis inspersoe.
Globose plants, often furnished with a stem. Peridium simple, hard, warty.
Sporules collected into little roundish masses, and intermixed with small
woolly filaments.
s p e c i f i c c h a r a c t e r .
S c l e r o d e r m a v e r r u c o s u m ; gregarium, Jlavo-rufescens, stipite submagno, basi
dilátalo lacunoso ; peridio apice dehiscente.
S. gregarious, yellowish-brown, with a large lacunose stem thickened at the
base ; peridium bursting at the apex.
Scleroderma verrucosum, Pers. Syn. Fung. p. 154— Grays Nat. Arr. v. 1.
p. 582 Grev. Fl. Fdin. ined.
L v c o p e rd o n verrucosum, Bull. Champ, p . 157. t. 24.—Dc Cand. Fl. Franç.
V . 2. p . 265 With. Bot. Arr. ed. 6. v. 4. p . 451.
L v c o p e rd o n defossum, Smv. Fung. t. 311.—Batsch, Flench. Fung. Coni. 2.
p. 126. t. 42. f 2 29 .— With. he. cit. p. 455— Purt. Midi. Fl. v. 2 . p. 7 0 1 . ? ?
L v c o p e rd o n verrucosum, sphæricum pedúnculo donatum, e flavo-rufeseens,
pu nc tulis fuscis adspersum, Vaill. Bot. Par. p. 1 2 2 . t. 16 . f. 7, 8.
L v c o p e r d a s t r u m obscurum, altius radicatum, p u lp a a tro -p u rp u re a cute lacera,
et in fu rfu rem v e lu ti soluta, Mich. Nov. PI. Gen. p. 2 19 . t. 99. f. 3.
H ab. In woods and borders of fields among grass. Autumn. Abercorn
Park, near the entrance from Duddingston. In England, it has been
found at Edgebaston by W i t h e r i n g , and elsewhere by others; but correct
habitats are not stated.
A large species 2 -4 inches in diameter, and 2-6 inches high, including the
root ; globose, but somewhat depressed, and of a rich yellow or reddish
brown colour. Peridium thick, coriaceous, varying much in the degree
of scaliness or wartiness with which it is covered ; generally, the warts
are small and dark-coloured, rarely nearly wanting. I t bursts at the
apex with an irregular orifice, the segments of which are often somewhat
revolute and rigid. Sportdes purplish-brown, very numerous, intermixed
with filaments : if a plant be torn asunder a little before maturity,