1
I
i! ♦ f '
li'
I
(I
dity and force turns itself inside out, and projects the ball of sporidia
to the distance of several inches, with a distinctly audible cracking noise.
So great is the force with which the process is effected, that, besides
projecting the ball, the inner peridium itself, somewhat resembling a
balloon in miniature, is often disengaged from the outer one, instead of
remaining as usual with its orifice (now undermost) attached to the
margin of the outer one.
This is unquestionably the most wonderfully constructed
plant which it has fallen to my lot to describe in the present publication.
That so great a degree of force should exist in a
body not larger than the head of a pin, and that force, too, exerted
in defiance of considerable resistance, seems to surpass the
power of any theory to account for satisfactorily. Tbe resistance
I have alluded to, is that which must be necessarily produced
by the form of tbe inner peridium, wdricb is convex downwards,
at the part where tbe elastic force must be applied, and consequently
opposes the resistance of an arch. Apparently, for
the sake of facilitating the separation of the two peridia, an
orange gelatinous or semifluid stratum of matter is placed between
them. It is curious, that when the projection has taken
place, and the inner peridium turned inside out, the orifice of
tbe latter is considerably narrower than its base, wffiich must
also increase the quantity of resistance. It sometimes happens
in weak plants, that the inner peridium is imperfectly inverted,
and remains as in Fig, 5.
The first representation of this curious production is given
by bliCHAELi, and is singularly correct in a general point of
view. Of the modern figures, that published by my friend Mr
P u r t o n is decidedly the best.
That a great range of temperature is not prejudicial to its
development, we may gather from the account in S o w e r b y ’s
¿^Fnglish Fungi. That author found it growing on the edge
of a tub of water, in a stove heated to an unusual degree.
Facts like these, if accumulated, may lead to interesting conclusions.
F ig. 1. Plants, natural size. Fig. 2. Young plants. Fig. 3. A plant divided,
the ball o f the sporidia remaining entire: this view is given ju s t previous to
dehiscence. Fig. 4. A view not to be seen in reality, but drawn to show the
supposed proce.'is which projects the ball. Fig. 5. A rather weak plant, with
the inner peridium not perfectly inverted, and the segments o f the outer one
becoming refiexed. Fig. 6. A strong plant, with the inner peridium completely
inverted. Fig. 7. Ohiter peridium in age. Figs. 8, 8. Balls o f sporangia
or sporules. Fig. 9- One o f the same divided. Fig. 10. The inner peridium
disengaged. Fig. 11. A plant with the inner peridium in the act o f inversion.
Fig. 12. A section o f a plant before dehiscence. Y\g. \S . A horizontal
■lection. FFigi. , 1..4.... ...A... .p..o..r..t.i.o..n.. ..o...f. .a.. .h..o...r.i.z..o..n..t.a..l slice.