the other then known British species of Geastrum, in the second volume of heLinnemTi'ansactiotis; and we hav0
no hesitation in extracting the following interesting particulars, relative to our plant: “ The volva of this;%0^ / OB
is sunk deep into the ground ; the summit being on a level with, or very little elevated above, the surface. On
takin<r one up it was found to be nearly globular, but slightly depressed; of a dirty white; wrinkled and scaly • with
a short thick root terminated by a few small fibres. When cut open, this consisted ot a soft, coriaceous coat, within
which was another, thicker, and of a much tougher substance, filled with a white curd-like substance, ot a very dis.
agreeable smell This was so young that there was no appearance of the head. They remain a considerable timein
this state appearing to ripen slowly; one which was discovered about the middle ot August remained-Unchanged
till the end of November, when it was found fully expanded, and resting on the surface of the ground in which it
had been before buried. This had been visited the preceding day, and not any alteration had been then observed
in- it It appears therefore, that when ripe, the change is very sudden ; and that the head, pressing against the in.
terior part of the volva, and probably assisted by the action of the sun, (for the day on. which it expanded was re.
markablv bright and fine,) the outer coat suddenly gives way, is split into an indeterminate number ot rays; theroot
is broken off and left in the ground ; and the plant being turned inside out, is necessarily raised upon the surface,
what was before the outer and upper part of the volva being how next to the ground. This, which has been before
described as the mode o f expansion of the stellatum, is also common to these with the recolhgens.
Of this plant Desvauxhas made the genus Myriostoma, but he has stated nothing new relative to its structure,
havina never probably, any more than Persoon, who has quoted the description of our countryman Dickson, seen a
specimen of it. Indeed it is a plant wholly confined to Great Britain, where it is rare, and found only in the
tumnal months. Our specimens were communicated by Mr. Turner, having been gathered by Messrs. S one and
Woodward on sandy banks at Mettinghain and Bungay, Suffolk; and at Gillingham and Earsham, Norfolk. It ,s
also stated by Withering to have been found near Hanley Castle, Warwickshire.
GEASTRUM FORNICATUM. ARCHED GEASTRUM.
GEASTRUM fornicatum, volva quadrifida; peridio brevi-pedunculato, ore subacuminato, lacehito,
GEASTRUM quadrifidum. Pers. Disp. Meth, Fung.p. 6. Pers. Syn. Fung. P -^ 3 . Pers. in Jouni.
de Bot. ml. 2 .p . 26. Decand, FI. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 2. p. 267. FI. Gall. Syn. p. / 19.
PLECOSTOMA fornicatum. Desrnux in Joum. de Bot. ml. 2.p. 101.
GEASTER volvai radiis et operculo elevatis. IVatson in Phil. Trans. Abr. ml, 9- p- 98. t, 2 ./. 5.
LYCOPERDON fornicatum. Huds. Angl.p. 644. Wood®. in Linn. Trans, ml. 2. p. 6l. With
Bot. Arr. ed. 4. ml. 4. p. 368. Sowerby Engl. Fung. t. 198.
LYCOPERDON* fornicatum /3. quadrifidum. Bryant Hist. A c c .f 15. (according to Woodward)
LYCOPERDON volvam reflectens, ore pectinato. Schmid. I c .p . 145. t, 3 7 -ƒ E (small^ varieties.)
LYCOPERDON secundum, &c. Schceff. Fung. Bavar. t. 133.
GEASTEROIDES phragmites fuscum, e volva erumpens, tetraradiis elevatum curiosum. Balain
Fung: App. t. 39. ƒ . 1—*5.
Class a nd Ord e r . CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI.
[N atural Ord e r . FUNGI, Linn. Juss. Decand.'|-
Gen. Char. Vide Geastrum striatum
Fungus inter majores specîes.
V olva in quatuor segmenta erumpens ; cortice externo
fusco, fibroso-camoso, crasso, extus rugoso, intus
glabro, in terra remanerfs, segmentis erectis,
nunquam reflexis; interno coriace'o-membfana-
ceo, glabro, fusco-rufescente, ab externo separate,
fornicato-reflexo, segmentis biunçiam longis, mai-
ginibus revolûtis, apicibus- solummodo iis corticis
externi agglutinatis.
P er id ium seminis Fagi Castaneæ magnitudine, sordide
fuscum, globosum, brevi-pedunculatum, basiçon-
strictum, ore subacuminato, lacerato.
Semin a numerosa, pulveriformia, fibris brevibus, rigidis,
.strictis immixtis.
F ungus among thé target specie's.
Volva breaking into four segments; the external Coat
brown, between fibrous and fleshy, thick, rough
without, within smooth, remaining in the earth,
with the segments erect, neyer reflexed; the internal
coat between coriaceous and membranaceous,
smooth, reddish brown, separated from the
external, fornicato-reflexed; the- segments two
-inches long, with the..margins reyolute, the apices
alone, adhering to those óf the external; coat.
H e a d the size of the seed of the Sweet Chesnut, dull-
brown, globosei, Isbortly pedunculate, constricted
at the base, the mouth subacuminate, lacerated.
Se e d s numerouS/reisembling dust, mixed with short, rigid,.
straight fibres.
Pig. 1 «Plant nat. size. Fig. 2. Seeds and Filaments magnified. ,
This species, according to Mr. Woodward, whose description « f i t « w e ll«
»ot be too highly appreciated, was first mentioned by Stirbechand Segur wo ® ,. actuallv published
o f the 17th century, under the fanciful name of Anthmpomorphus, and the last of these naturalists actually |
a figure of a cluster of these fungi, with human faces cffawn on the heads. 1744
Sir William Watson was the first to notice it as an English plant, and gave a good figure of it m t ) ^
in the Philosophical Transactions, since which time it has been described by various auth°is ? pers0on i.aS
abroad. M r. Bryant was unfortunate in confounding it with the Lycoperdon stellatum o i Linn , iias a mouth
been scarcely more happy in uniting with it the Geastrum quadrifidum, minus, of Schmidel, which s
like that of G. striatum figured above, and which has since been named Schmidch hy D,GSf u\ } f * fnJ catim
to Persoon to state what he says in his Mémoire published in Desvauxs Journal, que le d^cope / qUi
publié parle botaniste anglais Hudson et figuré ensuite par Sowerby dans son ouvrage but .besides
croissent en Angleterre, est une espèce très-distincte, et bien caractérisée par ja présence d unistypes, , ,0
that bis description sufficiently accords with our plant, he refera to figures winch SL „ L S Fitngon»
belong to the fornicatum of Hudson, and even quotes both Hudson and Woodward in his fidium,
And with regard to the existence of a Stipes in our plant, if by that term he means the footstalk of the pc
his quadrifidum is furnished with one, for he says “ peridio pedicellate. «„«Hrifid divisions»
Besides the arched figure of the yplva of this plant when in its perfect state, and its regulariy^uaa^^
(for there are sometimes three-and sometimes five, though by mere accident,) there is astuking p 0uhd with its
to this plant in the volva separating from its outer thick and fleshy coat, leaving it imbedded m . g t,)US giving
four erect points supporting the corresponding segments of the inner coat of the volva upon ^ P ’ -n an early
the planta most fanciful appearance. We have already intimated that a similar external coat ™ ^ x‘s j listage
upon the volvæ of all these species; in some we know.it.remains entire after the burshng ottlie
others we see it broken.off in small pieces as if by decay.. w ««rtirnlarlv 1“ N°rfo1
This fungus has been found in various parts of the kingdom upon .dry hedge-banks,, but particulai y
and Suffolk. Our fine specimen was communicated from Yorkshireby the Rev. James Daltq .