1791. _Sphaerocarpus chrysospermus_ Bull., _Cham. de Fr._, Tab. 417, Fig. 4.

1794. _Trichia favoginea_ (Batsch) Pers., _Rom. N. Mag. Bot._, I., p. 90.

1875. _Trichia chrysosperma_ (Bull.) Rost., _Mon._, p. 255.

Sporangia closely crowded, cylindric or prismatic by mutual pressure, obovoid, sessile, olivaceous yellow, smooth and shining; the peridium thin, opening above somewhat stellately, persistent; capillitium golden yellow, escaping entirely from the peridia, and forming woolly ma.s.ses above them, the threads long, even, beautifully sculptured, bearing spirals about four, usually smooth and connected by light longitudinal ridges, the apices short tapering, about equal to the width of the elater, 6-7 ; spores concolorous, by transmitted light paler, but still bright yellow, the episporic net conspicuous, the bands narrow and high, not pitted nor fragmentary, in form irregularly globose, 12-14 .

Plasmodium yellow.

A common and beautiful species recognizable at sight, after the peridia break, by the aggregate capillitium constantly in evidence above the abandoned vasiform peridia. The figures of Bulliard are unsatisfactory, although the description he gives and the name he suggests, still current, may lead us to concede that he had our species before him. The spores are larger than in _T. persimilis_, and the episporic net different, the "border" wider. The plasmodium in the lat.i.tude of Iowa not uncommon in woods in June, after emerging pa.s.ses into fruit in the laboratory in about forty-eight hours, and the rupture of the peridia follows presently. The hypothallus is quite distinct, extra-marginal, and in substance like to the peridial wall.

Not rare. Throughout the northern forests, Maine to Washington and Oregon, south to Alabama, Louisiana, Mexico.

8. TRICHIA VERRUCOSA _Berk._

1860. _Trichia verrucosa, Fl. Tasm._, II., p. 269.

Sporangia pyriform, or obovoid, shining, ochraceous from the color of the contents, stipitate, more or less botryoid or connate; stipe twice the height of the spore-case, reddish brown, simple or consolidated with others, weak, inclined, or proc.u.mbent; hypothallus distinct; spore-ma.s.s ochraceous yellow, the elaters simple, with smooth tapering points, with spirals three or four, the spores beautifully and strongly reticulate, after the manner of the spores in the species preceding, with the meshes generally complete and always large, quite variable in size 12-16 .

Rostafinski quotes the species (_teste_ Lister) from Chile. Specimens in the herbarium of the State University of Iowa are from Jalapa, Mexico, collected by Mr. C. L. Smith. The species may be therefore expected in the southern United States. Berkeley described it from Tasmania. _T.

superba_ Ma.s.s, from description would seen to be the same thing.

9. TRICHIA PULCh.e.l.lA _Rex._

1893. _Trichia pulch.e.l.la_ Rex, _Proc. Phil. Acad._, p. 366.

Sporangia solitary or in groups of four or five, bright vitelline yellow, sessile; the peridium thin, transparent, opening irregularly above; hypothallus none; capillitium bright yellow, not emergent, the threads narrow, 3-4 , wound with spirals three or four, more or less irregular, smooth, longitudinal ridges wanting, the apices rather long, ac.u.minate, about twice the diameter of the elater, or anon clavate or even globose, bulbose at the tip and furnished with several stout spines; spore-ma.s.s concolorous; under the lens spores colorless, marked by a very feebly developed reticulation of _T. persimilis_ type, but the bands narrow and, as shown by the narrow "border," low, meshes few and often imperfect, globose or sub-globose, about 12 .

The episporic characters of this species ally it to _T. persimilis_ most nearly. The reticulations are possibly not more divergent from the typical form of that species than are the same features in some other forms there included. But in the present case, added to the episporic sculpture, we must reckon the peculiar capillitial thread, unlike that seen in either of the chrysospermatous forms, and the gregarious habit without hypothallus. These peculiarities seemed to Dr. Rex distinctive, and as they appear constant they may be left to separate the species.

10. TRICHIA BOTRYTIS _Persoon._

PLATE XIII., Figs. 8, 8 _a_.

1791. _Stemonitis botrytis_ Pers., Gmel., _Syst. Nat._, II., 1468.

1794. _Trichia botrytis_ Pers., _Rom. N. Mag. Bot._, I., p. 89.

1803. _Sphaerocarpus fragilis_ Sowerby, _Eng. Fung._, I., p. 279.

1829. _Trichia pyriformis_ Fries, _Syst. Myc._, III., p. 184.

1875. _Trichia fragilis_ (Sow.) Rost., _Mon._, p. 246.

Sporangia gregarious, scattered, sometimes combined in cl.u.s.ters, pyriform or turbinate, stipitate, red-purple or, ochraceous-brown the peridium breaking up irregularly, the dehiscence sometimes prefigured by pale reticulations on the surface; stipe solid, single, or united in cl.u.s.ters of five or more together, dark-colored, red or purple-brown, opaque; capillitium orange, ochraceous yellow, or even reddish brown, the threads simple or rarely branched, long-fusiform, about 4 thick at the centre, tapering gradually to the long acc.u.minate, apiculate tips, spirals three or four, even, smooth, rather closely wound and traceable almost to the apex; spores concolorous in ma.s.s, under the lens pale, globose, more or less closely minutely warted but not reticulate, 10-12 .

A species remarkable for its variations in color. More commonly the unopened sporangia are opaque brown, by reason of a dense outer wall, and more frequently simple, or if compound, show but two or three united. The reddish variety, vinous or scarlet-black in color, is remarkably fasciate. Some cl.u.s.ters show twenty or more stipitate, globose sporangia, conjoined by their distinct but coherent stems. In such fruitings the sporangia are small, .5 mm. In the brown sporangia the dehiscence, as stated, is often definitely prefigured; in the multiple, red, obscurely, if at all. As presented in collections from the eastern United States, the two forms might well be disjoined.

Persoon, however, discussed both together and so they remain.

Saccardo includes _Craterium floriforme_ Schw. here.

By the descriptions of the earlier authors it is impossible to distinguish this from _H. vesparium_ on the one hand, and _T. decipiens_ on the other. _T. botrytis_ Pers., _l. c._, gives us first secure foothold. Fries discards Persoon's appellation as unsuitable and improperly applied, and takes up what he deems an older specific designation, _T. pyriformis_ Leers. But Rostafinski is certain Leers had _A. punicea_ in mind, and that other early names are equally ill-applied. Rostafinski rejects Persoon's names simply as not pertinent in every case. Ma.s.see examined the specimens of Leveille, and finds them belonging here; but see our No. 14, _seq._

Not common, but with wide range. Maine, Ma.s.sachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado; Toronto.

11. TRICHIA SUBFUSCA _Rex._

1890. _Trichia subfusca_ Rex, _Proc. Phil. Acad._, p. 192.

Sporangia gregarious, scattered, dull tawny brown, shading to dark brown below, about mm. in diameter, globose, stipitate; stipe short, about equal to the sporangium, stout, brown or brownish black, rugulose, solid; capillitial ma.s.s bright straw color; the elaters long cylindrical, 3-4 wide, adorned with spirals four, which wind unevenly, are perfectly smooth, and terminate in abrupt tips about twice the diameter of the elater; spores yellow, under the lens yellow, minutely and closely warted, globose, 12 .

The spores of this species resemble closely those of the preceding, but the sporangium is at sight different in appearance and proportions and the capillitium not the same at all. The elaters are never fusiform, the apices always abrupt in their ac.u.mination, and the sculpture irregular and uneven. In form the elater resembles that of _T. scabra_. The description is drawn from specimens, _N. A. F._, 2495, with which, however, specimens received from Dr. Rex and later collected exactly correspond.

The elaters of uniform diameter, the apices abruptly narrowed to a blunt point, turned to one side, will serve to distinguish this species from the whole _T. botrytis_ group, some forms of which it outwardly resembles.

We have beautiful specimens from the sh.o.r.es of Puget Sound.

New York.

12. TRICHIA ERECTA _Rex._

1890. _Trichia erecta_ Rex, _Proc. Phil. Acad._, p. 193.

Sporangia gregarious, often in cl.u.s.ters of two or three together, but generally single, nut-brown, checkered with broad, conspicuous yellow dehiscence bands, globose, mm. wide, stipitate, stipe double the sporangium, dark brown, solid; capillitial ma.s.s bright yellow, the elaters cylindric, 3-4 wide, terminating in apices short and smooth, adorned with spirals, four, coa.r.s.ely spinulose, winding unevenly or even branching and so united to one another! spore-ma.s.s yellow, spores by transmitted light pale, globose, minutely warted, 12 .

Distinguished at sight by the peculiarly mottled peridium. _T. botrytis_ in its ochraceous forms sometimes shows tendency to the same thing, but the checkered surface is here conspicuous. The elaters resemble those of the preceding form, but are remarkably rough.

Rare. Adirondacks, New York.

13. TRICHIA DECIPIENS (_Pers._) _Macbr._

PLATE IV., Figs. 2, 2 _a_, 2 _b_.

1793. _Lycoperdon pusillum_ Hedwig, _Abh._, I., p. 35, Tab. iii., Fig. 2.

1795. _Arcyria decipiens_ Pers., _Ust. Ann. Bot._, XV., p. 35.

1796. _Trichia fallax_ Pers., _Obs. Myc._, I., p. 59, etc.

Sporangia gregarious, sometimes closely so, sometimes scattered, turbinate, shining olive or olivaceous brown, stipitate; stipe generally elongate, concolorous above, dark brown below, hollow, _i. e._ filled with spore-like cells; capillitial ma.s.s yellowish or olivaceous yellow, the elaters perfectly smooth, long fusiform, tapering gradually to the long, slender taeniate apices, simple or often branched, adorned with spirals three, which wind evenly but somewhat distantly; spore-ma.s.s olivaceous or ochraceous, spores under the lens, pale, minutely delicately reticulate, 10-12 .

One of our largest and most common species, in form and size resembling _H. clavata_, but immediately distinguished by its color. The capillitium is like that of _T. botrytis_, but differs in the more open sculpture and the longer and smoother unwound tips. The episporic net is a constant character in all the specimens examined. This feature reminds of _T. scabra_.

This is, of course, our familiar _T. fallax_ of all authors from Persoon down. The earliest unmistakable reference to this species is Hedwig, _l.

c._ But Batsch, in 1789, had used the same combination to describe a real puff-ball, so that Hedwig's name was already a synonym. The specific name here adopted is next in point of priority, although Persoon discarded it the year following, subst.i.tuting _fallax_, because he had mistaken the genus.

Not rare. New England, Toronto; west to the Black Hills and Washington, Oregon, California, south to the Carolinas and Kansas; Jalapa, Mexico.

14. TRICHIA LATERITIA _Lev._

1846. _Trichia lateritia_ Lev., _Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot._, 3 V., p. 167.