escription. I am
indebted to Mr. Lloyd for the photograph. Found in September and
October.

_Lycoperdon umbrinum. Pers._

THE SMOOTH PUFFBALL. EDIBLE.

Umbrinum, dingy umber. Peridium obovate, nearly sub-turbinate, with a
soft, delicate, velvety bark; yellowish; inner peridium smooth and
glossy, opening by a small aperture. The spores and capillitium,
olivaceous, then purplish-brown. The capillitium with a central
columella. A very attractive little plant, not frequently found. This
plant is also called L. glabellum. In woods, September and October.

OLIVE-SPORED SERIES.

_Lycoperdon gemmatum. Batsch._

THE GEMMED PUFFBALL. EDIBLE.

[Illustration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Plate LXI. Figure 465.--Lycoperdon gemmatum.

Natural size. Entirely white when young. From the young to the matured
dehiscing plant.]

The peridium is turbinate, depressed above; the base short and obconic,
or more elongated and tapering, or subcylindric, arising from a fibrous
mycelium. The cortex consists of long, thick, erect spines or warts of
irregular shape, with intervening smaller ones, whitish or gray in
color, sometimes with a tinge of red or brown; the larger spines first
fall away, leaving pale spots on the surface, and giving it a reticulate
appearance. The subgleba is variable in amount, usually more than half
the peridium; mass of spores and capillitium greenish-yellow, then
pale-brown; threads simple or scarcely branched, about as thick as the
spores. Spores globose, even, or very minutely warted. _Morgan._

The species is readily recognized by the large erect spines which,
because of their peculiar form and color, have given the notion of gems,
whence the name of the species. These and the reticulations can be seen
in Figure 465 by the aid of a glass. They are frequently found about
Chillicothe.

_Lycoperdon subincarnatum. Pk._

THE PINKISH PUFFBALL. EDIBLE.

[Illustration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Figure 466.--Lycoperdon subincarnatum.]

Subincarnatum means pale flesh-color. The peridium is globe-shaped,
sessile, without a stem-like base. Not large, rarely over one inch in
diameter. The subgleba is present but small. The outer peridium is
pinkish-brown, with minute short, stout spinules, which fall away at
maturity, leaving the inner ash-colored peridium neatly pitted by the
falling off of the spinules of the outer coat, the pits not being
surrounded by dotted lines. The capillitium and spores are first
g