Gleba at first yellowish, becoming olivaceous, at first compact, becoming pulverulent; capillitium threads long and flexuous, sparsely branched, septate, olivaceous. Spores globose, 4–5 mmm. diam., frequently apiculate; epispore olivaceous, perfectly smooth.

Habitat: Solitary on the ground, frequent on sand-dunes near the sea coast.

Distribution: Britain; Europe; North America; Algeria; Australia; New Zealand.

Queenstown, Otago, May, 1920, J. B. Cleland!

Otaki, Wellington, Nov., 1924, E. H. Atkinson!

The plant is characterised by the areolate exoperidium, perfectly smooth spores, prominent diaphragm, and large, cellular base.

2. Calvatia lilacina (Berk. et Mont.) Lloyd, Lyc. Aus., p. 35, 1905. (Fig. 3.)

Bovista lilacina Berk. et Mont., in Hook. Jour. Bot., vol. 4, p. 62, 1845.

Lycoperdon novae- zelandiae Lev., Ann. Sci. Nat., ser. 3, vol. 5, p. 164, 1846.

L. lilacinum (B. et M.) Massee, Jour. Roy. Micr. Soc., p. 706, 1887.

Calvatia cyathiformis (Bosc.) Morgan, Jour. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 12, p. 168, 1890.

Peridium up to 15 cm. diam., subglobose or pyriform, tapering abruptly into a large, well-developed, strongly crenulate rooting base; exoperidium smooth or more frequently floccose, often areolate, cream to bay brown, thin, fragile, fugacious; endoperidium brown, thin, fragile, breaking away irregularly from the apical portion; sterile base well developed, persistent, cellular at the periphery, hemicompact within, separated from the gleba by a prominent diaphragm.

Gleba some shade of purple, sometimes with a greyish tinge, at first compact, soon pulverulent; capillitium threads long, branched, septate, equal, pallid olivaceous. Spores globose, 5.5–7.5 mmm. diam., occasionally apiculate; epispore strongly verrucose, violaceous.

Habitat: Solitary on the ground, usually in sandy areas.

Distribution:? Southern Europe; North America; South Africa; Australia; New Zealand.

Weraroa, Wellington, Oct., 1922, G. H. C.; Mar., 1925, J. C. Neill!

Dunedin, Otago, Sept., 1922, Miss H. K. Dalrymple!

Otaki Beach, Wellington, Nov., 1924, E. H. Atkinson!

Characterized by the prominent sterile base, conspicuous diaphragm, and especially by the strongly verrucose, violaceous spores. The peridium and gleba are fragile, consequently the sterile base is often the only portion of the plant collected; nevertheless even this can be determined readily owing to its structure. It is liable to confusion only with that of C. caelata, but may be separated by its peculiar, partly compact, partly cellular structure.

The peridium is usually stated to be smooth externally, but this is by no means a constant feature; on the contrary, collections frequently show the exterior to be floccose and even areolate.

3. Calvatia gigantea (Persoon) n. comb. (Fig. 2.)

Lycoperdon giganteum Pers., Syn. Meth. Fung., p. 140, 1801.

Bovista gigantea (Pers.) Nees, Syst. Pilze, p. 34, 1817.

Lycoperdon Bovista Fr., Syst. Myc., vol. 3, p. 29, 1829.

Calvatia maxima (Schaeff.) Morg., Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. 12, p. 166, 1890.

C. gigantea (Batsch) Lloyd, Myc. Notes, p. 166, 1904.

C. primitiva Lloyd, Lyc. Aus., p. 36, 1905.

Peridium subglobose, up to 40 cm. diam., with a cord-like rooting base; exoperidium smooth, finely tomentose, closely resembling chamois leather, fragile, cream or yellowish, fugacious; endoperidium brown, thin, fragile, flaking away irregularly; sterile base scanty, compact, frequently wanting, diaphragm absent.

Gleba yellowish, becoming olivaceous, hemi-compact; capillitium threads long, sparingly branched, septate, olivaceous. Spores globose, 4–5.5 mmm. diam., occasionally apiculate; epispore olivaceous, finely verruculose.

Habitat: Solitary on the ground in pastures.

Distribution: Britain; Europe; North America; Australia; New Zealand.

New Plymouth, Taranaki, Dec, 1923, W. W. Smith!

Weraroa, Wellington, Mar., 1925, J. C. Neill!

Ashburton, Canterbury, Jan., 1926, J. C. Neill!

The (usually) very large size, leathery peridium and absence of a well developed sterile base characterizes this species. No diaphragm is present, consequently the scanty sterile base merges imperceptibly with the tissues of the gleba. The spores are usually stated to be smooth, but are seen to be distinctly verruculose under the oil immersion.

This is the commonest species in New Zealand, and may regularly be found during' the spring and autumn months in certain pastures in the lowland areas. All three species are edible, if collected and eaten while the gleba is white.

(2) Lycoperdon Tournefort ex Persoon, Syn. Meth. Fung., p. 138, 1801.

Utraria Quel., Bull. Soc. Myc. Fr., vol., 24, p. 366, 1876.

Globaria Quel., l.c., p. 370.

Peridium variously shaped, with a strong rooting base or basal mycelial strand; of two layers, a fugacious exoperidium which is pseudoparenchymatous, warted, spinose or granular; and a persistent endoperidium which is membranous or papyraceous, thin, tough, and dehisces by a solitary apical stoma; sterile base present or absent, cellular or compact, diaphragm present or absent.

Gleba of capillitium and spores; columella present or absent; capillitium threads long, simple or branched, continuous or septate, hyaline or coloured, attached by one end to the endoperidium or columella, when present. Spores continuous, globose or shortly elliptical, rough or smooth, coloured.

Habitat: Solitary, in groups, or caespitose on the ground or upon rotting wood in pastures or in the forest; epigaean.

Distribution: World-wide.

A cosmopolitan genus found in practically every country in the world. It is a difficult one for the systematist, as different plants in the same collection may vary to such an extent as to make specific delimitation often a matter of difficulty.

In the past most species were erected upon such variable characters as the colour of the gleba, size and shape of the peridium, nature of the exoperidium, and presence or absence of a sterile base. To-day these are not considered of specific import unless well characterized, for the colour of the gleba would appear to depend upon the age of the plants at the time they were collected; if gathered when immature, the gleba may be yellow, the olivaceous or purple colour appearing only in the mature plant. The size and shape of the peridium are also of little value as specific characters, for in Lycoperdon polymorphum plants range in size from minute forms the size of a pea to large forms 6 cm. or more in diameter; the shape may range from globose, through pyriform to turbinate. The sterile base is also a variable character, for in the same collection may be plants in which this structure is strongly developed or almost wanting. Finally the exoperidium may in the same collection be spinous, verrucose, or almost granular (L. depressum), yet upon the degree of roughness of the exoperidium most species have been erected.

Various attempts have been made to subdivide the genus. For example Quelet erected the genus Globaria to contain those species without a sterile base—a character which was previously used by Persoon to separate Bovista from Lycoperdon. This character cannot be considered of generic value, however, for as has been pointed out, the sterile base may be present or absent in different plants of the same collection, being in fact one of the most variable features of the genus.

More recently Lloyd (1905, a) has separated from Lycoperdon and placed under Bovistella all plants possessing a rooting base together with pedicellate spores or capillitium of the Bovista type, or both. The result has been to take away species with typical Lycoperdon capillituim, and place them under Bovistella, solely because the spores were pedicellate. In the Lycoperdeae the capillitium is the most satisfactory character by which most of the genera may be separated, consequently such treatment does not aid the systematist.

Owing to the different opinions held by systematists regarding the specific value of many of the characters discussed, it is difficult to obtain any idea as to the number of species extant, for this number varies considerably with different workers; for example Massee (1887) discusses no less than 129 species! Probably the number is in the vicinity of 30, for the modern tendency is to reduce rather than to increase the number, the many others that have been proposed being now considered as variable forms of these.

In New Zealand there are nine well-marked species, recognisable in that they can be “keyed,” for the writer believes this to be the final test of a species.

1. Lycoperdon depressum Bonorden, Bot. Zeit., vol., 15, p. 611, 1857. (Figs. 4, 5, 6.)

Peridium yellow, becoming pallid brown, up to 5 cm. diam., elliptical, obconic or subturbinate, frequently constricted towards the base and plicate; exoperidium of white spines united at their apices, immixed with numerous simple spines and granules, larger and more numerous basally, partially disappearing with age; endoperidium yellow-brown, dehiscing by a definite apical stoma, later the whole of the apical portion falling away; sterile base occupying the lower third of the peridium, bay brown or umber, of large cells, separated from the gleba by a well-defined diaphragm.

Gleba yellowish, becoming pallid olivaceous; columella absent; capillitium threads hyaline, simple or sparingly branched, septate, not pitted. Spores globose, 3–5.5 mmm. diam., apedicellate; epispore pallid olivaceous, finely and closely verrucose.

Habitat: Solitary or in small groups on the ground, often forming rings in pastures.

Distribution: Britain; Europe; South Africa; Australia; New Zealand.

• Queenstown, Otago, May, 1922, J. B. Cleland!

• Rotorua, Auckland, June, 1919, J. Barr!

• Tasman, Nelson, Feb., 1922, G.H.C.

• Mapua, Nelson, May, 1922, G.H.C.

• Tapanui, Otago, Mar. 1923, G.H.C.

• Dun Mt., Nelson, June, 1923, J. C. Neill!

• Whakatikei, Wellington, June, 1923, J. C. Neill!

• Weraroa, Wellington, May, 1924; Mar., 1925, J. C. Neill!

• Ashburton, Canterbury, Jan., Feb., Mar., Aug., 1925, J. C. Neill!

The species is characterised by the prominent diaphragm, large, cellular base, and hyaline, freely septate, simple or sparingly branched capillitium. It is the most abundant species in New Zealand and Australia, is apparently common in Europe, but strangely

absent from North America, where it appears to be replaced by a form Lloyd has named L. sub-pratense, separated by its coloured capillitium.

Lloyd (1905, c) states he believes this species is probably L. hiemale Vitt., and possibly L. pratense Pers., but has produced no evidence in support of this statement; nevertheless the species is regularly discussed in his works under the latter name.

2. Lycoperdon compactum n. sp. (Figs. 7, 8.)

Peridium up to 4 cm. diam., subglobose or pyriform, depressed above, compressed below into a short, stem-like base; exoperidium of strong brown spines, 3–4 mm. long, separate at the base, frequently connivent at the apices, surrounded by a ring of minute brown warts or granules, the spines partially disappearing with age, when the endoperidium appears reticulate from the presence of the persistent rings of granules; endoperidium membranous, ochraceous, becoming brown, dehiscing by an apical, plane, torn, small stoma; sterile base occupying the stem-like base, often rudimentary, minutely cellular, ochraceous; diaphragm absent.

Gleba olivaceous, pulverulent; columella small, elliptical; capillitium threads hyaline, sparsely branched or simple, septate, diameter of the spores, not pitted. Spores globose, 3.5–4.5 mmm. diam., with caducous pedicels up to 5 mmm. long; epispore olivaceous, closely and finely verrucose.

Habitat: In small groups or caespitose on rotting wood on the forest floor.

Distribution: New Zealand.

Lake Papaetonga, Wellington, Aug., 1919, G.H.C.

York Bay, Wellington, Feb., 1923, E. H. Atkinson! Type collection.

The species is characterized by the strongly spinous exoperidium, minutely cellular sterile base, hyaline, septate capillitium, and finely verrucose spores. It is peculiar in that it possesses certain characters of several species, for it has the exoperidium of L. echinatum Pers., a sterile base resembling that of L. Hoylei Berk., spores of L. perlatum Pers., and capillitium of L. depressum Bon.

The exoperidium is clothed with long (3–4 mm.) dark brown, almost black spines, which are free at their bases, but frequently connivent at their apices; at the base each is surrounded with a ring of numerous coloured granules. When the spines fall away, the endoperidium appears reticulate, owing to the presence of these rings of granules, which persist and form a net-like series of fine lines.

The habit of growing upon wood is also a feature of the plant, being peculiar to only one other New Zealand species, L. piriforme.

3. Lycoperdon piriforme Schaeffer ex Persoon, Syn. Meth. Fung., p. 149, 1801 (Figs. 10, 11.)

Peridium up to 10 cm. diam., grey to bay brown, pyriform, subturbinate or subglobose, with a compressed, slender, stem-like base; exoperidium of fine, scattered, brown or black, persistent, pointed verrucae and granules; endoperidium brown, membranous, dehiscing

by an apical, small, plane, torn stoma; sterile base prominent, forming the stem-like base, cellular, pallid tan or yellowish; diaphragm absent.

Gleba greenish-yellow, becoming ferruginous or olivaceous; columella prominent, subglobose; capillitium threads olivaceous, sparingly branched or simple, continuous, about the diameter of the spores, not pitted. Spores globose, 3.5–4.5 mmm. diam., apedicellate; epispore pallid olivaceous, delicately verruculose.

Habitat: Solitary, in groups, or caespitose on rotting wood on the forest floor, or on standing stumps.

Distribution: Britain; Europe; North and South America; India; Japan; Australia; New Zealand.

• Lake Papaetonga, Wellington, Aug., 1919, G.H.C.

• Pokaka, Waimarino County, Feb., 1922, D. Miller!

• Weraroa, Wellington, Aug., 1919, May, 1923, G.H.C.

• Whakatikei, Wellington, June, 1923, J. C. Neill!

• Day's Bay, Wellington, Apl., 1926, D. W. McKenzie!

Characterised by the minute verrucae of the exoperidium, the (usually) pyriform shape, almost smooth spores, and habit of growing upon rotting wood. It is liable to confusion only with L. perlatum, from which it may be separated by these characters.

4. Lycoperdon perlatum Persoon, Syn. Meth. Fung., p. 148, 1801. (Fig. 9.)

• L. gemmatum Batsch ex Auctt.

• L. excipuliforme (Scop.) Vitt., Mon Lyc., p. 49, 1842.

• L. montanum Quel., Champ. Dura, p. 444, 1876.

• L. Colensoi Cke. et Mass., Jour. Roy. Micr. Soc., p. 711, 1887.

• L. tasmanicum Mass., Kew. Bull., p. 158, 1901.

• L. macrogemmatum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, p. 265, 1906.

Peridium up to 6 cm. diam., yellowish, becoming bay-brown, subglobose, pyriform or turbinate, often tapering into a cylindrical stem-like base; exoperidium of white verrucae, surrounded by a ring of smaller warts and granules, which give a reticulated appearence to weathered specimens; endoperidium bay-brown, membranous, dehiscing by a small stoma situated at the apex of a definite umbo (which is frequently wanting); sterile base occupying the stem-like base, prominent, cells large, ferruginous, often tinged with purple; diaphragm absent.

Gleba yellowish, becoming olivaceous; columella prominent, elliptical; capillitium threads deep chestnut brown, sparsely branched or simple, continuous, not pitted. Spores globose, 3.5–4 mmm. diam., apedicellate; epispore pallid olivaceous, finely and closely verrucose.

Habitat: Solitary, in groups or caespitose on the ground, usually in vegetable debris on the forest floor.

Distribution: Britain; Europe; North and South America; India; East and South Africa; Algeria; Australia; New Zealand.

• Weraroa, Wellington, Jan., 1920, G.H.C.

• Raurimu, Jan., 1920, E. H. Atkinson!

• Whakatikei, Wellington, June, 1923, J. C. Neill!

• Orepuki, Southland, Nov., 1924, J. C. Neill!

The peculiar pointed verrucae of the exoperidium, which fall away and leave the endoperidium reticulate on account of the persistent smaller warts and granules, is the chief character of this species. It closely resembles L. piriforme, but is separated by this character, and by the more strongly warted spores; the sterile base, too, is usually more deeply coloured than that of L. piriforme.

5. Lycoperdon spadiceum Persoon, Jour. Bot., vol. 2, p. 20, 1809 (Fig. 18.)

L. Cookei Mass., Jour. Roy. Micr. Soc., p. 714, 1887.

Peridium up to 25 mm. diam., subglobose or more commonly shortly pyriform, with a long and slender rooting base, which may sometimes be branched; exoperidium furfuraceous, often in the form of mealy squamules; endoperidium umber brown, papyraceous, smooth, dull, flaccid, sometimes covered with lime granules, dehiscing by an apical, torn, plane stoma; sterile base scanty, occupying the lower third of the peridium, of minute cells, umber brown; diaphragm absent.

Gleba olivaceous, becoming umber; columella absent; capillitium threads olivaceous, freely branched, continuous, about the diameter of the spores, not pitted. Spores globose, apiculate, 4–4.5 mmm. diam.; epispore olivaceous, minutely but distinctly verruculose.

Habitat: Solitary or in small groups on the ground.

Distribution: Britain; Europe; Australia; New Zealand.

Ashburton, Canterbury, Aug., 1925, J. C. Neill!

Kelburn, Wellington, July, 1925, G.H.C.

The plant may be recognised by the small size, pyriform shape, long rooting base and small-celled sterile base. The capillitium is freely branched, the plant differing in this respect from the European form; but in all other particulars it appears to be similar, even to the incrustation of lime granules on the peridium of occasional plants.

The cellular base separates it from L. pusillum, which it resembles in size, colour and nature of the gleba; and from small forms of L. polymorphum, that of the latter plant being compact.

6. Lycoperdon polymorphum Vittadini, Mon. Lyc., p. 39, 1842. (Fig. 12.)

L. furfuraceum Schaeff. ex de Toni, in Sacc. Syll. Fung., vol. 7, p. 110, 1888.

L. cepaeforme (Bull.) Mass., Jour. Roy. Micr Soc., p. 722, 1887.

L. hungaricum Hollos, Mathem. Term., vol. 19, p. 1, 1901.

L. nigrum Lloyd, Lyc. Aus., p. 30, 1905.

Peridium up to 6 cm. diam., yellow, becoming brown, depressed-globose, or more frequently pyriform, with or without a stem-like base; exoperidium of minute spines or verrucae, often furfuraceous, fugacious, endoperidium membranous, often smooth and polished, dehiscing by a small, torn, plane apical stoma; sterile base compact, of the same nature as the gleba, concolorous, frequently scanty; diaphragm absent.

Gleba yellowish, becoming olivaceous; columella absent; capillitium threads pallid olive, thin walled, freely branched, continuous, about the diameter of the spores, pitted. Spores globose, 4.5–5.5 mmm. diam., apiculate; epispore tinted, closely and finely verruculose.

Habitat: Solitary or in small groups on the ground.

Distribution: Britain; Europe; North America; Algeria; South Africa; Australia; New Zealand.

Weraroa, Wellington, Oct., 1919, E. H. Atkinson!

The species is characterized by the nature of the sterile base, which is compact and composed of intricately interwoven hyphae of a similar type to that of the tissues of the gleba. Frequently the sterile base is scantily developed, when plants approach L. pusillum; to this form the name L. cepaeforme has been applied, but it is not possible to maintain this as a species, for in the same collection may be present plants with either scanty or well-developed sterile bases.

7. Lycoperdon pusillum Persoon, Jour. Bot., vol. 2, p. 17, 1809. (Fig. 13.)

• Bovista pusilla Pers., Syn. Meth. Fung., p. 138, 1801.

• Lycoperdon pusillum (Batsch) Fries, Syst Myc., vol. 3, p. 33, 1829.

• L. dermoxanthum Vitt., Mon Lyc., p. 34, 1842.

• L. microspermum Berk., in Hook. Jour. Bot., vol. 6. p. 172, 1854.

• L. mundulum Kalchbr., Grev., vol. 9, p. 3, 1880.

• Bovista pusilla (Fr.) de Toni; Mass., Jour. Roy. Micr Soc., p. 722, 1887.

• B. dermoxanthum (Vitt.) de Toni, in Sacc. Syll. Fung., vol. 7, p. 100, 1888.

• B. mundula (Kalchbr.) de Toni, l.c., p. 98.

• Lycoperdon pseudopusillum Hollos, Noev. Koezl., vol. 2, p. 75, 1903.

• L. semi-immersum Lloyd, Myc. Notes, p. 1306, 1924.

Peridium up to 20 mm. diam., globose or sub-globose, yellowish, becoming brown, with a prominent basal rooting strand; exoperidium covered with minute fugacious mealy squamules or flattened verrucae; endoperidium membranous, smooth, shining, flaccid, dehiscing by a small, irregular, plane, apical stoma; sterile base absent.

Gleba yellowish, becoming brown; columella absent; capillitium threads olive, continuous, freely branched, pitted. Spores globose, 3.5–5 mmm. diam., apiculate; epispore olive, finely and distinctly verruculose.

Habitat: Solitary or in small groups on the ground, often in cultivated fields.

Distribution: Britain; Europe; North America; China; East and South Africa; Ceylon; Australia; New Zealand.

Ashburton, Canterbury, Jan., May, 1925, J. C. Neill!

Roxburgh, Otago, May, 1925, J. C. Neill!

This is a small plant with a sub-globose peridium, and small but strongly developed rooting base. It is characterized by the absence of a sterile base, the freely branched, pitted capillitium, and flaccid, shining peridium.

8. Lycoperdon glabrescens Berkeley, Fl. Tas., vol. 2, p. 226, 1860. (Fig. 14.)

Bovistella glabrescens (Berk.) Lloyd, Lyc. Aus., p. 28, 1905.

B. australiana Lloyd, l.c.

B. rosea Lloyd, Myc. Notes, p. 248, 1906.

Peridium up to 5 cm. diam., depressed globose or sub-globose, often pyriform, tapering into a small but well-developed stem-like base; exoperidium of small warts, larger towards the apex, fugacious; endoperidium bay brown, smooth, membranous, dehiscing by a small, erumpent, torn, apical stoma; sterile base well developed, cells small, often tinged with purple; diaphragm absent.

Gleba dark olivaceous, often with a purple cast; columella wanting; capillitium threads freely branched, deeply coloured, about the diameter of the spores, continuous, pitted. Spores globose, 4–5 mmm. diam., pedicels tinted, acuminate, up to 15 mmm. long; epispore olivaceous, minutely verruculose.

Habitat: In groups on the ground, usually in pastures.

Distribution: Australia; New Zealand.

Queenstown, Otago, May, 1922, J. B. Cleland!

Ashburton, Canterbury, Aug., 1925, J. C. Neill!

This and the following species possess long, persistent pedicels attached to the spores; these structures are usually 12–15 mmm. in length, tinted and acuminate. Species with this character are readily segregated into a pedicellate section. As has been shown, Lloyd places these two species in Bovistella, but as both possess the capillitium of the Lycoperdon type, the writer believes they should be retained in the latter genus.

Lloyd has named this species Bovistella australiana, but as the species is well covered by the description of L. glabrescens, his specific name australiana is considered superfluous.

The species is separated from the following solely by the nature of the exoperidium, which consists of fine fugacious warts and granules, not of cruciate spines; they are closely related, however, so much so that it would not be possible to separate forms of either species from which the exoperidium had disappeared.

9. Lycoperdon scabrum (Lloyd) n. comb. (Figs. 16, 17.)

Bovistella scabra Lloyd, Myc. Notes, p. 282, 1906.

B. nigrica Lloyd, Myc Notes, p. 1115, 1922.

Peridium up to 3 cm. diam., depressed globose or pyriform, umber, with a well-developed rooting base; exoperidium of long black or brown spines, 1–3 mm. long, free at base, frequently connivent at apices, fugacious; endoperidium umber, at length smooth, shining, membranous, dehiscing by an apical, erumpent, torn, toothed stoma; sterile base occupying the lower third of the peridium, of small cells, concolorous; diaphragm absent.

Gleba olivaceous, becoming umber; columella absent; capillitium threads olivaceous, freely branched, pitted, continuous. Spores globose, 4–5 mmm. diam., pedicels up to 15 mmm. long, tinted, acuminate; epispore olive, finely and evenly verruculose.