Family III — Scleroderma´ceæ
Peridium discrete from the gleba, often with a columella; cells of the gleba subpersistent. Morgan.
Genus I — Scleroder´ma Pers
Scleros, hard; derma, skin.
Skin firm with an innate bark, bursting irregularly; woolly threads adhering on all sides to the bark and forming distinct veins in the central mass. Base sterile, usually becoming elongated into a stem-like structure. Spores large, granulated.
Scleroderma vulgare and verrucosum are general and very common over the United States. S. bovista and S. geaster have the same range but are not so common. They much resemble puff-balls, but are more pudgy, solid-looking. All are edible. Their qualities are noted under their descriptions.
S. vulga´re Fr.—vulgaris, common. (Plate CLXXX.) Subsessile, irregular; bark corky, hard, opening indefinitely; inner mass in which the spores are collected into little heaps separated by a few grayish woolly threads, bluish-black. Spores dingy; in the mass blackish with purple tinge, globose, warted, 9–11µ Massee.
The larger form is generally of a yellowish or brownish hue, surface warty or covered with rough scales; the smaller, stemless minutely warty, bright brown.
Under trees, etc. Often cespitose, 1–3 in. across. Peridium variable, white or pale-brown, often becoming pink when cut. Dehiscing by decay of upper portion of peridium. Massee.
Scleroderma vulgare is one of our most common and plentiful toadstools. Its hard, rough, warty, light brown knobs, single or clustered, growing along brook-banks or under trees, generally choosing hard ground, are known to all who observe Nature’s curiosities. When quite young they are white inside. As they enlarge the center darkens and this purplish color finally develops into a grayish-purplish-black which extends throughout the interior and gives it a granular appearance. The fungus is solid, cutting like a potato. Its smell is strong; also its taste when raw. Sliced and well-cooked the species is good, even after it has become purplish, but if a single one is wilted it will embitter a whole dish. Or if it is not very well stewed or fried it remains strong. In no condition is it injurious. Specimens must be pared, and the base well cut away.
S. bovis´ta Fr. Subsessile, often irregular, peridium thin, pliant, almost smooth; tramal walls floccose, yellow, mass of spores olive-brown, spores globose, warted, 10–13µ.
Sandy soil under trees, etc. From 1–2 in. across. Distinguished by the thin, almost smooth peridium, and the yellow tramal walls. Massee.
West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. On ground under trees. June to November. McIlvaine.
Not rough like S. vulgare and S. verrucosum, nor as solid. Same habit, same edible qualities when young. It is not good after it begins to change color.
S. verruco´sum Pers.—verrucosus, covered with warts (verrucœ). Peridium thin above, ochraceous or dingy brown, covered with minute warts, subglobose, continued downward as a more or less elongated stem-like base. Spores umber in the mass; trama whitish.
Spores globose, warted, 10–13µ.
On the ground, under trees, etc. Peridium 1–3 in. across. Stem ½-2 in. long, thick, flatly pitted, sometimes almost sessile, when it approaches S. vulgare, but is distinguished by the thin peridium and absence of purple tinge in the immature spore mass. Massee.
West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. June to October. On ground under trees. Same habit as S. vulgare. McIlvaine.
S. verrucosum closely resembles S. vulgare. The distinctions are noted in the description. It must be young, fresh and white inside, or it is bitter. It is not of as good quality as S. vulgare.
S. geas´ter Fr.—resembling genus Geaster in its manner of opening. Subglobose, sessile, peridium thick, rigid, almost smooth, splitting in an irregularly stellate manner at the apex.
Spores warted, 12–16µ.
Sandy places. Known by the peridium dehiscing in a stellate manner; from 1–2 in. across. Massee.
New Jersey, August. In sandy woods. McIlvaine.
I have found but few specimens. Those were edible and good.
Genus II — Polysac´cum De C.
Polus, many; saccus, a sack.
Peridium irregularly globose, thick, attenuated downward into a stem-like base, opening by disintegration of its upper portion; internal mass (gleba) divided into distinct sack-like cells.
Allied to Scleroderma and distinguished by the cavities of the gleba containing distinct peridiola. Massee.
P. pisocar´pium Fr. Gr—a pea; Gr—fruited. Peridium irregularly globose, indistinctly nodulose, passing downward into a stout stem-like base; peridiola irregularly angular, 4–5×2–3µ, yellow. Spores globose, warted, coffee-color, 9–13µ Massee.
P. pisocarpium was quite common at Mt. Gretna, Pa., from August to October, 1898, in open pine and mixed woods, growing from sandy ground. The height reached 5 in. and diameter 2 in. The shapes were usually those of inverted pears, more or less flattened along their lengths. Skin hard, polished, olivaceous-black with dull yellow mottlings, not unlike rattlesnake skin. When broken the peridiola (small ovate cylinders which bear the spores within) are very distinct, often over ⅛ in. long. The entire interior is dark when mature, and the rupture of the plant is irregular and by disintegration of the upper part. They often dry without rupturing. Search as I would, I could not find a young one, or one in edible condition. The plant is here given because interesting and one the student will wish to identify. It is so odd that it is not surprising to find it employed as a medicine in China.
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