S. tenerum is a very widely distributed species in the United States, somewhat constant as to form and quite frequent in occurrence. Mr. Lloyd, in his Mycological Notes, gives a very clear photograph of a plant that is quite local in this country and which he thinks should be called S. verrucosum of Europe.
The plant differs very widely from the one we find so commonly which by many authors has been called S. verrucosum. Some have even called it Scleroderma bovista.
The plant is nearly sessile, somewhat irregular, peridium thin, soft, yellowish, densely marked with small scales, dehiscence irregular, flocci yellow and spores dingy olive.
The species may be known by the thin and comparatively smooth peridium and yellow flocci. It is quite common in the United States, while the typical plant, S. verrucosum, is confined to a few localities along the Atlantic coast.
Scleroderma Cepa. Pers.
Cepa meaning an onion; having very much the appearance of an onion.
The peridium is thick, smooth, reddish-yellow to reddish-brown, opening by an irregular mouth. The plant is sessile and quite strongly rooted with fine rootlets. Its habitat, with us, is along the banks of small brooks in the woods. It has been classed heretofore as S. vulgare, smooth variety. I sent some to Prof. Peck, who quite agrees that they should be separated from S. vulgare. Found from August to November.
Scleroderma geaster. Fr.
