Mycological System

11
GEASTER

field and maritime meaning: coastal, with an atmosphere teeming with humidity; hence they seem to have their center in England; at least all types are found there and G. coliformis collared earthstar is peculiar to it. (Sowerby painted the five principal species.) Fundamental differences lie in the diverse vegetation, the exterior peridium, etc.; the mouth, the spores, and almost even the pedicel of the interior peridium—which, however, should not merely offer sections—offer the best characters. Five species were discovered by Reyger, Bocconi, Doody, Ray, and Plumier, when Micheli proposed the genus (from γη earth and αστηρ star, not Geastrum from Micheli) with five species, all new, but the 4th and 5th are varieties. — Subsequent botanists, inept even at understanding Micheli, but most prepared to amend the unamendable, not only rejected the genus but also lumped all the species together, whence there is to this day a marvelous confusion of synonyms and species. Indeed, there was no lack of men perceiving the faults of this confusion (Hudson, Schäfer, Batsch, Scopoli, Schreber, Bryant *) I was unable to see his dissertation "An Historical Account of two Lycoperdons," Norwich (n.d.), which is why I have cited it within parentheses relying only on Woodward's authority. From the diagnoses, however, it is clear that L. stellatum starred puffball (Br.) encompasses species with a figured mouth and a filamentous exterior peridium cortex, while L. stellatum encompasses species with a rimose mouth and a crustaceous cortex. — Neither is Mylius's dissertation in Hamb. Magaz. V. present.); but Schmidel and Woodward were the first to explain them clearly. Ehrhart (Beytr. III. p. 168) first restored the genus. Persoon, having followed them primarily, seems to have been less certain about his own species; for this reason, and because of the meager synonymy, I could hardly untangle this classic author. Having accepted the idea of the nature of the species from a few seen, I have endeavored to collect specimens from everywhere and to examine herbaria. — From the figuration of the ostiole the opening through which spores are released, four sections arise; but I have also proposed G. coliformis as a peculiar section because of its singular abundance of ostioles, and as a peculiar genus with others, although it is closest to G. limbatus bordered earthstar by the conformation of the ostioles and natural affinity. Why I should join the four more recent genera is evident from the morphosis.