Thelebolus
(from the Greek works thele, a nipple, and ballo, I throw; in allusion to the form of the Fungus, and to the mode of ejecting the spores, described below). A small genus of Fungi, which spread over decaying leaves and sticks, and upon the soil in woods during winter. Only one species (T. terrestris) is known to be British, and this is by no means common. It forms yellowish patches, sometimes several inches in breadth, composed of a woolly mycelium, on which are numerous smooth, hemispherical bodies; each of these is about 1/6in. in diameter, and is surmounted above by a prominent, round mouth. In these bodies the spores are formed, and when they are ripe for being scattered they are pushed, or thrown, from the mouth in a mass which resembles a small nipple in form; hence the name of the genus. When the spores have all been ejected, the top of the Fungus sinks in, so that it resembles a cup. This plant is not of any practical importance to gardeners, though the yellow patches formed by it render it very conspicuous.