Fungi: Their Nature and Uses Part 6

_Fruit consisting of sporidia, mostly definite, contained in asci, springing from a naked or enclosed stratum of fructifying cells and forming a hymenium or nucleus_ = ASCOMYCETES.

If the characters of the different families are borne in mind, there will be but little difficulty in a.s.signing any fungus to the order to which it belongs by means of the foregoing remarks. For more minute information, and for a.n.a.lytical tables of the families, orders, and genera, we must refer the student to some special systematic work, which will present fewer difficulties, if he keeps in mind the distinctive features of the families.[U]

To a.s.sist in this we have given on the following page an a.n.a.lytical arrangement of the families and orders, according to the system recognized and adopted in the present volume. It is, in all essential particulars, the method adopted in our "Handbook," based on that of Berkeley's "Introduction" and "Outlines."

[A] Rev. M. J. Berkeley, "Introduction to Cryptogamic Botany" (1857), London, pp. 235 to 372.

[B] De Bary, in "Streinz Nomenclator Fungorum," p. 722.

[C] Tulasne, L. and C. R., "Observations sur l'Organisation des Tremellinees," "Ann. des Sci. Nat." 1853, xix. p. 193.

[D] Berkeley, M. J., "On the Fructification of _Lycoperdon_, _Phallus_, and their Allied Genera," in "Ann. of Nat. Hist."

(1840), vol. iv. p. 155; "Ann. des Sci. Nat." (1839), xii. p.

163. Tulasne, L. R. and C., "De la Fructification des _Scleroderma_ comparee a celle des _Lycoperdon_ et des _Bovista_," in "Ann. des Sci. Nat." 2^me ser. xvii. p. 5.

[E] Tulasne, L. R. and C., "Fungi Hypogaei," Paris, 1851; "Observations sur le Genre Elaphomyces," in "Ann. des Sci.

Nat." 1841, xvi. 5.

[F] _Stapeliae_ in this respect approach most closely to the _Phalloidei_.

[G] Berkeley, in "Ann. Nat. Hist." vol. iv. p. 155.

[H] Tulasne, L. R. and C., "Recherches sur l'Organisation et le Mode de Fructification des Nidulariees," "Ann. des Sci. Nat."

(1844), i. p. 41.

[I] De Bary, A., "Des Myxomycetes," in "Ann. des Sci. Nat." 4^me ser.

xi. p. 153; "Bot. Zeit." xvi. p. 357.

[J] Corda, "Icones Fungorum," vol. iii. fig. 45.

[K] Tulasne, "Memoire sur les Ustilaginees," "Ann. des Sci. Nat."

(1847), vii. 12-73.

[L] Tulasne, "Memoire sur les Uredinees," "Ann. des Sci. Nat."

(1854), ii. 78.

[M] Tulasne, "Sur les Uredinees," "Ann. des Sci. Nat." 1854, ii. pl.

9.

[N] Cooke, M. C., "Notes on _Podisoma_," in "Journ. Quek. Micr.

Club," No. 17 (1871), p. 255.

[O] Tulasne, L. R. and C., "Selecta Fungorum Carpologia," vol. iii.

pp. 4-19.

[P] De Bary, A., "Recherches sur les Champignons Parasites," in "Ann.

des Sci. Nat." 4^me ser. xx. p. 5; "Grevillea," vol. i. p.

150.

[Q] A. de Bary, translated in "Grevillea," vol. i. p. 167; Tulasne, "Ann. des Sci. Nat." 5^me ser. (1866), p. 211.

[R] Leveille, J. H., "Organisation, &c., de l'erysiphe," in "Ann. des Sci. Nat." (1851), xv. p. 109.

[S] Tulasne, L. R. and C., "Fungi Hypogaei," Paris; Vittadini, C., "Monographia Tuberacearum," Milan, 1831.

[T] "A Currant Twig and Something on it," in "Gardener's Chronicle"

for January 28, 1871.

[U] Berkeley, M. J., "Introduction to Cryptogamic Botany," London, 1857; Cooke, M. C., "Handbook of British Fungi," London, 1871 ; Corda, A. C. J., "Anleitung zum Studium der Mycologie," Prag, 1842; Kickx, J., "Flore Cryptogamique des Flanders," Gand, 1867; Fries, E., "Systema Mycologic.u.m," Lund, 1830; Fries, E., "Summa Vegetabilium Scandinaviae," 1846; Secretan, L., "Mycographie Suisse," Geneva, 1833; Berkeley, M. J., "Outlines of British Fungology," London, 1860.

TABULAR ARRANGEMENT OF FAMILIES AND ORDERS.

DIVISION I. SPORIFERA. _Spores naked._

I. Hymenium free, mostly naked, or soon exposed HYMENOMYCETES.

Hymenium normally inferior-- Fruit-bearing surface lamellose _Agaricini._ Fruit-bearing surface porous or tubular _Polyporei._ Fruit-bearing surface clothed with p.r.i.c.kles _Hydnei._ Fruit-bearing surface even or rugose _Auricularini._ Hymenium superior or encircling-- Clavate, or branched, rarely lobed _Clavariei._ Lobed, convolute, or disc-like, gelatinous _Tremellini._

II. Hymenium enclosed in a peridium, ruptured when mature GASTEROMYCETES.

Hymenomycetous-- Subterranean, naked or enclosed _Hypogaei._ Terrestrial, hymenium deliquescent _Phalloidei._ Peridium enclosing sporangia, containing spores _Nidulariacei._ Coniospermous-- Stipitate, hymenium convolute, drying into a dusty ma.s.s, enclosed in a volva _Podaxinei._ Cellular at first, hymenium drying up into a dusty ma.s.s of threads and spores _Trichogastres._ Gelatinous at first, peridium containing at length a dusty ma.s.s of threads and spores _Myxogastres._

III. Spores naked, mostly terminal, on inconspicuous threads, free or enclosed in a perithecium CONIOMYCETES.

Growing on dead or dying plants-- Subcutaneous-- Perithecium more or less distinct _Sphaeronemei._ Perithecium obsolete or wanting _Melanconiei._ Superficial-- Fructifying surface naked.

Spores compound or tomiparous _Torulacei._ Parasitic on living plants-- Peridium distinctly cellular _aecidiacei._ Peridium none-- Spores sub-globose, simple or deciduous _Caeomacei._ Spores mostly oblong, usually septate _Pucciniaei._

IV. Spores naked, on conspicuous threads, rarely compacted, small HYPHOMYCETES.

Fertile threads compacted, sometimes cellular-- Stem or stroma compound-- Spores dry, volatile _Isariacei._ Ma.s.s of spores moist, diffluent _Stilbacei._ Fertile threads, free or anastomosing-- Fertile threads dark, carbonized-- Spores mostly compound _Dematiei._ Fertile threads not carbonized-- Very distinct-- Spores mostly simple _Mucedines._ Scarcely distinct from mycelium-- Spores profuse _Sepedoniei._

DIVISION II. SPORIDIIFERA. _Sporidia in Asci._

V. Fertile cells seated on threads, not compacted into a hymenium PHYSOMYCETES.

Threads felted, moniliform-- Sporangia irregular _Antennariei._ Threads free-- Sporangia terminal or lateral _Mucorini._ Aquatic _Saprolegniei._

VI. Asci formed from the fertile cells of a hymenium ASCOMYCETES.

Asci often evanescent-- Receptacle clavaeform-- Asci springing from threads _Onygenei._ Perithecia free-- Asci springing from the base _Perisporiacei._ Asci persistent-- Perithecia opening by a distinct ostiolum _Sphaeriacei._ Hard or coriaceous, hymenium at length exposed _Phacidiacei._ Hypogaeous; hymenium complicated _Tuberacei._ Fleshy, waxy, or tremelloid; hymenium mostly exposed _Elvellacei._

IV.

USES.

The rigid utilitarian will hardly be satisfied with the short catalogue which can be furnished of the uses of fungi. Excepting those which are employed more or less for human food, very few are of any practical value in arts or medicine. It is true that imperfect conditions of fungi exert a very important influence on fermentation, and thus become useful; but, unfortunately, fungi have the reputation of being more destructive and offensive than valuable or useful.

Notwithstanding that a large number of species have from time to time been enumerated as edible, yet those commonly employed and recognized are very few in number, prejudice in many cases, and fear in others, militating strongly against additions to the number. In Great Britain this is especially the case, and however advisable it may be to exercise great care and caution in experimenting on untried or doubtful species, it can only be regarded as prejudice which prevents good, in fact, excellent, esculent species being more extensively used, instead of allowing them to rot by thousands on the spots where they have grown. Poisonous species are also plentiful, and no golden rule can be established by means of which any one may detect at a glance good from bad, without that kind of knowledge which is applied to the discrimination of species. Yet, after all, the characters of half a dozen good esculent fungi are acquired as easily as the distinctions between half a dozen birds such as any ploughboy can discriminate.