2S0 :ret. m. j. bekkeley akb dr. m. a, cmns 



Fungi Cubenses {Kymenomycetes) . By the Eev. M. J. BerKE 



LET, M.A., r.L.S., and Dr. M. A. CuRfis. 



[Eead May 2, 1807.] 



+ 



The fallowing account of the Hymcnomycetous Fungi of Cuba, 

 which it is hoped will be shortly followed by the remaining 

 tribes, has been drawn up partly from the list given by the late 

 Dr. Montague in the great work on Cuba by Eanion de la Sagra, 

 assisted in most cases by authentic specimens, and partly from 

 two large collections (consisting of more than IGOO numbers) 

 made by Mr. Charles AVright in the island. The Hymenomy- 

 cetes described by Dr. Montague, however, amount only to 59 

 species, while the present enumeration comprises 490 species, 

 besides some marked varieties. Tourteen only of Dr. Montague's 

 species do not exist iu either of Mr. AVright's collections. 



As points of comparison, we have had at our disposal : — a com- 

 plete set of Mr. Spruce's fungi collected in the countries border- 

 ing on the River Amazon ; a large quantity of Leprieur's Guiana 

 Fungi, which have, however, in many cases, entirely lost their 

 colour from having been steeped previously to drying in some 

 antiseptic fluid; numerous species from Central America and 

 Mexico, forwarded by Professor Fries ; the Brazilian collections 

 of Gardner; and, above all, enormous quantities of the fungi of 

 the United States, especially the more Southern, amounting to 

 above 6170 numbers. The latter, in many cases, were accom- 

 panied by copious notes or detailed descriptions, aided by ex- 

 cellent figures. Dr. Montague, it should be observed, had also 

 a few notes to guide him ; or characters of the Guiana species 

 could not have been drawn up satisfactorily. 



As regards the species from Cuba, we have, in many cases, had 

 the assistance of excellent notes, including frequently the colour 

 of the spores, which is of such great importance in the geuus 

 AgaricuSy and is often a considerable help in other genera. 



The three principal genera in the present list of Cuban Hy- 

 tnenon\ycctes are Agaricus, ATarasmius, and Poli/porus, which are 

 represented severally by 82, 51, and 120 species, amounting to 

 more than half the entire number. Of the 490 species, about* 

 57 per cent, are peculiar to the Island, 13 per cent, are widely- 



^ 



* Tlie exact numbers are 57 00.^5, 13-9593, 120174, 3 0271, and 130292, 

 an-iounting aUogcther to 99*008.". 



