2 



BRITISH DISCOMYCETES. 



5. 



KEY TO THE GENERA OF HELVELLACET. 



Pileus clavate 



Pileus spathulate 



Pileus capitate 



Pileus sessile and applanate 



Hyrnenium confluent with the stern 



Hymenium and stem black 



Hyrneuiuni and stem brightly coloured 



Pileus covered with deep angular pits 



Pileus covered with deeply folded, undulating ribs . . 



Pileus nearly even 



Pileus deflexed, free, saddle-shaped 



Pileus deflexed, free, conical 



Pileus globose or subclavate 



P Pileus globose, margin revolute 



Pileus globose or subclavate, margin contiguous with 



oL-JlUi * 



Spathularia. 

 3 



Jihizina. 



2 



Geoglossum. 



Leptoglossnm 



Morcliella. 



Gyromitra. 



4 



Helvella. 



Verpa. 



5 



Leotia. 



Mitrula. 



GENUS I. MORCHELLA. Dill. 



Receptacle stipitate, pileate, clavate, globose, or conical; 

 clothed above by the deeply folded and pitted hymenium ; 

 substance between waxy and fleshy; asci cylindrical; 

 containing (in British species) 8 sporidia. (Plate I. fig. 1.) 



Large fungi, 2 to 10 inches high, growing on the 

 ground in spring ; firm, not soon decaying, with rather 

 a pleasant odour, and esculent. The deep, angular pits on 

 the hymenium readily distinguish them from their allies. 



Name Latinized from the German Morchel. 



ARRANGEMENT OF THE SPECIES. 



A. Pileus adnate at the base 



B. Pileus free at the base 



species 1-4 

 5-6 



1. -! 

 2. 



3.'- 



' 



4. 



1 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Pileus adnate at the base . . . . . . . . 1 



Pileus partly free . . . . . . . . 4 



Stem short . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 



Stem elongated . . . . . . . . . . 3 



Pileus with primary longitudinal ribs and squarish 



pits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . conica. 



Pileus without primary longitudinal ribs, pits some- 

 what pentagonal . . . . . . . . . . esculenta. 



Pileus subconical, brown . . . . . . . . crassipes. 



Pileus subglobose, tawny . . . . . . . . Smithiana. 



Stem very large and pruiuose . . . . . , . . gigas. 



Stem smaller and nearly even - , - * . . . . semilibera. 



