4 M. C. Montagne^s Organographic mid Physiologic 



These are, commencing with the most simple, 

 1. Coniomycetes; 2. Hyphomycetes ; 3. Gasteromycefes ; 

 4. Pyrenomycetes ; 5. Discomycetes ; 6. Hymenomycetes. 



The 3rd, 4th and 5th of these famiUes have the fructifica- 

 tion concentric or inchided [Fungi involuti) ; the remaining 

 three eccentric or naked [Fungi evoluti). Fries gives the 

 name of Cryptomycetes to the two first, reserving that of 

 Phaneromycetes to the four last families. 



Coniomycetes, Nees von Esenbeck. 



The fungi of this group were, for the most part, known to the 

 earlier botanists, who regarded them as mere exanthemata. Divided 

 into Epiphytes and Entophytes, according as they are produced upon 

 or beneath the cuticle of vegetables, their origin and nature are still 

 matter of dispute. Some modern naturalists, and amongst them linger, 

 who has written a treatise on the subject, hold, as regards the latter, 

 that they arise from a pathologic affection of the vegetable itself, or 

 of the respiratory organs. More recent works, however, especially 

 that of Leveille upon Uredines, have successfully combated these 

 two opinions. M. Corda, who had formerly contended for the German 

 notions, has lately proved, in an admirable analysis of Puccinia gra- 

 minis (Ic. Fung. iv. t. 3. f. 37.), that the sporidia, far from being a 

 disease of the utricles, spring clearly from a mycelium whose threads 

 are figured as scattered amongst the intercellular passages of the 

 leaf. Even before these works of Leveille and Corda, I had pub- 

 lished a fact (Prodr. Fl. Fernand., Ann. Sc. Nat., 2 ser. torn. iii. p. 

 256) which appeared to me decisive on the point, viz. the presence 

 on the same leaf of an j^Ecidium and Uredo ; and, what is more con- 

 clusive, M. Corda has seen* Puce, graminis and Caoma linearis 

 united in the same stroma. 



In the species of this numerous family, the vegetative system is 

 filamentous or cellular. In the first case, the mass of filaments of 

 which it is formed is called hypothallus, hyphasma, or simply flocci. 

 These threads are usually articulated, much branched, and entangled. 

 In the second case it is called stroma or hypostroma. This is some- 

 times discoid as in Tubercularice, sometimes nucleiform and cellular, 

 bearing the spores on its surface. Sometimes the sporidia spring 

 from very short threads {flocci spurii), scarcely capable of being re- 

 garded as a hypothallus. The mycelium, by its metamorphosis into 

 spores, sometimes forms the whole plant, or it is so obliterated that 

 the least trace is not visible, in which case it is probable that a mu- 

 cilaginous medium has served as a matrix for the spores, as is the 

 case in the parallel series of Phycece. Lastly, in more highly deve- 

 loped forms, the mycelium produces a cellulo-membranous pouchf. 



* Philippar, however, is of opinion that these two species are identical. 

 Uredo ruhigo vera is certainly only a form of Puccinia graminis. See Hens- 

 low's Report on the diseases of wheat, 1840; and a paper on the specific 

 identity of the fungi producing rust and mildew. Journal of Roy. Ag. Soc, 

 vol. ii. part ii. 184L — M. J. B. 



t Corda refers these to his Myelomycet'es, = in part Gasteromycetes, Fr. 



