Fungi.) THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS. 439 
Himalayan species may be found to yield a valuable dye, and thus become articles of 
commerce. The dryer climates will probably yield it of a finer quality than the moist, 
and the secretion seems much influenced by local circumstances. One species is 
already employed as a dye by the natives of India, that called by them chulche- 
leera, and which appears to be a species of Borrera. It is curious that this is described 
in their works under the name of Ashneh, which is no doubt the origin of Usnea, and 
for which Persian authors give ubryon as the Greek synonyme. This may be fpuoy, 
mentioned under Astyivos, Diosc. 4.53. The Usnea, which was known to the older 
writers, as Dillenius and Ray, is described as a filiform lichen, found on trees in 
the East-Indies: and this is mentioned by Acharius, under the name of Alectoria Ara- 
bum, though by many it has been considered merely a conjectural species. 
This adds another to the many instances already adduced of the correspondence in 
past times between the early famed East and the later civilized West, both in articles 
of Materia Medica, and the various natural products employed in the Arts. 
206. FUNGI. 
The Fungi or Mushroom tribe, including the true Mushrooms, Puff Balls, and 
Mildews, are considered to be most allied to Lichens by some botanists, and by others 
to Alge. Some, indeed, have stated that Fungi and Alge are rather distinguished by 
the medium in which they are developed, than by any peculiarity in their organisation. 
They are found growing in the earth, or on decaying vegetable or animal matter, and 
are as remarkable for the rapidity of their growth,which frequently takes place during 
the night, as for their perishable nature and the short space of time (only a few hours) 
that some of them require to vegetate in, and to attain perfection. Their geographical 
distribution is but little understood ; in fact, the Fungi themselves of most countries are 
but little known, from the difficulty of preserving specimens; so that in many instances, 
if not completely examined and described, or drawn, on the spot, it is in vain to remedy 
the deficiency from the contents of an Herbarium. Those of tropical countries are 
almost unknown ; only twenty-five are enumerated by Humboldt and Bonpland from 
S. America, and only ten (and these European species) by Mr. Brown, as found in New 
Holland. None are mentioned by Dr. Roxburgh in the Flora Indica, or in the Cata- 
logue of the Calcutta Botanic Garden ; and in the Author's collection there are only 
about forty species from the Himalayan mountains. These have been examined 
by Professor Don, who finds, as in the Lichens, that the majority have the closest 
resemblance to European species, but, from the perishable nature of the specimens, 
their identification is much more difficult. 
Of the genus Agaricus, the most highly developed of the Mushrooms, and the most 
numerous in species, there are several in the Himalayas, and among them two which 
are very like A. Georgii-and A. Orcades, both eatable European species, the former of 
which, according to some botanists, is only a variety of A. campestris, or common Mush- 
room. There are also species of Merulius, and several of both Boletus and of Polyporus ; 
among 
