CRYPTOGAMOUS OR FLOWERLESS PLANTS. 507 



979. Ord. Fnngi {Mushrooms, Moulds, S^c.) are parasitic (150, 153) 

 flowerless plants, either in a strict sense, as living upon and draw- 

 ing their nourishment from living, though more commonly languish- 

 ing, plants and animals, or else as appropriating the organized mat- 

 ter of dead and decaying animal and vegetable bodies. Hence they 

 fulfil an office in the economy of creation analogous to that of the 

 infusory animalcules. Those Fungi which produce Rust, Smut, 

 Mildew, &c. are of the first kind ; those which produce Dry-rot, &c. 

 hold a somewhat intermediate place ; and Mushrooms, Puff-balls, 

 &c. are examples of the second. Fungi are consequently not only 

 destitute of anything like foliage, but also of the green matter, or 

 chlorophyll, Avhich appears to play an essential part in vegetable 

 assimilation. A full account of the diversified modifications of struc- 

 ture that Fungi display, and of the remarkable points in their 

 economy, would require a large volume. We will notice three sorts 

 only, Avhich may represent the highest, and nearly the lowest, forms 

 of this vast order or class of plants. They all begin (in germina- 

 tion or by offsets) with the production of copious filamentous threads, 

 or series of attenuated cells, appearing like the roots of the fungus 

 that arises from them (Fig. 1328, 1330), and to a certain extent 

 performing the functions of roots : this is called the mycelmm, and 

 is the true vegetation of Fungi. The subsequent developments 

 properly belong to the fructification, or are analogous to tubers, 

 rhizomas, &c. In one jiart of the order, the masses that arise, of 

 various definite shapes, and often attaining a large size, contain in 

 their interior a multitude of asci (Fig. 1329), enclosing simple or 

 double sporules, just as in Lichens. The esculent Morel has this 

 kind of fructification ^ as well as the less conspicuous Sphasria (Fig. 

 1328), which is in other respects of a lower grade. The Agarics, 

 like the Edible Mushroom (Fig. 1330), produce their spores in a 

 different way. Rounded tubercles appear on the mycelium ; some 

 of these rapidly enlarge, burst an outer covering which is left at the 

 base (the volva, or wrapper), and protrude a thick stalk (stipes), 

 bearing at its summit a rounded body that soon expands into the 

 pileus, or cap. The lamellce, or gills (Jiymenium), that occupy its 

 lower surface, consist of parallel plates (Fig. 1331), which bear 

 naked sporules over their whole surface. A cai*eful inspection with 

 the microscope shows that these sporules are grouped in fours ; and 

 a view of a section of one of the gills shows their true origin (Fig. 

 1332). Certain of the cells (basidia), one of which is shown more 



