GUIDE TO THE MODELS OF FUNGI. 



69 



ol 



CLASS II.— ASCOMYCETES. 

 SUB-CLASS L—DISCOMYCETES. 



In the Discomycetes the spores are not naked, as in the 

 Basidioniycetes, but are produced in series 

 of eight, within cylindrical or club-shaped 

 asci (Fig. 71). At maturity the asci open 

 at the apex, sometimes with a minute lid 

 or operculum, and set the spores free, as at 

 A. Growing among the asci are slender 

 bodies, as at b, termed paraphyses. The 

 surface of the asci is more or less exposed, 

 and not immersed in the inner substance 

 of the fungus, as in the Gasteromycetes. In 

 the Discomycetes the pileus or receptacle is 

 cupulate, applanate, or mitrate, stipitate, 

 sessile, or immersed ; substance fleshy, 

 waxy, gelatinous or rarely cartilaginous, 



GENUS XXXVII.—MORCHELLA Dill. " ^^ x-200^ ^^1 



Receptacle _ stipitate, pileate, clavate, ^' Vo^SeliTescXtariEn- 

 globose, or conical, clothed above by the larged 200 diameters.) 

 deeply folded or angular-pitted hymenium ; substance between waxy 



and fleshy. Two to twelve 

 inches high, growing on the 

 ground, chiefly in spring, firm, 

 not soon decaying ; odour 

 pleasant. There are six 

 British species of Morchella, 

 three of which are repre- 

 sented by models. Most are 

 considered esculent. 



175. Morchella esculenta 

 L. Morel. — Pileus round, 

 ovate, or oblong, and adnate 

 at the base to the stalk ; ribs 

 '-1 firm, anastomosing, the inter- 

 ~ vals forming pits ; the whole 

 pileus when in good condition 

 looks like a mass of honey- 

 comb, yellowish or buff, but 

 sometimes cinereous in 

 colour; stalk even or broadly 

 furrowed, generally yel- 

 lowish-buff, but variable in 

 hue. 

 It grows in hedgesides and bushy places in spring and early 



-Morchella esculenta L. 

 natural size.) 



