CHAPTER X 



THE STUDY OF MYCOLOGY IN GENERAL AND ITS STUDY 

 IN AMERICA IN PARTICULAR 



While several forms of fungi were known to the ancients and 

 some of them were used as food in Roman times, among the 

 earliest writers to distinguish them by definite characters was a 

 Florentine by the name of Micheli. In 1729 he published a work 

 in folio "^ which may be said to have laid the foundation of our 

 knowledge of fungus genera as well as that of other cryptogams. 

 This work contained numerous illustrations of fungi and myxo- 

 mycetes, together with characters of various genera. 



In the Species Plantarutn of 1753 Linnaeus characterized ten 

 genera of fungi, besides Tremel/a which he placed among the 

 algae. These genera are mostly composites, as may be seen from 

 the following list : f 



1. Agaricus, including species in Cantharelius, Tricholoma, Amanita^ 



Lactarius and other genera of Agaricaceae, besides Daedalea and 

 Lenzites. (27 species.) 



2. Boletus, about equally divided between Polyporus and Boletus as 



now understood. (12 species.) 



3. Hydnum, all still included in the genus. (4 species.) 



4. Phallus, containing Alorchella escidenta and Phallus impudiczis. ( 2 



species. ) 



5. Clathrus. (3 species.) 



6. Elvela. (2 species.) 



7. Peziza, including various Pezizales. (8 species.) 



8. Clavarl\, including also species now in Cordyceps and Xylaria. (8 



species. ) 



^ Nova plantarum genera. Florentiae, 1 729. Tournefort in 1700 (In- 

 stitutiones Rei Herbariae), however, had recognized the so-called genera 

 Fungus, Fungoides, Boletus, Agaricus, Lycoperdon, Coralloides and Tubera. 



t Practically the same genera appeared in his Genera Plantarum, 1737. 



