NOTES. 



MUSHROOMS DEDICATED TO SAINTS. 



Some species of fungi have been dedicated to certain saints in 

 place of flowers. It is unnecessary to say that such ascription 

 must have originated in other countries than in fungus-despising 

 Britain. Probably France and Italy are chiefly responsible for 

 the fact. This appears the more evident since English compilers 

 of floral saints' calendars have apparently found some difficulty 

 in identifying the consecrated species. These have become known 

 to them, in the first place, under some foreign vulgar designation, 

 which they have simply translated and found a Latin equivalent 

 for in a catalogue of scientific names. Confusion has hence arisen, 

 because the original title has often nothing in common with the 

 modern systematised technical name. Hence the wrong species 

 have been undoubtedly indicated in most cases. I consider this 

 matter of the very last importance ! For, if we have such things 

 as mushrooms assigned peculiarly to holy saints, by all means let 

 us know precisely which they are ! Here is the list, so far as I 

 have been able to work it out. 



St. Gudula's Mushroom. Saint's Day, Jan. 8th. This is The 

 Yellow Tremelle, Tremella mesenterica and T. lutescens, which are 

 the chosen plants, beyond doubt. St. Gudula used to go about 

 with a lantern, which an angel was kind enough to ignite for her 

 whenever it went out. The mushroom is emblematic of the fact 

 — I don't know why. At any rate, it might be found in January. 



St. Raymond's Mushroom. Saint's Day, Jan. 23rd. The floral 

 calendarists call this " the Fairy-bath," and have, I believe 

 correctly established its identity with The Chalice, Peziza aceta- 

 bulum. I have not the slightest idea who St. Raymond was, or 

 why he has this fungus dedicated to him. It does not appear 

 here until late in March, but might be a January plant in Southern 

 Europe. 



St. George's Mushroom. Saint's Day, April 23rd. This plant 



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