﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  19 
  

  

  Spcrriferous 
  fungi, 
  we 
  will 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  these, 
  

   and 
  examine 
  it 
  more 
  minutely. 
  

  

  The 
  Hymenomycetous 
  fungi 
  are 
  those 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  

   hymenium 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  prominent 
  feature. 
  In 
  some 
  of 
  

   these 
  the 
  hymenium 
  is 
  inferior, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  it 
  is 
  su- 
  

   perior. 
  We 
  will 
  commence 
  with 
  those 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  

   inferior. 
  This 
  family 
  contains 
  six 
  orders, 
  of 
  equal 
  im- 
  

   portance, 
  and 
  equally 
  natural 
  to 
  similar 
  divisions 
  of 
  

   flowering 
  plants. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  remembered 
  henceforth, 
  

   that 
  we 
  make 
  no 
  allusion 
  to 
  groups, 
  of 
  whatever 
  size 
  or 
  

   importance, 
  not 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Flora. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  and 
  most 
  prominent 
  order 
  is 
  termed 
  Agari- 
  

   cini, 
  and 
  contains 
  the 
  Gill-bearing 
  fungi, 
  or 
  those 
  in 
  

   which 
  the 
  hymenium, 
  or 
  spore-bearing 
  surface, 
  is 
  inferior, 
  

   and 
  spread 
  over 
  lamellae 
  or 
  gills, 
  which 
  radiate 
  from 
  a 
  

   common 
  centre, 
  and 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  lamellae 
  may 
  be 
  

   separated 
  into 
  two 
  plates. 
  

  

  This 
  order 
  is 
  well 
  represented 
  in 
  Great 
  Britain, 
  for 
  

   we 
  have 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  one 
  thousand 
  distinct 
  species 
  

   already 
  described. 
  The 
  eighteen 
  British 
  genera 
  will 
  

   be 
  found 
  arranged 
  in 
  the 
  systematic 
  table 
  appended 
  to 
  

  

  this 
  volume. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  genus 
  of 
  this 
  order 
  is 
  often 
  amalgamated 
  

   with 
  the 
  second, 
  on 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  Fries 
  ; 
  but 
  Dr. 
  

   Greville 
  long 
  ago 
  proposed 
  its 
  separation. 
  In 
  this 
  work 
  

   we 
  shall 
  retain 
  the 
  old 
  name 
  of 
  Amanita 
  for 
  the 
  thirteen 
  

   species 
  found 
  in 
  Britain, 
  deeming 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  

   the 
  volva 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  sufficient 
  importance 
  to 
  justify 
  their 
  

   removal 
  from 
  the 
  large 
  genus 
  with 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  often 
  

   associated. 
  

  

  c 
  2 
  

  

  