CHAPTER X: OFFENSIVE FUNGI— ORDER 



PHALLALES 



The PJiallales are all terrestrial fungi; that is, they are found 

 growing on the ground, and not on logs and trees. They are in- 

 teresting, but too offensive to attract any but the most coura- 

 geous students. 



They are more common in the South than in the North, 

 where they make themselves too conspicuous by their intoler- 

 able odour. 



They are structurally different from the other pouch-fungi, the 

 puffballs, in that they do not retain their spores in the skin (pe- 

 ridium) until they are fuUy mature, but send them into the light, 

 exposed on a quickly deliquescing jelly-like mass, the gleba. 



The order may conveniently be divided into two families: 



( Receptacle latticed, sessile, or stalked. 



FAMILY I. CLATHRACE/E I Spore mass borne on the inner sur- 



( face of the receptacle. 

 ( Receptacle tubular or cylindric, with a 



FAMILY n. PHALLACE/E \ Cap. 



( Spore mass on the surface of the cap. 



GENUS PHALLUS 

 Stinkhorns 



The genus Phallus may be readily distinguished by the 

 cylindrical shape of the spore receptacles and the intolerable 

 odour. No one with his sense of smell developed would think of 

 eating the members of this group. The botanist and the artist, 

 however, have braved this lion on his own territory, and have 

 found much that is beautiful and interesting ; the artist having 

 the advantage in his task of portraying the handsome specimen, 



Phai-la'-les Ciath-ra'-9e-£e rhil-la'-9e-3e Thai-lus 



117 



