FUNGI. 267 



are flesh)' and generally branched, the stem being the 

 same in substance as the club. There is no prettier group 

 in all the fungus kingdom than this. Its members vary 

 in colour to every shade of purple and yellow, or pure 

 white, and they grow either in single clubs, clusters of 

 clubs, or coral-like branches, interlacing in every fanciful 

 form. The Bundle Clavaria (C. fastigiata, Plate XVII I., 

 Jig. 11) is extremely common on the chalk downs, and in 

 pastures, it is often called the Coral Fungus, and the 

 form of its branches entitles it to the appellation. It is 

 repeatedly branched, the branches entangling with one 

 another, and too brittle to be easily disengaged. The 

 Crested Clavaria (C. cristata) is equally pretty in its 

 way, very much curled and crumpled in its early stao-e, 

 so as to resemble pieces of peeled walnut, but spreading 

 into elegant snow-white branches as it approaches 

 maturity. We have found it in woods in Wiltshire, 

 Herefordshire, and Kent. Perhaps no species is more 

 common than the Furrowed Clavaria (C. rugosa, Plate 

 XVIII, Jig. 13) it grows in single clubs, often dilating 

 towards the summit, and bending into every quaint 

 variety of position. Last autumn I gathered it in Kent 

 of an unusual size, and in great quantity ; some Shrop- 

 shire friends gave a similar account of its abundance in 

 their neighbourhood, and added, that they had had it 

 fried like mushrooms, with butter and pepper, and that 

 the dish was scarcely accounted inferior to the true 

 mushrooms. The Violet Clavaria (C. amethystina, Plate 

 XVIII, fig. 12) we found at Oban. It was a foggy day, 

 and the grass and ling were heavy with moisture. But 

 we felt that we mioht not be favoured with better 



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