Art. X. — Fungi. By Chas. H. Peck. 



[Read before the Alb. Inst., Feb. 15, 1870.] 



Mushroom, toadstool, smut, mildew, mold and rust are 

 'familiar names applied to various plants, all of which are 

 included in the more general and scientific term Fiingi. 

 These constitute a large class of cellular, Cryptogamous 

 plants, generally small and often microscopic, extremely 

 diverse in form, habits and appearance, yet in all their 

 diversity retaining certain characters common to all. 



It is a favorite rule with skillful instructors to. begin, 

 in teaching, with the elementary principles of a science, 

 to assign as first lessons that which naturally precedes all 

 the rest and which is less complex in character. Bota- 

 nists appear to a certain extent to have reversed this rule. 

 They have studied thoroughly the higher and more com- 

 plex forms of vegetable life, they are familiar with the 

 names, history, habits, classification and uses of these 

 plants, but they seldom claim even a moderate know- 

 ledge of the simple, cellular, Cryptogamous plants, and 

 least of all, of the Fungi. Through the efforts of Drs. Tor- 

 rey, Gray, Wood, Eaton and others, among whom is our 

 own lamented Dr. L. C. Beck, the Phsenogamous plants 

 of our country have been quite thoroughly investigated 

 and carefully described in manuals adapted to the wants 

 and within the reach of all lovers of botanical knowledge. 

 Mr. W. S Sullivant has written a descriptive manual 

 of our Mosses, and, aided by L. Lesquereux, a most 

 excellent bryologist, has illustrated it by two editions 

 of sets of dried specimens. A similar work has been 



[Trans. vi.~] 27 



