FUNGI. 231 



Uon of the organs of fructification. In one order the 

 seeds or gems are internal as in the common Puff-ball ; 

 in the other they are imbedded in an appropriate mem- 

 brane, as in the Mushroom. 



These plants notwithstanding their simple organiza- 

 tion have been converted to useful purposes. The 

 powder of the Puff-ball, Lycoperdon, is employed as a 

 styptic and is remarkable also for its property of 

 strongly repelling moisture. If a vessel is filled 

 with water and a little of the powder sprinkled over 

 its surface, the hand may be plunged to the bottom of 

 the vessel without coming in contact with the water. 

 The Mushrooms are well known articles of seasoning 

 and of food, which are frequently employed, and, with 

 safety, unless gathered by an unskilful hand. 



We have now examined the various orders of the 

 imperfect or cryptogamous plants. Some late wrtters 

 apply the term agamous to some of the tribes which 

 LinnaBus and others associated with the Mosses and 

 Ferns. They apply it to those plants whose floral 

 organs have never been detected, being propagated by 

 peculiar gems (propagula) which shew themselves in 

 the form of a powder on the surface of the plant ; are 

 at no- period enclosed within a germeri, and have been 

 deemed with great probability mere fragments of the 

 external texture of the vegetable. They have no 

 parts of an herbaceous nature, but include the Algae, 

 the Hepaticae and the Fungi, * plants destitute of leaves, 

 and often without a stem. 



* Mirbel. 



