CLASS XXIV. 



CRYPTOGAMIA continued 



Order VI. Fungi.* Li7ui. Fungi. 



PlantSy consisting of cells and fibres, always springing from 

 organized and generally decayed or decaying substances, not 

 perfected when immersed in water, bearing reproductive sporidia, 

 either externally or internally, naked or inclosed in variously- 

 formed cells, many of which frequently concur in the reproduc- 

 tion of a single individual. Varying extremely in substance and 

 duration, generally soft and juicy, sometimes exceedingly hard, 

 with or without a central gelatinous nucleus, or dry and powdery. f 



* When the printing of the species of this, the 5d Part of the Class Ckypto- 

 GAMiA, was commenced, 1 thonj^ht myself highly fortunate to have obtained 

 the assistance of my valued friend, the Rev. M. J. JhrluUy, in preparing tlie 

 first Tril)e, Pileuti. Ihave now to express my cordial a(kiio\vledi;inents (in 

 which 1 am satisfied 1 shall he jdined by every Botanist in the (onntry) to 

 that gentleman f(tr having kin<lly undertaken to prepare tlie whole «if this 

 vast family for the press : and it is certain that the task cculd not have fuUea 

 into belter hands. W. J. 11. 



f It is almost impossible to draw up cliaracters which shall in every case 

 distinguish the three concluding Orders, Liciiknks, Ai.c.i-; and I'lnc.i, Indeed 

 the more natural such Orders are, the more dillicult it is to arri\e at any thing 

 approaching to mathematical precision ; and this is etjually true, as regards 

 genera or species, which are cdten determinable more by the predominance of 

 certain characters, than by any exact artiiniati\e or negative detinit inns. 'I'lius, 

 in general, ^l/'/</ grow in water; Lir/ims, in air. drawing tbeir nourishment 

 from the nie<lium which surrounds eacii respectively, and not from the matrix ; 

 while Funyi are nourished by dead or decaying «>rgani/.etl matter, ami have 

 tlierefore been styled (/.s/rropfn/tu-. Yet true as these lai ts are, in general, there 

 are a few instances in wliich, ton certain extent, tiiey will be found incorrect, 

 accor<ling to the lettei-. lb us several species of the genera Liftoinihis, Ilijrjro- 

 grocis, iv<-., usually arranged amongst Ali/tr, on a«-count of tlieir immersed 

 manner oi' growtli, are, beyond all doubt, impcrfe«t s|iccimens ol Minor, 

 Penuillium, iS.c. Instances have been recorded in which tliis cbnuKe has been 

 ubnerved, ns by Cams, in the volume f«tr \s'2:], ot' A"Vii yidu At.t. Cur., ^c, 

 and by Dutrochet, in the Ist volume of the New Sei ics vl xhc Antiaki dts 

 iiciaictn jyittuielUs. 



