and Laboratory Methods. 2371 



possible, as many important characters, by which they may be identified, are lost 

 on drying. 



The following notes will assist in recognizing the commoner groups of fleshy 

 fungi : 



The Morels — These fungi appear in spring. They consist of a hollow stem 

 with a sponge-like cap or head, the surface of which is covered with wrinkles and 

 pits. The spores are produced in slender cells which cover the folds or wrinkles 

 on the caps. 



Cup-Fungi — There are a large number of these, some grow in early spring in 

 the woods. They appear in the form of cups or wine glasses and produce their 

 spores from the lining of the cup. One very early kind has a beautiful scarlet 

 lining to the cup, which is whitish outside. 



Puff-balls — They are usually somewhat spherical or pear-shaped and vary in 

 size from less than one inch to a foot or more in diameter. At first white and 

 cheesy inside, they soon become dark colored, changing to a dusty spore-mass 

 when ripe. The Earth Stars or Geasters are small puff-balls in which the outer 

 coating splits into a number of pieces which curl back from the inner part like 

 the rays of a star. 



Gill-Fungi — These are usually umbrella or fan-shaped fungi, with thin radi- 

 ating plates or gills on the lower side of the cap or flattened portion. The 

 stem in some species has a ring near the upper end, and in other kinds the 

 stem arises from a sheathing cup-like bulb (volva) at the base. It is among those 

 having this cup around the base of the stem that the deadly poisonous mush- 

 rooms occur. The spores are produced on the gills. They are mostly fleshy in 

 consistency and decay readily. 



Pore-Fungi — The members of this group vary from umbrella-shaped to shelf 

 or bracket-like forms, with minute pores or tubes opening on the lower surface of 

 the expanded part. The spores are produced on the walls of these small tubes. 

 Many of these fungi are hard and woody and do not decay readily. They occur 

 most frequently on decaying wood. 



Spine-Fungi — These fungi possess about the same forms as the pore-fungi, 

 but the spores form on the surface of soft teeth or spines, which are attached to 

 the expanded portion. Some are much branched and appear on decaying logs 

 and trunks. 



Club-Fungi — These are mostly low plants, usually on the ground in woods. 

 They appear like little erect clubs, or more often like a tuft of coral-like branches. 

 The spores are produced on the surface of the branches. They are very attractive, 

 especially the bright colored ones. 



In collecting specimens for study and preservation, full notes should be made 

 as to date, locality, habitat, collector, and in addition more complete notes will 

 be necessary in some of the perishable kinds. Most fungi are dried for perma- 

 nent specimens. This should be done as rapidly as possible, especially in the 

 case of the soft kinds. 



When dry they may be flattened out by moistening and then pressing gently 

 between blotting paper. The moistening is best done by placing the dry spec- 

 imens in a box containing a layer of moist sand covered with cloth or thick 



