14 OMENSETTER : 



sponggia, a sponge, doubtless in allusion to their texture. 



The members of the fungus tribe are similar in structure, 

 and form an important and most remarkable division of the 

 vegetable kingdom. Many of the species are exquisite in 

 shape and coloring, while others are extremely valuable as 

 articles of diet or of medicine. 



In the program of the world's development, fungoid growths 

 have been found as early as the carl)oniferous period, or coal age. 



The chemical structure of fungi is said to be the most 

 highly animalized ; or, in other words, to partake more of the 

 nature of animal composition, than that of any other vege- 

 table. Besides the intimations of this circumstance that are 

 afforded by the smell of some of the species in decay, which 

 partakes much of the character of that of putrid meat, and 

 the strong, meat-like flavor which some of them possess when 

 cooked, we find the following fact stated — that, "like 

 animals, the}^ absorb a large quantity of oxygen and disengage 

 from their surfaces a large quantity of carbonic acid; all, 

 however, do not exhale carbonic acid, but in lieu of it some 

 give out hydrogen and others azotic gas (now known as 

 nitrogen). They yield, moreover, to chemical analysis the 

 several components of which animal structures are made up ; 

 many of them, in addition to sugar, gum, resin, a peculiar 

 acid called fungic acid,-'^ and furnish considerable quantities of 

 albumin, adiposine and osmazome, which last is that principle 

 which gives its peculiar flavor to meat gravy." 



Crystals of calcium oxalate are to be met with on the 

 surfaces and in the intercellular spaces of many of the 

 larger fungi. 



Chemical anah^sis of the cell membrane shows that it 

 possesses the elementary constituents of cellulose ; but since 

 the uncolored and unthickened membrance does not com- 

 monly exhibit the characteristic reaction of cellulose towards 



*An acid contained in the jnice of most fnngi. It is said to l^e'a 

 mixture of citric, malic and phosphoric acids. 



