236 Notice of Fries’ Systema Mycologicum. 
“. third produces the uterus, or a closed fungus, and the first 
aud fourth the hymenium, or an open fungus. These are the 
four leading characters, and the system is divided into four 
classes, a single class being composed of those plants that ex- 
hibit one of these characters more prominent than the ethers. 
I supposed from his use of the word e/ements, that he would 
classify them in such a manner, that all those that contained 
a greater proportion of carbon, or oxygen, Xc. should consti- 
tute a class; but he seems to use the terms element and cos- 
nessto inquire. Ifit be a fact that the agaraci polypori, &e. 
never grow in the dark—that a lycoperdon may grow in the 
absence of light, but not in the absence of caloric, and that 
rhizomorpha may grow in the absence of light and caloric, 
. 
but not in the absence of air, then it becomes a plain matter 
to be discovered. Our author suggests such a fact. 
_But in the fungi, although all the plants of the same class 
-have th same prominent organ, yet it may appear under va- 
rious modifications, which lays the foundation for a division 
into orders. That order that possesses the character of the 
class in the greatest perfection is denominated the central or- 
der, the others radii, ivision of orders into genera, 
there is also a central genus. An order is sometimes divided 
se wo series, each approximating to the contiguous orders. 
= ‘in the system may be designated by a formula of let 
