21 



associated with such highly-developed families as Rafflesiacese and 

 Cytineae, which, especially the former, are in my opinion to be taken 

 as exhibiting a highly complex formation of even both sexes. 



" Obs. IV. — In the present state of our knowledge the locus natu- 

 ralis of the family to which this genus belongs must, it appears to 

 me, at best be founded on conjecture. The assistance of physiology 

 is in the first place essential. Of all the notions, however, regarding 

 it, that of Agardh, as given by Endlicher and Schott in their Melete- 

 mata, appears to me the most plausible, although he would seem to 

 include Cynomorium in the family, and to make it the typical genus. 

 Although I have not observed these plants to have milky juice, or am 

 inclined to lay much stress on some of the signs of affinity given by 

 Agardh, yet in the separation of the sexes, the valvular aestivation of 

 the perianthium, and the apposition of the stamina to its component 

 parts, there are perhaps some signs of affinity ; and although the de- 

 velopment of the pistilla of Balanophora appears to me an insur- 

 mountable objection, still they resemble in texture the pistilla of 

 some Urticeae as much, if not more, than those of any other plant. 



" As a mere hypothesis, then, I would consider Balanophoreae, 

 judged of chiefly by Balanophora, as the homogeneous embryo form 

 of Urticinae, forming a direct passage in one, and usually the more 

 perfect structure, to Musci and Hepaticae. But in this, as in all other 

 very doubtful cases, it is much more advisable to consider them as 

 aliens than to force them into any subkingdom, class or order. As 

 aliens, every observing botanist's eye will be upon them. As un- 

 doubted citizens, they may find, under authority, places anywhere, 

 and will certainly cease to be general objects of observation." — p. 96. 



V. On Agaricus crinitus, Linn., and some allied Species. By the 

 Rev. M. J. Berkeley, M.A., F.L.S., &c. , 



Among the few though well preserved and interesting Fungi con- 

 tained in the Linnean herbarium, is one marked Agaricus crinitus, 

 a species correctly described, but much misunderstood. In the 

 present memoir Mr. Berkeley describes and illustrates this and four 

 other species under the generic name of Lentinus. The plate con- 

 taining the figures and anatomical details of these species is from the 

 delicate pencil of Mr. J. de C. Sowerby, and beautifully engraved by 

 Jarman. The species are Lentinus crinitus, from South America ; 

 L. tener, Organ Mountains and New Orleans ; L. Schomburgkii, Bri- 

 tish Guiana ; L. nigripes, described by Fries in the ' Systema Lenti- 

 norum,' and now figured for the first time; and L. Leveillei, Surinam. 



Vol. in. e 



