

GENERAL ACCOUNT OF FUNGI. 423 



c. Epiphytic Fungi. 



Among epiphytic fungi the family Tuberacei deserve 

 mention, as they sometimes form underground mycelia in 

 soils rich in humus, and thus cover the roots of Cnpuliferae, 

 conifers, willows, limes and other plants, to the exclusion or 

 modification of their root-hairs. This altered root with its 

 matted coating of mycelium receives the name mycorhiza, and 

 the fungus has the power of absorbing nutritive matter from 

 the soil and conveying it to the roots of the host. These fungi* 

 do not in any way injure the plants on which they grow, but 

 feed them more richly than the plants can feed themselves 

 by their own root-hairs, in the absence of the fungi. Edible 

 truffles belong to this family, and are commonly found in oak 

 forests in the South of England and the more southern part 

 of Europe. 



The study of fungi should be followed as carefully by the 

 forester as that of injurious insects, although the damage 

 recognised as done to forests by insects is much greater than 

 by fungi and the remedies against them are more effective, 

 it being often difficult, if not impossible, to combat hurtful 

 fungi. As, however, no remedy can be devised without 

 studying the causes of diseases which break out among forest 

 trees, the importance of the study of fungi injurious to our 

 trees must be admitted. The forester should be able to say 

 whether any fungus is the cause, or merely a consequence of 

 a disease or injury ; he must know how to observe phenomena 

 in the forests, and should hand over the specimens he may 

 collect to be examined by mycologists. 



The treatment of the question here adopted is therefore 

 purely from a forest point of view. The anatomy and physio- 

 logy of fungi should be studied, and a knowledge of mycology 

 is pre-supposed. A few remarks on the life-history and dis- 

 tribution of fungi are, however, advisable, and a short account 

 of the structure of fungi cannot be dispensed with. 



3. Mode of Life of Fungi. 



Fungi are cellular plants without chlorophyll, and are either 

 unicellular or formed of many branching elliptic cells, as in 



* ?ec Frank's " Lehrlnjch der Botanik," 1893, 



