2-12 FUNGI. 



whilst in warmer latitudes the genus Meliola appears to take 

 their place. 



The Elvellacei are fleshy fungi, of which the larger forms are 

 terrestrial ; Morchella, Gyromitra, and Helvella mostly growing 

 in woods, Mitrula, Spatlmlaria, and Leotia in swampy places, 

 and Geocjlossum amongst grass. The very large genus Peziza 

 is divided into groups, of which Aleurice are mostly terrestrial. 

 This group includes nearly all the large-sized species, although 

 a few belong to the next. LacTmecB are partly terrestrial and 

 partly epiphytal, the most minute species being found on twigs 

 and leaves of dead plants. In Phialea the species are nearly 

 entirely epiphytal, as is also the case in Helotium and allied 

 genera. Some species of Peziza are developed from the curious 

 masses of compact mycelium called Sclerotia, A few are rather 

 eccentric in their habitats. P. viridaria, P. domestica, and P. 

 hoemastigma, grow on damp walls ; P. r/ranulata and some others 

 on dung. Peziza Bullii was found growing on a cistern. P. tlie- 

 leboluide.s appears in profusion on spent hops. P. epispJicsria, 

 P. clavariarum, P. vulgaris^ Helotium pruinosum, and others are 

 parasitic on old fungi. One or two species of Helotium grow on 

 submerged sticks, so as to be almost aquatic, a circumstance ot 

 rare occurrence in fungi. Other Discomycetes are similar in 

 their habitats to the Elvellacei. The group to which the old 

 genus Ascobolus belongs is in a great measure confined to the 

 dung of various animals, although there are two or three ligni- 

 colons species; and Ascoplianus saccJiarinus was first found on 

 old leather, Ascoplianus testaceus on old sacking, &c. Ascomyces 

 is, perhaps, the lowest form which ascomycetous fungi assume, 

 and the species are parasitic on growing plants, distorting the 

 leaves and fruit, constituting themselves pests to the cultivators 

 of peach, pear, and plum trees. 



The Spliariacei include a very large number of species which 

 grow on rotten wood, bark, sticks, and twigs ; another group is 

 developed on dead herbaceous stems ; yet another is confined to 

 dead or dying leaves. One genus, Torrubia, grows chiefly on 

 insects; Hypomycis is parasitic on dead fungi; Claviceps is deve- 

 loped from ergot, Poronia on. dung, Poly stigma on living leaves, 



