36 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Fumigating continued 



inside the house if the vessel containing the fire is placed 

 near the door and carefully watched from the outside. 

 The most important point is not to allow the material 

 to name. Some Fumigators have a perforated lid to 

 prevent this. A layer of damp moss may also be used for 

 a similar purpose where there is danger of ignition. 



FUMITORY. See Fumaria. 



FUNERAL CYPRESS. A common name of Cu- 

 pressus funebris (which see). 



FUNGI. A large class of cryptogams, distinguished 

 from alga> more by habit than by any general character. 



FIG. 59. SPORES OP FUNGI (AGAIIICUS). 



" They are polymorphous, (often) ephemeral, annual or 

 perennial, never green ; composed either of filaments, or of 

 a loose or close tissue, pulpy or fleshy, rarely woody ; some- 

 times furnished with peculiar vessels, containing a white, 

 yellow, or orange milky juice. They grow above or under 

 ground, on decomposing vegetable or animal matter, or 

 are parasites on vast numbers of phaenoga- 

 mous plants, and even on other Fungi. They 

 are very rarely found on stones, or in water. 

 In no particular can they be compared with 

 phasnogams, having no organs comparable with 

 leaves and flowers. Among acotyledons, they 

 approach algae in their vegetation, and lichens 

 in their fructification, but they have no 

 fronds. Fungi have nearly the same geo- 

 graphical distribution as lichens; they are 

 met with in the tropics, and in the coldest 

 regions of both hemispheres, at the top of 

 the highest mountains, beyond phaenogamic 



2 , 



FIG. 60. CAXDLESNUFF FUNGUS (XYLARIA 

 HYPOXYLON). 



vegetation. The smell of Fungi is not gene- 

 rally strong, and might be termed fungoid 

 when it is mild and pleasant, like that of 

 the Mousserori (Agaricus albellus). They are 

 usually mild, and not very pleasant to the 

 taste. Some are so extremely acrid that it 

 would be dangerous to retain much of them 

 in the mouth ; however, this acridity disap- 

 pears when they are properly cooked. Many 

 species, as Truffles, Morels, and certain Aga- 

 rics, are edible, and much sought after. Many 

 others, which strongly resemble the preceding, 

 and which nearly all belong to the genera Ago 



Fungi continued. 



ricus and Lactarius, are poisonous. To distinguish between 

 edible and poisonous Fungi is a very difficult matter" 

 (Leveille). With the exception of the Ergot of Eye or 

 Wheat, Fungi are now seldom employed in medicine. 

 Fig. 59 shows spores of a number of species of the huge 

 genus Agaricus. Most of the species of this genus 

 have colourless spores, but in some they are pink, brown, 

 or black ; they are very variable in size ; some, also, are 

 smooth, whilst a few are rough or nodulose especially 

 amongst those in which the colour is pink. Fig. 60 

 represents the Candlesnuff Fungus which is frequently 

 seen on decaying wood. Some of the minute Fungi 

 such as the Peronospora infestans, which attacks the 

 potato and other Solanaceous plants are extremely de- 

 structive, and amongst the worst pests against which 

 the gardener has to contend. 



FUNXIA (named after H. Funck, 1771-1839, a 

 German botanist). Plantain Lily. STNS. Hosta, Saus- 

 surea (of Salisbury). ORD. Liliacece. All the species 

 of this genus (according- to Mr. Baker) are described 

 below. They are handsome, hardy, herbaceous plants. 

 Flowers solitary in the axils of the bracts, forming a 

 raceme. Leaves broadly ovate or cordate. Boots tuberous, 

 fascicled. These fine plants are admirably adapted for 

 the lawn, shrubbery border, beds, or rockwork ; and, 

 when grown in pots, they form very effective subjects for 

 the greenhouse or conservatory. They thrive best when 

 the ground, in which they are to be grown, is deeply 

 dug, and well enriched with rotten manure. Propagation 

 may be effected by cutting the crowns through with a 

 sharp spade during winter, or when they begin to start 



FIG. 61. FUNKIA SIEBOLDIANA. 



