I&66 CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI. 



In meadows and paftures frequent in the au- 

 tumn, as in the Kif7g's Park, and at the Hermi- 

 tage, &c. 



It varies exceedingly in fize, figure, fuperficies, 

 and color. 



In general it confifts of a fack or bag, having a 

 root at its bafe, and the bag compos'd of three 

 membranes, ^n epidennis, a tough white fkin, 

 and an interior coat which adheres clofely to 

 the central pith. 



The pith in the young plants is of a yellov/ifh 

 color, at firft firm and folid, but fcon changes 

 into a cellular fpongy fublVance, full of a dark 

 dull-green powder, which difcharges itfelf thro' 

 an aperture at the top of the Fungus, which 

 aperture is form'd of lacerated fegments, in 

 fome varieties reflex'd. 



The powder is belie v'd to be the k^t^s, which 

 through a microfcope appear of a fpha^rical 

 form, and to be annex'd to eiaftic hairs. See 

 Bailer's Hiji. Helvet. n. 2172. 



Among the numerous varieties of this Fungus, th« 

 following are moft remarkable. 

 riahrum, ^' ^ fmooth felTile kind, of a nearly fphsrlcal 

 form, pucker'd or contracted at the root. 

 . This fometimes grows to an enormous fize. It 

 has been found in England as big as a man's 

 head ; gnd at Carraria, near Padua, in lialy, 



fpecimens 



