CHAP. III. FUNGI. 233 



elastic, transversely undulated filaments. The scales are 

 composed of radiating hollow tubes, partly filled with 

 minute coloured granules, which freely escape when the 

 tubes are injured: their nature is wholly unknown, and, 

 I believe, hitherto unnoticed. 

 15. Coniocysta ; tubercle-like closed apothecia, containing a 

 mass of sporules. 



9. Fungi. 



The structure of these plants is yet more simple than that 

 of Algae, consisting of little besides cellular tissue, among 

 which sporules lie scattered. Some, of the lowest degree of 

 developement, are composed only of a few cellules, of which 

 one is larger than the rest, and contains the sporules ; others 

 are more highly compounded, consisting of myriads of cellules, 

 with the sporules lying in cases, or asci. Notwithstanding the 

 extreme simplicity of these plants, writers upon fungi have 

 contrived to multiply the terms relating to them in a remark- 

 able manner. The following are all with which I am ac- 

 quainted : — 



1. l^he pileus, or cap, is the uppermost part of the plant of 



an Agaricus, and resembles an umbrella in form. 



2. The stipes, is the stalk that supports the pileus. 



3. The volva, or wrapper, is the involucrum-like base of the 



stipes of Agaricus. It originally was a bag enveloping 

 the whole plant, and was left at the foot of the stipes 

 when the plant elongated and burst through it. 



4. The velum, or veil, is a horizontal membrane, connecting 



the margin of the pileus with the stipes : when it is 

 adnate with the surface of the pileus, it is a velum 

 universale ; when it extends only from the margin of the 

 pileus to the stipes, it is a velum partiale. 



5. The anmdus, is that part of the veil which remains neX:t 



the stipes, which it surrounds like a loose collar. 



6. Cortina, is a name given to a portion of the velum which 



adheres to the margin of the pileus in fragments. 



7. The hymenium, is the part in which the sporules imme- 



diately lie ; in Agaricus, it consists of parallel plates, 

 called lamellcB, or gills ; these are adnate with the stipes, 



I 



