132 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FUNGI 



spored Agarics of all kinds up to 2250 species, or nearly one 

 half of the whole gill-bearing Hijmenomycctcs. 



The other section of the HaiTlopliyllac, with a tough per- 

 sistent substance, includes six genera in which the substance 

 is at first fleshy, or gelatinous, and then becoming leathery, 

 and three genera in which the substance is always more or less 

 corky or woody. As might be anticipated, these are almost the 

 only representatives of the gill-bearing Hymcnomycetes which 

 extend into tropical countries. Of the six genera first alluded 

 to, Marasmius approaches nearest to the soft-fleshed Agarics, 

 such as Colhjbia and Myccna, and might readily be confounded, 

 save for their tougher and drier substance. The larger pro- 

 portion are of a small size, and these affect dead wood and 

 leaves. Lcntinus often attains a large size, and, with the 

 exception of a few European species, is a tropical or sub- 

 tropical genus. The technical distinction between Panus and 

 Lcntinus is that in the former the edge of the gills is even, and 

 in the latter toothed or ragged. In order to complete our 

 numerical estimate, we may add that the Tenaces section of 

 Ha'ploi^liyllac is represented by about 810 species. The next 

 order of Hymenomycctcs, the Polyporcae, is approached most 

 nearly in one direction by Lenzites, which is the analogue in 

 the Agaricineae of Daedalca in the Polyporcae. 



It seems unnecessary in this place to descend any lower 

 with an analysis of the Lcncosporac. The analytical key to the 

 genera in any good local flora will indicate the salient features 

 in each genus, which it would be rather tedious to introduce into 

 a book having the character of a general introduction, and 

 would moreover extend this chapter to an inordinate length. 



We must now revert to Saccardo's second primary group 

 of the Agaricineae — that of the PJiodosporae, so called on account 

 of the spores being pink or of a salmon colour. It may at the 

 same time be intimated that, although in some instances these 

 spores are elliptical and smooth, they are often coarsely warted 

 and angular. The group in itself seems to be a very natural 

 one, for the species are all soft and fleshy, and even more 

 putrescent than the softer of the Lcucosjporac. In all countries 

 they constitute the smallest of the four primary groups of the 

 Agaricineae, and have often a disagreeable odour. The total 



