362 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



MUSHROOM.— FUNGUS. 



Natural order, Hepaticai. Limwus has ar- 

 ranged it in his artificial system, Cryptogamia. 



The generic name of this class of vegeta- 

 bles, Fungus, is derived from ^iroyyoQ, on ac- 

 count of its spungy nature. The English 

 word Mushroom is in all probability a cor- 

 ruption of Mousseron, the French name of a 

 variety of the Fungus, called Champignon. 



" Tis but apart we see, and not a whole." 



Pope. 



The Mushroom tribe has, therefore, afforded 

 a wide field for speculation to the na- 

 turalists of every age, who have disputed 

 whether it consists of perfect or imperfect 

 plants. 



Vegetable nature appears in such a diver- 

 sity of habits, and propagates its species in 

 such a variety of forms, that we can neither 

 view them, nor inquire into their nature, with- 

 out being impressed with the most sublime 



