FUNDUNGI. 



Common fumitory (F. officinalis'), an annual, 

 very common in cultivated ground and about 

 hedges; root tapering, herb glaucous, stem 

 much branched, leaves mostly alternate, twice 

 or thrice pinnate. Flowers in clusters, rose- 

 coloured or pale red. The leaves are succu- 

 lent, saline, and bitter. The plant is eaten by 

 cows and sheep; goats dislike it, except the 

 young shoots, and horses totally refuse it. 



Ramping fumitory (F. capreolata). This 

 species is much like the common fumitory, but 

 larger in every part; the leaves less glaucous; 

 their tendrils twisting round other plants, by 

 which the branching stem climbs to the height 

 of 3 or 4 feet. The flowers are on the whole 

 paler, and the plant also less common. 



This species and the while climbing fumi- 

 tory are the only ones worthy of extensive 

 culture. They do best sown under a hedge, to 

 which they will attach themselves and make 

 a beautiful appearance. The common fumi- 

 tory is the only species found in the United 

 States, where it has been naturalized to some 

 extent, being not unfrequently cultivated in 

 gardens. (En. Flor. vol. iii. p. 252257; 

 Paxto,,'* Pot. Din.} 



FUNDI, or FUNDUNGI. An African 

 grain produced by a plant of Lilliputian 

 growth, which is described by Mr. Clarke, in 

 the proceedings of the London Linncean So- 

 ciety. This grain is represented as about the 

 size of mignonette-seed, and is cultivated in 

 the village of Kissy and in the neighbourhood 

 of Waterloo by industrious individuals of the 

 Soosoo, Foulah, Bassa, and Joloff nations, by 

 whom it is called " hungry rice." The ground 

 is cleared for its reception by burning down 

 the copse-wood and hoeing between the roots 

 and stumps. It is sown in the months of May 

 and June, the ground being slightly opened 

 and again lightly drawn together over the seed 

 with a hoe. In August, when it shoots up, it 

 is carefully weeded. It ripens in September, 

 growing to the height of about 18 inches, and 

 its stems, which are very slender, are then bent 

 to the earth by the mere weight of the grain. 

 They are reaped with hooked knives. The 

 patch of land is then either suffered to lie fal- 

 low, or planted with yams or cassada in rota- 

 tion. Manure is said to be unnecessary or 

 even injurious, the plant delighting in light soils, 

 and being raised even in rocky situations, 

 which are most frequent in and about Kissy. 

 When cut down it is tied up in small sheaves 

 and placed in a dry situation within the hut, 

 for if allowed to remain on the ground or to 

 become wet the grains become agglutinated to 

 their coverings. The grain is trodden out with 

 the feet, and is then parched or dried in the 

 sun to allow of the more easy removal of the 

 chaff in the process of pounding, which is 

 performed in wooden mortars. It is after- 

 wards winnowed with a kind of cane fanner 

 on mats. 



In preparing this delicious grain for food, 

 Mr. Clarke states that it is first thrown into 

 boiling water, in which it is assiduously stirred 

 for a few minutes. The water is then poured 

 off, and the natives add to it palm oil, butter, or 

 milk ; but the Europeans and negroes con- 

 nected with the colony stew it with fowl, fish, 



FUNGI. 



mutton, adding a small piece of salt pork for 

 the sake of flavour, and the dish thus prepared 

 is stated to resemble kous-kous. The grain is 

 also made into 'a pudding with the usual con- 

 diments, and eaten either hot or cold with milk; 

 the Scotch residents sometimes dress it as 

 milk-porridge. Mr. Clarke is of opinion that 

 if the fundi grain were raised for exportation 

 to Europe, it might prove a valuable addition 

 to the list of light farinaceous articles of food 

 in use among the delicate or convalescent. 



Specimens of the grass have been examined 

 by Mr. Kippist, Librarian to the Linncean So- 

 ciety. It is a slender grass with digitate 

 spikes, which has much of the habit of l>i^i.-i- 

 rw, but which, on account of the absence of 

 the small outer glume existing in that genus, 

 must be referred to PuKjmlitm. Mr. Kippist 

 regards it as an undescribed species, and dis- 

 tinguishes it by the name of Paspalum exile. 

 (Proretdingg of Lin. Sot:') 



FUNGI (Lat.). A large natural tribe of plants 

 of a very low organization, consisting chiefly 

 of cellular tissue, sometimes intermixed with 

 flocculent matter, and very rarely furnished 

 wilh spiral vessels. They form, as it were, a 

 link between the animal and vegetable king- 

 doms. They inhabit dead and decaying organic 

 bodies, and are also a common pest to living 

 plants, upon which they are parasites, and prey 

 in the same manner as vermin and intestinal 

 worms upon animals. A vast number of spe- 

 cies are described by writers upon fungi, and 

 they are often of great importance to man, 

 either for their use or their mischievous qua- 

 lities. The common mushroom (jtgunetu cam- 

 pestris), the truffle (Tuber ribarium), and morel 

 (Morchella esruhnta), (see these heads) are 

 delicacies well known at table. Not less than 

 thirty-three species of fungi are eaten in Rus- 

 sia. Ergot, one of the tribe, is valuable in ob- 

 stetric practice as a uterine stimulant; very 

 many of the species are dangerous poisons. 

 Blight, mildew, rust, &c. (see these articles), 

 are diseases caused by the ravages of micro- 

 scopic fungi; and, finally the destructive ef- 

 fects of dry-rot are owing to the attacks of Me- 

 ndius lachrymans, and many other species. 

 The best general work on Fungi is Fries's 

 Systema Micologicum. Numerous species are 

 figured in the works of Greville, Bulliard, 

 Sowerby, Corda,and Nees von Esenbeck. (See 

 FAIRT RIXGS.) Dr. Christison gives the fol- 

 lowing general directions for distinguishing 

 the esculent from the poisonous varieties. "It 

 appears that most fungi which have a warty 

 cap, more especially fragments of membrane 

 adhering to their upper surface, are poisonous. 

 Heavy fungi, which have an unpleasant odour, 

 especially if they emerge from a vulva or bag, 

 are also generally hurtful. Those which grow 

 in woods and shady places are rarely esculent, 

 but most are unwholesome; and if they are 

 moist on the surface they should be avoided. 

 All those which grow in tufts or clusters from 

 the trunks or stumps of trees ought likewise to 

 be shunned. A sure test of a poisonous fungus 

 is an astringent styptic taste, and perhaps also 

 a disagreeable, but certainly a pungent odour. 

 Those, the substance of which becomes blue 

 soon after being cut, are invariably poisonous. 



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