A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



but it includes some species which grow on trees, decayed wood, etc. 

 In the division of the Ascomycetes the spores are not naked or exposed, 

 being enclosed in a delicate membrane or spore-sac. Its orders Pyreno- 

 mycetes and Discomycetes include the rest of the larger fungi growing 

 on the ground or on fallen branches, old stumps, etc., with many smaller 

 forms growing on dead wood and living plants. This division also 

 includes the Tuberacea? and Hysteriaceas. The remaining orders cannot 

 be grouped in larger divisions, none having sufficiently important 

 characters in common, except the Uredineae and Ustilagineas, which it 

 has been suggested should be grouped together as Protobasidiomycetes. 



i. HYMENOMYCETES 



There are thus 570 species of Hymenomycetes known to occur in 

 Hertfordshire. The total number of British species in Cooke's Hand- 

 book is 1,044, and although the number has been largely increased since 

 1871, it must be admitted that our record is not a poor one. 



Nor are we wanting in rare and interesting species. Taking the 

 sub-genera of the genus Agaricus in their proper order, Ag. (Amanita) 

 excelsus has been found in Gorhambury Park ; Ag. (Lepiota) gliodermus 

 in Broxbourne Woods, the second British locality ; Ag. (L.) sistratus 

 in Sherrards Park Wood ; and Ag. (Armillaria) ramentaceus, (Tricholoma] 

 resplendent, (T'.) albus, and (Clytocybe) hirneolus have occurred in Brox- 

 bourne Woods. Of Ag. (C.) Sadleri we have the second and third 

 British records, Ashridge Park in 1894 and Cassiobury Park in 1897, t ^ ie 

 species having first been found in Britain in the Botanic Gardens, Glasgow. 

 Ag. (P/eurotus) striatulus and (Colly bia} ozes are recorded from Broxbourne 

 Woods, and the last-named also from Ashridge Park ; and Ag. (Colly bia} 

 bibulosus, (Mycena) amictus, cetites, pullatus, and gypseus, and (Omphalia) 

 glaucophyllus from Sherrards Park Wood. The next in order are two 

 very noteworthy finds. Ag. (Leptonia} euochrous, a species which had 

 only once before been found in Britain, was detected in the Ashridge 

 Woods in 1894, and Ag. (Nolania} nigripes in Aldenham Woods in 1886, 

 this being the first British record. Ag. (Pholiota) Cookii and (Hebeloma) 

 perbrevis have been found in the Broxbourne Woods, and Ag. (H.} sina- 

 pizans and (Crepidotus) calolepis in Sherrards Park Wood. Ag. (Psalliota) 

 ehensis has been found in Gorhambury Park, (P.) dermoxantha in Cassio- 



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