()08 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO 1784. 



or 8 inches deep in dry sandy banks; and consequently it is extremely difficult to 

 detect it in its earliest state. At its first appearance above ground, the powdery 

 head is covered with a loose campanulated cap, which does not adhere by any of 

 the smallest filaments; and which Mr. W. supposes to be the upper part of the 

 volva, as both always appear ragged when taken up. When the plant is taken 

 up immediately on its appearing above ground, the stem is about 6 or 8 inches 

 long; and, as well as the volva, replete with mucilage, making it much heavier 

 than when it has attained its full growth. The dust is now perfectly formed, 

 and is dispersed by the slightest touch, or by the wind. A great alteration soon 

 takes place, as it now proceeds very rapidly, and in a few days attains the sum- 

 mit of its growth, which is from Q to 15 inches, more than half being generally 

 buried in the ground. The stem becomes woody, though hollow, the bark still 

 more ragged, and the whole plant much lighter, both volva and stem being now 

 cjuite dry, and free from mucilage. The wind and showers soon disperse the 

 greatest part of the dust ; and at length the stalk appears with a naked, coria- 

 ceous, campanulated pileus, and considerably bleached, in colour and appearance 

 not unlike a dry stalk of hemp. In this state some of them are now to be found, 

 Aug. 28, 1783, with plants of this year rising near them. 



Mr. Humphreys, of Norwich, who first found this very extraordinary plant, 

 met with it only in the state last described, and without discovering the volva ; 

 so that no judgment of it could be formed. It has been taken by some persons 

 for a decayed or abortive agaric; but that opinion could not be maintained by any 

 one who had seen it in its recent state. Mr. W. first met with it in February 

 or March 1783 in its dry and withered state; but as it was suspected to be a 

 decayed agaricus procerus, he wished to examine the root carefully, in order to 

 observe whether it was bulbous. The bulb of the agaricus procerus is scarcely 

 hidden under the surface, and he was much surprized at the depth to which he 

 was obliged to search for the root of this plant; at length however, removing 

 the earth carefully to the depth of 7 or 8 inches, he met with it, and on raising 

 the plant, he discovered the volva, which was so unlike the fugitive one of the 

 agaric, that he was immediately convinced it must be something new. This 

 plant agrees with the genus phallus in its volva, which has a double coat replete 

 with mucilage; and its stipes crowned with areflexed pileus. But it more nearly 

 approaches the genus lycoperdon, by its head covered with a thick dust, contained 

 in a substance of a spongy appearance, and by the form of the dust, which agrees 

 perfectly with that of most of the true lycoperdons, when examined in the mi- 

 croscope. To this genus it must at present probably be referred, though the 

 total want of an exterior coat prevents its agreeing with it so perfectly as it ought. 



