GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 275 



Hymenomycetes, Sparassis, occupies a similar place next- the 

 Clavaritei, and is peculiarly a production of the temperate zone 

 and of the coniferous region. 



The fungi which constitute the family of Tremellini prevail in 

 Europe, Asia, and North America, and exhibit no marked differ- 

 ences amongst themselves, notwithstanding the distances of the 

 several countries apart. It must, however, be stated that the 

 HirneolcB for the most part inhabit the tropics. 



We come now to the Gasteromycetes an interesting family, 

 which exhibits several ramifications or particular series of de- 

 velopments. The most perfect Gasteromycetes almost exclusively 

 belong to the warmer division of the temperate, and to the 

 tropical zone, where their vegetation is the most luxuriant. Of 

 late the catalogue of these fungi has been greatly enriched by 

 the addition of numerous genera and species, proper to hot coun- 

 tries, previously unknown. Not uncommonly, the exotic floras 

 differ from ours, not merely in respect of the species, but also of 

 the genera of Gasteromycetes. It must, besides, be observed 

 that this family is rich in well-defined genera, though very poor 

 in distinct specific forms. Among the genera found in Europe, 

 many are cosmopolitan. 



The Phalloidei present themselves in the torrid zone under 

 the most varied form and colouring, and comprise many genera 

 rich in species. In Europe their number is very restricted. As 

 we advance northward they decrease rapidly, so that the central 

 districts of Sweden possess only a single species, the Phallus 

 impudicus, and even this solitary representative of the family is 

 very scarce. In Scania, the most southern province of Sweden, 

 there is likewise but one genus and one species belonging to it, 

 viz., the Mutinus caninus. Among other members of the Plial- 

 l()idei t may be further mentioned the Lysurus of China, the 

 Aseroe of Van Diemen's Land, and the Clathrus, one species of 

 which, C. cancellatus, has a very wide geographical range ; for 

 instance, it is found in the south of Europe, in Germany, and in 

 America ; it occurs also in the south of England and the Isle of 

 Wight ; whereas the other species of this genus have a very 

 limited distribution. 



