51 



ECONOMIC FUNGI.* 



J. H. HOLLAND, F.L.S., .! 



The Museum, Keiv. 



It may be safe to say that there is no order of plants so widely 

 known and yet so little understood generally as the Fungi. 

 There are several works dealing with this subject, but there is 

 none which takes in all the useful fungi. This fact has induced 

 me to endeavour to gather together all the information possible 

 respecting them with the view of collating and presenting it in 

 a convenient form for reference. 



From the information already obtained from various sources 

 the following is a selection, which I hope may prove of interest. 

 A few of the fungi are well known, such as Boletus edulis 

 and Polyporiis fomentarius, and I have referred to them not so 

 much to point out their virtues, as to give them a place in the 

 distribution as British species, and from the fact that they are 

 either the most prominent or the only species of their genus. 



xA.ltogether there are known to be about 22,500 species, com- 

 prised in 870 odd genera, under 46 orders, exclusive of the 

 numerous forms classed as Fungi Imperfecti, the Saccharo- 

 mycetes, and Myxomycetes. Out of this large number there 

 are approximately only 200 species that are understood to be 

 of any value. Of these, at least 



86 belong to the Order Agaricacese. 

 40 ,, ,, Polyporaceae. 



6 ,, ,, Hydnaceae. 



8 ,, ,, Clavariaceae. 



2 ,, ,, Tremellacea?. 



3 ,, ,, Phalloidaceae. 

 10 ,, ,, Lycoperdaceaj. 

 15 ,, ,, Helvellaceae. 



5 ,, ,, Pezizaceai. 



3 ., ,, CyttariacefE. 



2 ,, ,, Hypocreaceai. 

 8 ,, ,, Tuberaceai. 



3 ,, ,, Uredinaceas. 



I ,, ,, Ustilaginaceae. 



I ,, ,, Mucorace^. 



The following table shows briefly their systematic arrange- 

 ment. In the rest of the paper the few that are dealt with are 

 taken promiscuously ; particulars as to conditions of growth, 

 country, and uses are given. 



* Abstract of Paper read at the Y.N.U. Fung-us Foray, Egton Bridg-e, 

 I St Oct. 1902. 



1903 February i. 



