SECTION K.— BOTANY. 



THE USES OF FUNGI 



ADDRESS BY 



J. RAMSBOTTOM, O.B.E., 



PRESIDENT OF THE SECTION. 



In considering a subject for this Address I was attracted by certain 

 aspects of Botany which, though mentioned incidentally, if at all, in 

 academic teaching, play a major part in general botanical activities. 

 But, finding that I was expected to deal with Mycology, I chose a topic 

 which seemed to fit in with the Council's suggestion that some aspect 

 of science should be treated which had a bearing on the life of the 

 community. 



All who have paid any attention to fungi realise the vast amount of 

 disease and damage which they cause. Fungal diseases of plants and 

 animals, fungal damage to stored products, to timber and to food and 

 the search for Haemony ' of sov'ran use 'gainst all inchantments, mildew 

 blast, or damp, Or gastly furies apparition ' have frequently been discussed, 

 but there seems to have been little consideration of how fungi enter 

 generally into problems of life and existence. Every schoolboy knows 

 that life as it is would be impossible without chlorophyll ; but it is often 

 overlooked that unless there were also organisms without chlorophyll, 

 plant and animal life would cease. The fact that fungi lack chlorophyll 

 imposes on them their several ways of physiological existence which have 

 results so important to man. Colourless bacteria though having a similar 

 physiology do not fall within the scope of this address. 



Presumably it has always been known that some of the larger fungi 

 are edible and some poisonous. In this country it is not common know- 

 ledge, however, that only half a dozen or so are poisonous. The rule 

 of thumb methods for distinguishing between edible and poisonous 

 species are worse than useless, for Amanita phalloides, the most poisonous 

 of all fungi, ' peels,' does not turn a silver coin black, nor does it obey 

 any of the rules which have been in common practice since classical times. 

 Accidents are certain when there is indiscriminate eating of anything, 

 and fungi are no exception. Though the consumption of the common 

 mushroom appears to be increasing there is little sale now for any other 

 species in the ordinary markets. Blewits (Tricholoma personatum and 

 its allies) is sold in the north, midlands and west ; I have known it to be 

 seized as poisonous when offered for sale in the south. Occasionally one 

 sees Boletus edulis and B. scaber on barrows in the streets of Soho, and 



