Physiology of the Gyropodium coccine.um 67 



velope, like the Phallus foetidus, nearly a quarter of an 

 inch in thickness. This immediately bursts, even before 

 the whole body of the fungus has risen above the ground, 

 and the exterior part of it falls upon the soil around the 

 fungus in the form of a viscid jelly, and is ere long absorb- 

 ed in the earth. The inner part of this envelope, however, 

 which is of greater consistency than the outer part, still 

 covers and conceals for a time the interior organization. 

 At length it gradually dissolves, especially about the top, 

 and discovers firmly attached to its inner side, a second 

 thin covering of the head of the fungus, having its interior 

 side of the brightest scarlet colour, and rather rough. A 

 specimen dissected in a young state exhibits this envelope, 

 covering every part of the spherical head, with no seam dis- 

 cernible in it. But ere long, it opens at the top and gives 

 the fungus the appearance represented at B, beginning to 

 separate into numerous divisions, or rays, like the opening 

 calyx or petals of a common flower. Several valves on 

 the top of the plant, opening into its head, are thus disclo- 

 sed ; whose particular costruction will be more explicitly 

 described hereafter. A portion of the jelly, often yV of an 

 inch thick, adheres to these calyx like divisions of the en- 

 velope now under consideration ; and as the inner part of it 

 is very tender, they rarely become more expanded than is 

 represented at C, before they begin to coil inwards, and 

 breaking off at the base, merely from their weight, they 

 drop to the ground ; or, as is more usual, adhere to the 

 footstalk, as is shown at D. This footstalk is wholly cona- 

 posed of a harder kind of jelly, penetrated nearly to its cen- 

 tre by numerous irregular grooves and cavities, appearing 

 on dissection, like strings of glue confusedly twisted togeth- 

 er, and a softer jelly, in a partially dissolving state, covers 

 it externally, which causes the falling pieces to adhere 

 to it. 



We have now reached the third and principal envelope 

 of the head of the fungus. It consists of a leathery sack, 

 nearly spherical, considerably tough, and when dry, as 

 hard as glue. At its top, are several valves, (usually five te 

 eight,) closing against one another with great exactness, 

 and opening into the centre of the head. On penetrating 

 this third envelope, or sack, we meet with a fourth, of a yel- 

 lowish colour, very thin and delicate, occupying the whole 



Vol. IX.— No. I. 8 



