AGARICACK* PARMELIACEyK. 743 



or in Wall. ? Cat., and in Royle's collection there are only about 40 species 

 from the Himalayas. These have been examined by D. Don., who finds 

 as in Lichens, that the majority have the closest resemblance to European 

 species, but, from the perishable nature of the specimens, their identifica- 

 tion is difficult. {Royle.) 



" Fungi are important either as food or as poison, or as parasites des- 

 tructive to the plants upon which they grow. As food, the most valuable 

 are Agaricus campestris, or common mushroom, the various species of Hel- 

 vella or Morel, and Tuber or Truffle. — It is necessary to exercise the 

 utmost care in employing Fungi as food. L. C. Richard, though no one was 

 better acquainted with the distinctions of Fungi, would never eat any except 

 such as had been raised in gardens in mushroom oeds." {Lindl.) 

 Agaricus, L. {Endl. gen. pi. \, p. 40.) 



\. campestris, L. {Spreng. syst. 4, p. 446. — Grev. cryp. fi. 161. — A. 

 edulis. Bull, champ, t. 134 and 514.) © Serampore, &c. 

 Lycoperdon, L. {Spreng. syst. 4, p. 378, No. 3500.) Puff Ball. 



1. pratense, Pers. (Spreng. syst. 4, p. 523; — Bull. herb. 435. 2.) © 

 Serampore. 



ORDER CCLXXVII.— PARMELIACE^, (LICHENACE^, Lindl. 



Nat. Syst. p. 426.) 



THE LICHEN TRIBE. 



Perennial plants, often spreading over the surface of the earth, or rocks 

 or trees in dry places, in the form of a lobed and foliaceous, or hard and 

 crustaceous, or leprous substance, called aThallus. (Lindl.) Fe6 estimates 

 the number actually known either in herbaria or in books, at 2,400. It 

 has been remarked that the same species are found in very diff"erent parts 

 of the world, and that the lichens of Europe, for example, diflfer little from 

 those of N, America. This is observed, says Royle, in a very remakable 

 manner, in the comparatively few lichens collected by him in the Hima- 

 layas, almost the whole of which are pronounced by Z). Don, who has ex- 

 amined them, to be identical with European species. Roxb. passes over this 

 order entirely, and Wall, enumerates only 4 species, borrowed from Buch.'s 

 Herbarium. The amount of Lichens in Griffith's Collection we do not 

 know, but judging from his botanical completeness generally, it must be 

 considerable. Among Royle's Lichens are mentioned Usnea florida, Ach. 

 (Lichen floridus. L. ; — E. B. 13, t. 872.) — U. barbata, Ach. (Lichen barba- 

 tus, L. ; — E. B. 4, t. 258, f. 2.) — Borrera ciliaris, Ach. (Lichen ciliaris, L. ; 

 — E. B. 19, 1. 1352.) — B.furfuracea, Ach. (Lichen furfuraceus, L. ;— E. B. 

 14, t. 984.) — Rocella fucif or 7nis, Ach.. (Lichen fuciformis, L. ; — E. B. 11, 

 t. 72iS.) — Ramalina farinucea, Ach. (Lichen farinaceus, L. ; — E. B. 13, t. 



