36 



INTRODUCTION TO CRYPTOCxAMIC BOTANY. 



relation, nor such as in any morphological view of the origin- 

 ation of one set of beings from another could at once indicate 

 the possibility of change; as for example, from a cup-shaped to 

 a mitrseform fungus of very close affinities, by the mere re- 

 troversion of the cup, and the consequent confluence of its 

 under side with the stem. (Fig. 13.) 



Fig. 13. 



a. Ilelvella Escnlenta, from a British specimen communicated by 

 Mr. Frederick Currey. 



h. Helvetia elastica. 



c. Peziza macropus. 

 23. Except in the depauperation of the floral envelopes, a 

 point evidently of little comparative importance, since we see 

 that the nobler objects of the vegetable world are most fre- 

 quently those whose floral envelopes are the least developed, it 

 would be difficult to point out one single particular in which 

 Conifers are inferior to other arboreous Exogens. The very 

 slow development of the fruit should, on the contrary, seem 

 to indicate superior dignity. It may be true, indeed, that 

 spiral vessels are comparatively rare in the trunk, but then 

 the presence of these in abundance is no sure evidence 

 of superiority, and even admitting their infrequency to be a 

 mark of inferiority, the wood cells are more complicated 



