268 INTRODUCTION TO CRYPTOGAMIC BOTANY. 



Lling these precisely in outward appearance, are a condensed 

 form of the mycelium of the higher Fungi, The Sclerotmin 

 of Peziza tub&rosa, if examined in winter, would suggest no 

 affinity whatever to the species, and the same may be said of 

 such supposed species as Sclerotium cornutum, fungorum, 

 and lacunositm, which are mere states of Agaricus tuherosus, 

 cirrhatus, and racemosus ; while Sclerotium scutellativm and 

 complanatum are conditions of Pwtillarice. Whether true 

 species of Sclerotium exist at all, is matter of great uncertainty, 

 and even should such sj:)ecies as S. scutellatum be found with 

 spores, we should have no right to consider them as more than 

 conidia. If produced at all they would have a very different 

 affinity from that which has in general been assigned to them. 



269. The two modes of fructification in Fungi have already 

 been described, and they give rise to two distinct series, one 

 distinguished by producing naked spores, which may be either 

 simple or compound, the other sporidia inclosed in a distinct 

 sac. In some rare cases they are reduced to one ; and then, 

 if the external sac is fitted closely to the sjDoridium, it can 

 scarcely be distinguished from a true spore. We shall give the 

 latter first, which is confluent with Lichens, and the other next 

 in order, as leading to the highest degree of development of 

 which Fungi are capable. There is an advantage in this 

 arrangement, that the anomalous group of the true Mucors 

 is placed in close connection with the naked seeded moulds with 

 which they are evidently in close alliance. 



The two principal divisions therefore will be — 



I. Sporidiiferi. 



II. Sporiferi. 



270. Till the latter end of the last century, though many 

 Fungi had been described, little had been done in a systematic 

 point of view. A few genera had been established, but many 

 of these were as full of anomalies as the Fucus, Conferva, 

 and Ulva of Algae. Persoon was the first to exhibit something 

 like order, but it was left to Fries to explain the mutual affini- 

 ties of the multitudinous forms of Avhich Fungi are composed. 

 This was effected, however, more by natural tact and reflection 

 than by a minute microscopic study. Much, therefore, was 



