356 INTRODUCTION TO CRYPTOGAMIC BOTANY. 



some of the most elegant and striking fungi. With a few excep- 

 tions, the more noble Clavarice are not found in this country. 

 In Sweden they luxuriate, as they do in the mountainous 

 woods of Switzerland, where they form an admirable article of 

 food ; nor are some of our own smaller species to be despised. 



386. Most of the species grow upon the ground, or on 

 decaying leaves, either in open pastures or close woods. Some 

 grow exclusively on decayed wood, and in this case often 

 exhibit a well-developed mycelium, as is the case also with 

 some of the terrestrial species. They affect temperate coun- 

 tries more especially ; but the species which grow on wood, or 

 their analogues, occur in the tropics, as do a number of species 

 which approach in character and textm'e to Tltelepliora. Some 

 of the species are very minute. Typhula is remarkable for the 

 distinct development of the stem, while Crinula has but little 

 hymenial surface at all. These smaller species often grow from 

 Sclerotia. The nature of the connection is not, however, cer- 

 tain. Typliula phacorJiiza, for instance, grows indiscrimi- 

 nately on Sderotium complanatu7?i and scutellatum ; and 

 it is improbable that both are contracted states of the Typhula, 

 like the tuberiform base of Agaricus tuberosus. The genus 

 Galocera reverts somewhat to the Tremelloid type, without, 

 however, repeating their peculiar sporophores. Sparassis, a 

 little contracted and almost hypogoeous, could only be dis- 

 tinguished from Gautieria by its far smaller — altogether less 

 conspicuous — spores. The minuter Pistillaricv are with diffi- 

 culty distinguished from Isaria. 



3. AURICULARINI, Fr. 



Substance various; hymenium nearly even, without any 

 regular folds or elevations ; inferior except in the resupinate 

 species; sometimes setulose. 



387. Having disposed of the two aberrant groups Tremcl- 

 lini and Clavariei, we commence the regular series of Hyme- 

 nomycetes proper, which by almost imperceptible transitions 

 lead to the noblest genus of the order Agaricus. The four 

 groups of which they are composed are distinguished generally 

 by their even or only slightly rugged hymenium, by projecting 

 prickles, by pores, or by gills. The members, however, of 



