CHAPTEE XII 



HYMENOMYCETES 



As lately as 1830 the Botanicon Gallicum included under 

 the term " Fungi " only the Hymenomycetes and the Disco- 

 mycetes ; whilst at a much later period the ordinary observer 

 recognised only a few forms, chiefly of the Discomycetes, as 

 Fungi beyond the Hymenomycetes. The puff-balls came at 

 length to be included, but even these for a long time were 

 regarded doubtfully as to whether they were true Fungi or not. 

 In this country it was not until 1836, when Berkeley's 

 volume of Hooker's English Flora was published, that the 

 proper limits of " Fungi," as then known, came to be under- 

 stood. Under any circumstances the Hymenomycetes have held 

 the first place amongst Fungi, are usually the first to attract 

 the attention of students, and stand at the head of every list, 

 catalogue, or "Fungus flora." In 1825 Elias Fries himself 

 included Discomycetes within his order " Hymenomycetes," 

 and did not practically dissociate them until 1849, when he 

 constituted the Discomycetes as a distinct and separate order. 

 At that period the two orders followed each other, whilst the 

 Gastromycetes were at a distance and scarcely became approxi- 

 mate until the basidia had been discovered in them. 



The limits of the order Hymenomycetes were thus briefly 

 expressed : " Spores naked. Hymenium free, mostly naked, or 

 if, enclosed at first, soon exposed." This again was more 

 expanded and rendered clearer by Berkeley, thus : " Mycelium 

 floecose, giving rise at once to a distinct hymenium or produc- 

 ing a variously shaped naked or volvate receptacle, even or 

 bearing on its upper or under surface various folds, plates, 

 prickles, etc., clothed with fertile hymenial cells." The pre- 



