130 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FUNGI 



propounded his scheme for the classification of the Agaricini, 

 for which previous authors had prepared the way, hy at once 

 elevating the subgenera of Fries to the rank of genera, and 

 ranking them upon an equality with the other old Friesian 

 genera. This was the inherent weakness of the Saccardian 

 arrangement, although it will doubtless come into universal 

 use where expedients are valued rather for their utility than 

 their consistency. Eb one of experience would contend that 

 Tricholoma and Collybia bear absolutely the same relation to 

 each other that Tricholoma would bear to Cantharellus, or 

 Collybia to Lentinus. 



In the Saccardian system the four primary groups into 

 which the whole of the Agaricini are divided, depend upon the 

 colour of the spores. The Zeucosporae, having the spores 

 colourless or but faintly coloured ; the Bhoalosporae, in which 

 the spores are pink or salmon-coloured, corresponding absolutely 

 to the Hyporhodii of Fries ; the Ochrosporae, in which the 

 spores are ochraceous, tawny, or some tint of bight brown ; and 

 the Melanosporae, in which the spores appear to be black but 

 in reality are dark brown, purple brown, or black, and thus 

 combining the attributes of the Pratellae with the Coprinarii 

 of Fries. Of all these groups the first and largest is the 

 Zeucosporae, containing upwards of 3000 species, or more than 

 half of the whole Agaricineae, which numbers about 5245 

 species. These are represented by thirty-two genera, and these 

 latter arrange themselves in two groups or subdivisions — the 

 larger, or Haplophyllae, with the edge of the gills entire, and 

 the Schizophyllae, in which the edge of the gills is split or 

 appendiculate. The latter is a very small series, consisting of 

 four genera but numbering in all not more than fifteen species. 

 Hence, then, the Haplophyllae are the only series which require 

 any special notice in this place ; and these are subdivided once 

 more into two subsections, in which the chief distinction con- 

 sists of the texture of the substance. In the first, or Molles, 

 the substance is more or less fleshy, and putrescent, not reviving 

 after desiccation. In the second, or Tenaces, the substance is 

 tough and persistent, reviving after being dried. These are 

 useful distinctions to be borne in mind, and will soon 

 commend themselves to the practical Fungus - hunter. The 



