178 



INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF FUNGI 



filaments, which will ultimately constitute the asci, increase 

 and multiply. 1 



Starting with this idea of the general structure of the 

 discoid Fungi, it will scarcely be difficult at any time to dis- 

 tinguish the various genera and species from those of the 

 residue of ascomycetous Fungi. The latest revision of the 

 classification is that by Professor Saccardo, and he has enu- 

 merated altogether 3450 species, distributed over twelve 

 families and included under 190 genera. 



The most striking divergences from the cup-shaped type 

 are those of the pileate forms, in which, as in Morchdla (Fig. 721 

 the irregular cups are gregarious upo^7 

 common stroma; or in others ^fff^jf 

 pileate genera in which the hy^eni\un 

 is spread over the upper surface o£ 

 erect clubs, as in Geoglossumi or ex- 

 panded laminae, as in Helvetia. In 

 all these cases the fructifying surface 

 is superior and exposed, and the sporidia 

 are contained in membranaceous sacs 

 or asci, which latter are not enclosed 

 in closed perithecia. Many of them 

 Fig. 72.— Morchdla eseuienta. are large enough and succulent enough 

 to be employed as articles of food, and 

 we do not remember that any one species has been proved to 

 be poisonous, although doubts have been expressed of, the 

 wholesome character of one or two, and notably of GyrM^ra 

 eseuienta. 



The largest number inhabit the ground or floul 

 rotten wood, and by far the most part are confined to teffiTfl 

 climates, species found in tropical or subtropical regions 

 being chiefly those of a tough and leathery consistence. The 

 Morels, for instance, when they occur in India, are found at 

 considerable elevations on the Himalayas, where the climate 

 corresponds to that of temperate regions (Fig. 73). The analogues 

 of the fleshy Pezizae are found under the aspect of Cenangium, 

 Urnula, or Tympanis in warm climates ; whilst in Mexico and 



1 Tulasne, " On the Phenomena of Copulation in certain Fungi," Ann. des Sci. 

 Nat., 1866, p. 211. 



