GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 33* 



The following are recent estimates of the number of Gastro- 

 mycetes in the countries of "Western Europe: — Britain, 78; 

 France, 85; Belgium, 31; Netherlands, 39; Scandinavia, 

 50. Also in the middle and south — Germany, 75 ; Italy, 80 ; 

 and Austro-Hungary, 40. The Hypodermei follow mostly the 

 distribution of the host-plants, as they are all parasitical, and 

 the greater portion inhabit a temperate zone. Estimating the 

 Uredines at about 1430 species, their chief home is in Europe 

 and North America, but follow their host-plants, when those are 

 cultivated, wherever they go. Of these, about 370 are exclu- 

 sively subtropical, or nearly one-fourth of the whole ; the 

 residue may be assumed to belong to the temperate or warm 

 temperate zone. The Ustilagines, about 330 species, have a 

 similar distribution. Bunt, Tilletia caries, and smut, UstUago 

 segetum, have followed the wheat and oat plant to Australia, 

 as well as has Puccinia graminis, and in some cases cause 

 more mischief than in their original home. 



We pass now to the Ascomycetes, of which the principal 

 features of structure have already been given, but we do not 

 intend to attempt any elaborate account of their distribution. 

 The really fleshy species are for the most part in the Disco- 

 mycetes, and we may repeat that the fleshy species, such as 

 Morchella, Helvella, and the old genus Peziza, are exclusively, 

 or nearly so, inhabitants of temperate regions. The species of 

 Morchella found in the north of India are from temperate 

 elevations, and always of small size. The Trichoscyphae are 

 almost the only Pezizae of hot climates, and they are of a 

 peculiar tough substance. The finest species of fleshy Pezizae 

 are to be found in the North of Europe and America. The 

 tree-morels, or Cyttariae, are confined to the temperate zone of 

 the southern hemisphere. Out of a total of 3800 species, 

 about two- thirds are soft and fleshy ; whilst the residue are 

 fleshy when moist, or have a fleshy disc. If we accept 

 Ceylon as an example of a tropical climate, we shall discover 

 that with its 700 species of Hymenomycetal Fungi, the same 

 list contains but 50 Discomycetes. If we separate the 

 strictly fleshy species of Cyttariaceae, Helvellaceae, Pezizaceae, 

 and Ascobolaceae from the rest, we shall have 2390 species, 

 of which no less than 2076 are to be found in Europe and 



