200 BRITISH EDIBLE FUNGI. 



twenty will form a tuft, and children in some places 

 call them " fairy candles." Much more attractive is 

 a densely tufted and branched species, which we 

 have always met with in woods, rising to three or 

 four inches in height, and of a beautiful amethystine 

 violet, hence it is called Clavaria amethystina. This 

 colour is not common amongst fungi, but there is a 

 variety of Agaricus laccatus which has a similar tint. 

 More imposing than all are well grown tufts of 

 Clavaria botrytes, sometimes forming a bunch as 

 large as a man's fist, with a very thick fleshy stem, as 

 much as one inch thick, which divides upwards into 

 innumerable branches, having the extreme tips 

 tinged with red, whilst the bulk of the fungus is of 

 a creamy white. This is a widely diffused fungus, 

 being found throughout Europe, into Asia, and is 

 not uncommon in Australia. If it were not for the 

 red tips it would resemble a cauliflower without the 

 green leaves, and is considered as good, if not better. 

 It would hardly avail much to give descriptions, in 

 writing, of all the edible species, since they would 

 be much more easily recognized from drawings, but 

 there is one other common white species which is 

 not unfrequent on hedge banks and grassy slopes. 

 A great number are found growing near each other, 

 but mostly singly, or one or two together. It is 

 peculiar from its irregular club shape and very short 

 wart-like branches and furrowed surface, which has 

 procured for it the name of Clavaria rugosa. It is 



