INTRODUCTION TO CRyPTOGAMIC BOTANY. 355 



for instance, Tremella purpurea of Bulgaria sarcoides ; but 

 there really appears to be no good reason for the notion. That 

 Dacrymyces Urticce is a condition of Peziza Fusarioides, is 

 pretty well a,scertained, but then it is not a true Dacrymyces. 

 In Nwmetelia the nucleus of the stroma has a white calca- 

 reous appearance, totally different from the rest, and pecuharly 

 subject to the attacks of insects in the herbarium. The cal- 

 careous appearance does not, however, appear to arise from the 

 presence of crystallised matter, but from a compact structure 

 free from mucilage or jelly. 



384. The greater part of this group are inhabitants pecu- 

 liarly of temperate climates ; but Exidia is an exception, which 

 is abundant in all tropical climates ; and one of the species, 

 E. Auricula Judce, is a perfect cosmopolite. A few only 

 are so gelatinous as scarcely to admit of being well preserved 

 for the herbarium. Tremella occurs in the warmer parts of 

 North America, and is found in New Zealand. A species also 

 occurs in the Himalayas. Exidia Auricula Judce was once 

 a popular remedy for sore throats, probably from some fancied 

 resemblance of the hymenium to the fauces, and it is still 

 occasionally sold in Covent Garden. 



2. Clavaeiei, Fr. 



Receptacle clavate, fusiform, or variously branched ; very 

 rarely gelatinous, hymenium circumambient, covering the upper 

 part of the fungus, with or without a distinct barren stem. 



385. The stroma is here decidedly elongated, and in many 

 instances a stem is formed perfectly distinct from the hyme- 

 idum, and differing sometimes in character from the rest of the 

 plant. The form of the unbranched species is, in fact, the same 

 as was already anticipated in some of the Elvellaeei, as Mitrula 

 and Oeoglossum; but the structure of the hymenium is totally 

 different. This follows the surface of the receptacle, and is 

 generally without any decided inequality ; in Sparassis alone 

 the clavate form is obUterated, and we have the fohaceous or 

 puckered state of some of the higher Tremellw. Extension 

 of surface is, however, in many cases attained, and that to a con- 

 siderable degree, by ramification ; in consequence of which, and 

 of the great variety and beauty of colouring, the tribe contains 



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