GARICUS OSTREATUS. 



AGARICU3 Lin. Gen. Pi. Cryi*togamia Fungi. 



Fungus horizontals, fubtus lamellofus. 



Rail Syn. Gen. i. Fungi. 



AGARICUS ojlreatus fubftipitatus, fafcicuiato-imbricatu's, pileo cinereo obovato, margine involuto,- 



lamellis albidis decurrentibus,' bafi fubanaitamofantibus. 



AGARIGUS ojlreatusi Jacquin. FI. Aujlr. t. 104. 



Menfibus Decembn et Januarii e tfuncis arborum pre- 

 fertim falicis nobifcum eXcrefcunt Fungi 

 icone annexa illuftrati ; plurimi plerumque 

 fimul erumpunt, imbricatim congefti, diu 

 irianerit et demum exficcantur.' 



STIPES ; etfi pileu's trunco arboris utplurimnrri bafi 

 fua adnectitur nihilominus hi quibufdam fpe- 

 ciminibus ftipes feu pars ftipitis magis lu- 

 ctrlenter apparet, lamellis decurrentibus tec- 

 ta. 



PILEUS magmtudine, et forma varius, ficut in icone, 

 in junioribus convexus, laevis, ihurmus, 

 cserulefcens, margine integro, involuto, in 

 fenefcentibus planiufculus feu parum conca- 

 vuSj> fufcu's, bafi m mferioribus tomento ni- 

 veoobdu6la; caro albiffima, crafl'a, fubdut- 

 cis. 



LAMELLA primum albas, demum ex rufo-cinerese, 

 plurimae, tenues, inaequales, a lineis duabus 

 ad fex lata?, decurrentes, bafi anaftornofantes,: 

 exfuceas. 



In the months of December and January the Fungi 

 illuftrated by the annexed figure, grow with 

 us principally out of the trunks of willow 

 trees.; they ufually come forth in clutters' 

 heap'd one on another, remain a confiderable 

 time and finally wither, 



STALK i although the cap is for the moft part con- 

 nected to' the trunk of the tree by its bafe, 

 yet in fome fpecimens the ftalk or part of a 

 ftalk more evidently appears, cover'd with the 

 gills which run down it. 



CAP variable both in fixe and fhape as is reprefented 

 on the plate, in the young ones convex, 

 fmooth, moufe coloured, blueifh, the edge 

 fntire, rolled in ;■ in the older ones flattifh, 

 or a little hollow, and brown; the bafe in the 

 lower ones cover'd with a white kind of 

 down ; ffelh- very white, thick, and fweetifh 

 to the tafte. 



GILLS at firft white, afterwards of a reddifh a(h co- 

 lour, numerous, thin, unequal, from two 

 lines to fix in breadth, decurrent, uniting fo 

 as to form a kind of network at bottom, 

 juieelefs. 



Confidering the fize and fingularity of this Mufhroom, and that is by no means uncommon,- it is matter 

 of furprize that it fhould have efcaped the notice of our Englifh Botanifts ; one reafon perhaps may be afligned, 

 viz. that it makes its appearance later in the feafon than mod others ( in December and January when the wea- 

 ther has been mild I have found it on the bodies of the old Willow Trees, in the neighbourhood of Saint Georges- 

 Fields ; Mr. Dickson has obferved it on the Elm, in Saint James's-Park, and Jacobin from whom we bor- 

 row the name of oJlreatus 3 defcribes it as growing out of the Walnut. 



As this fpecies and another with a footy ftalk which we propofe hereafter to figure, are almoft the only ones 

 that are found on trees fo late in" the year, it cannot eafily be mistaken, tho' like moft of the family it is given to fport; 

 in general it grows in clufters of three, fix, or more of different fizes, placed one over another, bearing a dif- 

 tant refemblance to oyfters, when young and perfect they are of a moufe colour with a bloom on them like 

 that of a plum, the edge is rolled in, the gills are white, decurrent, and beautifully anaftamofe at bottom, but 

 it is not in every ipecimeii that this diftinguifhirig character is obfervable, as it grows old the pileus turns up (vid. 

 uppermoft fig. on the plate) the gills become of a brownifh colour, and frequently much waved, and the whole 

 withers on the tree, the two lowermoft figures on the plate reprefent the Fungus in its young ftate and (hew 

 both fides. 



To the fmell it is flightly fragrant, to the tafte mild, but in chewing tough. 



