HALLUS IMPUDICUS. 



s 



TINKING 



Mo 



relL 



PHALLUS Lin. Gen. PL Cryptogamia Fungt; 



Fungus fupra feticulatus, fubtus lasvls; 

 Rail Syn. Gen. i. Fungi 

 PHALLUS impudkus volvatus ftipitatiis, piieo celluldfo. Lin; SyJ. Vegetal, p. 822. Speb. Plant 1648; 



FL Suec. n. 1261. 

 PHALLUS Impudkus-, Scopoli FL Cam. ».1605. 

 FUNGUS fcetidus, penis imaginem refereris. C. B. pin. 374. 



PHALLUS Hollandkus Park 1322. Rail. Syn. p. 12. Hud/on. FL Angl. ed. 2: p. 629. Light foot. EL Scot. 



p. 1044. &• F)un. t. 175. Schaffer Icon. Fung. t. 196. 197. 198. 



RADJX fibrofa, fibris majufculis, teretibus, albis, 

 paulo infra terrain repentibus, quibus hie 

 illic accrefcunt globuli albi, qui juftam mag- 

 nitudinem acquifiti; fupfa terram eminent et 

 Volvae dicuntur. fig. 1.2. 



VOLVA fubrotunda, bail paululum conipfefta, laevis, 

 magnitudine pilae palmariae, alba, pOnderofa, 

 tunica fatis crafla exterius tecta, cui proxime 

 fubeft gelatina quaedam pellucida, flavo-fufca. 



fig* 3- 5* 



STIPES r difrupta volva, exfurgit ftipes, craftitie pbh- 

 licis, palmaris et ultra, paululum curvatus, 

 teres, albus, levis, fpongiofus, fiftulofus, utrin- 

 que acuminatus. fig. 6. 



PILEUS fubconicus, ftipiti laxe infidens, primo lasvis, 

 folidus, olivaceus, lubricus, mox fcetidiffimus, 

 cellulis materie feminifera externe pofita 

 adhuc repletis, qua diffluente aut mufcis ex- 

 fucta, fuperficies externa cellulofa apparet, 

 interna parum rugofa, vertice truncato, albif- 

 fimo, oblongo, pervio, fig. 4. 7. 8. 



ROOTS fibrous, the fibres large, round, white, creep- 

 ing a little under the furface of the earth, to 

 which grow here and there white globules or 

 tubercles, which when full grown project 

 above the furface of the earth and are called 

 Volvse or Eggs. fig. 1. i, 



EGGS roimdifh, a little flattened at the bafe, fmooth» 

 the fize Of a tennis ball, white, heavy, covered 

 with an outer coat of a moderate thicknefs, 

 immediately under which lies a thick mafs 

 of tranfparent jelly 1 of a yellowiftl browri 

 . colour.^-. 3. 5. 



STALK : on the burfting of the egg the ftalk rifes up; 

 and is about the thicknefs of the thumb, 

 four inches and more in height, a little crook- 

 ed, round; white, fpongy, hollow, very light 

 and pointed at both ends. fig. 6. 



CAP* fomewhat conical,» fitting loofely on the ftalk, at 

 firft fmooth, folid, of an olive colour, and 

 flippery, foon becoming highly fetid, the 

 cells being as yet filled with the matter con- 

 taining the feed, which flowing out or being 

 eaten by flies, the outer furface appears cel- 

 lular* the inner a little wrinkled, the top as 

 if cut off, very white oblong and open. 

 fig. 4. 7 .8. 



IN the months of Auguft, September, and October this lingular Phenomenon of the Fungus tribe makes its ap- 

 pearance in Woods* Hedgerows, and Hedges, infome places abundantly, in others rarely, near London it has beeri 

 found in Coombwood*, and Norwood, but more plentifully in a fmall fir wood near the Spaniard Hampfle'ad-heath, 

 before remarked for producing the Hydnum aurifcalpium; in this wood on the 24th of September 1780 I difcovered 

 near a dozen growing within a fmall fpace of each other, fome were full grown, others in their egg ftate, riferi 

 about halfway out of the ground* and when taken up appearing like fo many fmall tennis balls, vid. figi 2 ; 

 feveral of thefe I carefully carried home, one which was in its greateft perfection my draughtfman for the fake of 

 more conveniently drawing took with him to the Spaniard '(a place of entertainment on the fpOf,) but the fetof 

 arifing from it quickly pervading every part of the houfe and rendering it intolerable we were obliged to get 

 rid of it. 



On perpendicularly dividing with a fhafp knife olie of thofe I had taken home, I was not more ftriick with the 

 beautiful appearance which the furface of each half exhibited, than the thick mafs of pure, tranfparent jelly, of 

 a brownifh yellow colour, depofited betwixt two membranes, immediately under the outer furface, and which 

 enveloped the fungus as yet in embryo, vid. fig. 3. 



On examining my Fungi in their egg (rate the next morning, 1 had the fatisfacTton to obferve that in one of them'j 

 the cap of the fungus had juft broke through its integuments, and was pufhing itfelf up through the jelly, I 

 thought this a proper opportunity of obfervinghow quick it was in its growth, and found that from the time at 

 its breaking through the outer fkin (half paft eight o'clock) to the time that it acquired its full height a fpace 

 intervened of about five hours, in which time it had grown three inches and three quartets ; an inftance of the 

 quicknefs of vegetation fcarce credible, and perhaps not to be equalled by any other plant. 



The Cap on its firft coming forth, being covered with the jelly through which it had parted? and being alfo of 

 a light olive colour but perfectly opake not unaptly refembled a lump of bird-lime. vid. fig. 4 ; this appearance it 

 retained 'till eleven o'clock, when in fome parts it became of a darker colour, at half paft twelve, the whole 

 outer furface of the cap was changed to a very dark olive, it now began to fmell very offenfively, flies came into 

 the room and fettled on it* a little paft one, it began to diflblve, and drop off, and the cells containing this fub- 

 ftance about the top of it began to be vifible. fig. 7 ; it was now placed out of doors when the Pileus was almoft 

 immediately covered with feveral fpecies of Flies moftly of the larger fort, who inftead of (ticking to and perifhing 

 on it as related by Gleditfch in about two hours left the cells perfectly empty vid. fig. 8. 



The difagreeable fmell arifing from the Phallus impudkus which alone is often fufficient to detect it, find from 

 which it has acquired in fome parts of the kingdom the name of Stink-horns has ufually been compared to Car- 

 rion, and generally confidered as the effects of its putrefaction to me the fmell appears to be altogether Jul 



generis, and not to arife from putrefaction* at leaft a general putrefaction of the plant it firft arifes from the 



fubftance lodged in the cells on the out-fide of the pileus, which conftitute the generic character of the Phallus^ 

 and with which the feeds of this plant are doubtlefs incorporated* as foon as this fubftance begins to liquefy, 

 the effluvia is perceptible, at this time every other part of the plant is perfectly fweet, not excepting the 



jelly which it muft be allowed afterwards acquires a difagreeable odour, apparently from its putrefaction - 



the Flies allured by the effluvia from the pileus, do not fettle on it, to depofit their eggs as on the Stapelid 

 ficetida^ or putrid meat, but merely to feed on it, and which they appear to do moft delicioufly ; fcarcely ever 

 fuffenng a drop of the liquid to fall on the ground, whence this fpecies would foon become extinct, had not 

 provident nature fupplied it with a root which like the Potatoe throws out numerous oftsetts. 



This plant affords nouriftiment not only to various fpecies of flies, but alfo to Snails and Slugs who are ex- 

 tremely fond of its ftem. * 

 We may remark that the top of the cap has fometimes two perforation^ inftead of one its ufual number, 



