CHAP. III. 
FUNGI. 
233 
elastic, transversely undulated filaments. The scales are 
composed of radiating hollow tubes, partly filled with 
minute coloured granules, which freely escape when the 
tubes are injured: their nature is wholly unknown, and, 
I believe, hitherto unnoticed. 
15. Coniocysta; tubercle-like closed apothecia, containing a 
mass of sporules. 
9. Fungi, 
The structure of these plants is yet more simple than that 
of Algae, consisting of little besides cellular tissue, among 
which sporules lie scattered. Some, of the lowest degree of 
developement, are composed only of a few cellules, of which 
one is larger than the rest, and contains the sporules ; others 
are more highly compounded, consisting of myriads of cellules, 
with the sporules lying in cases, or asci. Notwithstanding the 
extreme simplicity of these plants, writers upon fungi have 
contrived to multiply the terms relating to them in a remark- 
able manner. The following are all with which I am ac- 
quainted : — 
1. The pileus, or cap, is the uppermost part of the plant of 
an Agaric us, and resembles an umbrella in form. 
2. The stipes, is the stalk that supports the pileus. 
3. The volva, or wrapper, is the involucrum-like base of the 
stipes of Agaricus. It originally was a bag enveloping 
the whole plant, and was left at the foot of the stipes 
when the plant elongated and burst through it. 
4. The velum, or veil, is a horizontal membrane, connecting 
the margin of the pileus with the stipes : when it is 
adnate with the surface of the pileus, it is a velum 
universale ; when it extends only from the margin of the 
pileus to the stipes, it is a velum partiale, 
5. The annulus, is that part of the veil which remains next 
the stipes, which it surrounds like a loose collar. 
6. Cortina, is a name given to a portion of the velum which 
adheres to the margin of the pileus in fragments. 
7. The hymenium, is the part in which the sporules imme* 
diately lie ; in Agaricus, it consists of parallel plates, 
called lamellce, or gills ; these are adnate with the stipes, 
