40 
THE LARGER FI'XGI 
The Classification of the Higher Fungi. 
The fungi dealt with in this Handbook are divided into two great; groups 
depending on whether the spores are borne on the outside of a special cell called 
the baskl iu m or are contained within a sac-lilce cell known as the asms. The 
former constitute the Basidiomycetae. and in the majority of the species the 
number of spores attached to each basidium is four, and the attachment of each 
is by a delicate thread-like structure the sterigmu. The latter form the 
Ascomycetac. and here ihe number of spores contained in each ascus is frequently 
eight. It is obvious that a microscopic examination is necessary to determine 
definitely whether a particular species belongs to the Basidiomycetae or the 
Ascomycetac. The outward form, however, is nearly always distinctive so that, 
any one possessing a reasonable acquaintance with the genera can at once recog- 
nise to which of the two a particular species belongs. Tims most- of the large 
fleshy fungi wit'll a cap and a stem belong to the Basidiomycetae, and we can 
relegate them with certainty to this division if the spore-beuriug surface consists 
of gills or pores or teeth. Very few of the Asconiycetes have what might be 
called a cap and a stem and these, for example MorohrUa and Leotia, having 
nothing resembling gills, pores, or teeth. 
In the more recent classification adopted by Rea in his “British Basidiomy- 
cetae,’’ this large group are primarily divided into two main divisions, the 
Homobasidiae and the Heterobasidiae. In the former the basidium is an 
undivided usually club-shaped body and the spores in germination give rise to a 
mycelium which reproduces the sporophore. In the Heterobasidiae the basidia 
are divided transversely, longitudinally or vertically or are sometimes continuous, 
but the spores in germinating give rise to secondary spores (sporidiola) and 
from these the fruit -bodies are developed. 
The Homobasidiae are divided into the parasitic forms, the Exobasidiineac, 
and the saprophytic forms, the Eu-Homobasidiineae. The former, parasitic on 
living leaves, &c., and producing galls thereon, will hot be dealt with in this 
Handbook — -in fact, no species are recorded for the State. The latter are divided 
into three orders, tire Gasteromycetales, the Agaricales, and the Aphyllophorales. 
In the Gasteromycetales, the hymenium or spore-bearing part is enclosed at 
maturity in a peridium or covering which finally ruptures or disintegrates and 
only then can the spores escape. Well-known examples are the puff-balls 
(Lycoperdon) and earth-stars (Gt-aster). In the Agaricales the hymenium is at 
first protected by a veil, but at maturity it, is fully exposed. This protection in 
the early stage is strikingly shown in the common mushroom (Psattiota campestris) . 
In some agarics it may be necessary to examine the fruiting body in a very early 
stage of its development to see the veil-like covering of the gills which soon 
disappears. In the Aphyllophorales, the spore-bearing surface is exposed from 
the first. Examples of this Order are t lie woody bracket-fungi. 
la the older classification, the Basidiomycetae were divided into the 
ltymenomycetae, in which the spores were freely exposed at maturity, and into 
tlie (kisteromycetae in which they were enclosed. The B-gmenomycetae were then 
divided according as to whether the hymenium was spread over gills, or lined 
tubes, or covered spines, etc. Ail the genera in which the hymenium lined tubes 
were comprised in the Polyporaeeae, including thus the soft fleshy Boleti and 
the woody or firm Polypori under one heading. The newer classification adopted 
by Rea places the Boleti near under the Agaricales and the other pore-bearing 
genera under Aphyllosphorales, inferring that the resemblance, in the shape of 
pores, is an example of convergence and is not an indication of close kinship. 
Again, in the old classification the agarics proper were divided primarily 
according to the colour of the spores into white, pinkish or salmon-coloured, green, 
brown, purplish or porphyry -tin ted, and black or blackish spored genera, the last 
two colour-groups being often combined into one. Then the genera under each 
of these subdivisions were differentiated according as to whether the stem was 
readily separated, was “free,’’ from the liymonophore or cap, or was continuous 
with it, and if the latter condition was present whether the flesh of the stem was 
or was not of the same texture with that of the cap. The presence or not of a 
sheath (volva) at the base of the stem or (and) ring (annulus) higher up on 
the stem, die method of attachment of the gills to the stem, the position of the 
stem as regards the cap (central, extent rie, lateral, or even with the stem absent 
altogether) and other morphological features of importance all served the purnose 
