PHALLUS. 
50 
Kent. It has been obferved at Stone, Swanfcomb, &c. in 
that county; at Boughton, Walcot, Weekly, See. in Nor- 
thamptonfliire; near Afply and Outhorp in Nottingbam- 
(h ire: in Scotland, at Blair in Athol, in the woods at 
Langholm in Elkdale, ar.d in Logton wood near Dal¬ 
keith, See. 
According to Mr. Sowerby, in his elaborate work on 
Englilh Fungi, the morel belongs much more properly to 
the genus Helvella, if we confider its texture, duration, 
and qualities. It is well known and much efteemed as 
an ingredient in gravies and ragouts, both recent and 
dried; for this purpofe it may be kept many months, or 
even years. We are informed by Gleditfch, that morels 
are obferved to grow in the woods of Germany in the 
greateft plenty where charcoal has been made. Hence 
the people who collefted them to fell, made fires in the 
woods, with heath, broom, See. to obtain a more plentiful 
crop. Much mifehief having been done by this praftice, 
it was found neceffary to forbid it by law. Some fpecies 
refembling this poffefs a keen poifon within themfelves, 
and have often been miftaken for this. The real eatable 
morel is therefore reprefented on the preceding Engraving 
at fig. 2. and a fedlion of it at fig. 3. 
2. Phallus impudicus, or flunking morel: pileus, or 
cap, cellular above, even underneath, not united to the 
flem ; ftem perforating the pileus, and open at the end. 
Roots fibrous ; fibres large, round, white, creeping a little 
tinder the furface,with white globules or tuberclesgrowing 
to them here and there,which when full grown projeft above 
ground; and appear in the form of eggs, a little flattened 
at the bafe, fmooth, the fize of a tennis-ball, white, and 
heavy. On the burfting of this, the ftalk rifes up, and is 
about the thicknefs of the thumb, four inches and more 
in height, a little crooked, round, white, fpongy, hollow, 
very light, and pointed at both ends. Cap fomewhat co¬ 
nical, fitting loofely on the ftalk; at firft fmooth, folid, 
olive-coloured, flippery ; foon becoming highly fetid, the 
cells being as yfet filled with the matter containing the 
feed, which flowing out or being eaten by flies, the outer 
furface appears cellular, the inner a little wrinkled, the 
top as if cut off, very white, oblong and open. 
Though this fungus is fo intolerably fetid, yet in its 
egg-ftate it has no offenfive fmell : the odour refides in 
the green matter which fills the cells of the cap, and is 
commonly very foon devoured by flies, particularly the 
large blue flelh-fly. It remains many days in the egg- 
ftate before it burfts through its wrapper; but, this being 
done, the ftem pulhes up with amazing rapidity, attaining 
the height of four or five inches in a few hours. This 
offenfive green matter contains the feeds, which may be 
feen by the afliftance of a good microfcope. Such as have 
courage to fmell this matter clofely, will find it mueh lefs 
difagreeable than at a diftance ; for it then feems to have 
a flight pungency like that of volatile falts. The wrapper 
is filled with a clear jelly, like the white of an egg, but 
ftiffer; within this is found the green matter, and" within 
that the young plant. When it lhoots up, the wrapper 
and the clear jelly remain at the root. The difagreeable 
carrion-like fmell of this fungus has occafioned it to be 
called Jliuh-horn in fome counties. It nouriflies not only 
feveral fpecies of flies, but alfo fnails and flugs, who are 
extremely fond of the flem. 
In Auguft, September, and Odlober, the (linking morel 
appears in woods and hedge-rows, in fome places abun¬ 
dantly, in others rarely i near London it has been found 
(about Hackney,) in Coombwood, Norwood (and in the 
clofes about Streatham), but more plentifully in a finail 
fir-wood on Hampftead-heath. Mr. Woodward found it 
frequent near Bungay in Suffolk, in fandy fituations ; 
Dr. Sibthorp in Kingllon woods, Oxfordlhire ; Morton at 
Thorp-Malior in Northampton(hire; the Rev. Charles 
Abbot at Silfoe and Market-ftreet in Bedfordftiire; Ray 
at Middleton, in Mr. Willoughby’s orchard, Nottingham- 
fliire; Sibbald in the woods at Blair in Athol, and in the 
fands by the fea-fide on both fides of the Forth, and at 
Carubber-bank, in Scotland. This is ftiown, of the full 
natural fize, at fig. 4. and a ftnaller variety, exhibiting the 
root, and alfo the green matter fpread over the cap, at fig. 
5. a feftion,.diftinguifhing the different layers, according 
to the defeription, from the Zoologia Danica, at fig. 6. 
3. Phallus caninus, or red-headed morel: pileus, or 
cap, wrinkled, red, covered with a greeniflt matter, conical, 
clofed at the end; ftem yellow, tapering at the bottom. 
Volva the fize of a nutmeg, of an oblong ovate fhape, 
white, fmooth, gelatinous within, the inner coat cut off 
at top. Stalk beyond the volva, an inch and a half or two 
inches in length, the fize of a large goofe-quill, round, 
filiform, terminating in a point at bottom, cellular, fome¬ 
what tranfparent, of a pale orange-colour, hollow within, 
foon becoming flaccid. Head fitting on the ftem, feffile, 
about half an inch in length, and of the fame diameter 
with the ftem ; oblong, a little pointed, impervious, and 
whitilh at top, at firft of a livid colour, and covered with 
a very thin ftiining membrane, under which is a final! 
quantity of a greenifh liquid, almoft without feent 5 which 
being removed, the furface of the head appears of a red 
colour, and tranfverfely wrinkled, but by no means cellu¬ 
lar, as in the (linking morel. Mr. Ehret, the celebrated 
botanic painter, in company with Mr. More, firft difeo- 
vered this fungus in woods and fhady places near Shrewf- 
bury. Mr. Hunter, gardener to the earl of Mansfield, 
found it fparingly in Caen-wood, and communicated it to 
Mr. Dickfon. The Rev. Charles Abbot alfo found it 
about Siloe in Bedfordftiire. It differs from Ph. impudi¬ 
cus, in having no pileus properly fpeaking, but the part 
on the outfide of which the feminal matter is lodged forms 
a head, which is only a continuation of the ftalk, differ¬ 
ing in its ftrudlure and colour : this head has a wrinkled, 
not a reticulated, furface, within thefe wrinkles, which 
are not very deep, the feminal matter is contained, and 
covered by a very thin membrane. The ftrudture of the 
head in this fpecies by no means agrees with Linnaeus’s 
generic character of Phallus. 
4. Phallus cancellatus, or latticed morel: ftalk cylin¬ 
drical, even ; head reticulated, impervious. Native of 
Sweden, in barren moffy ground, as well as of mountains 
in Tufcany, having been found by Tozzi, who fent a 
figure of it to Petiver, in woods about the celebrated mo- 
nailery of Valombrofa. Its feent is reported to be agree¬ 
able, and like fome of the Orchis tribe. 
5. Phallus indufiatus, or veiled (link-horn : ftalk round, 
cellular, with a net-like veil; head roundilh, reticulated, 
pervious. The plant which Ventenat deferibes was found 
abundantly in the French fettlements at Guiana, by Vail- 
lant, father of the romantic African traveller, in the year 
1755. The ftalk is fix inches high, milk-white, tubular, 
its furface covered with blifters, which at length burft, 
and become cells. Head bell-ftiaped, conne&ed only at 
the top, reticulated, or like a honey-comb, of a deep 
blue, the elevated reticulations white. From the lower 
margin of the head hangs down an ample very tender net- 
like veil, at firft white, then reddifli, gradually expanded, 
and finally reaching to the ground, which is the greateft 
peculiarity of this fpecies. Rumphius’s Amboyna-plant 
does not appear to us fpecifically different; but he attri¬ 
butes to it a very intolerable feent, which Vaillant did 
not obferve, and fpeaks of it as held in abhorrence by the 
Malays, who ingenioufly imagine this fungus to fpring 
from the urine of demons. Dr. Buchanan found in Upper 
Nepaul, in Auguft, a fingle fpecimen which anfwers to the 
above defeription, but which decayed before he could 
have it delineated. In this, the head was livid, the veil 
of a pale ftraw-colour; but probably thefe parts may un¬ 
dergo changes in this refpedt during their rapid growth. 
6. Phallus Mokufin, or Chinefe ftink-horn : ftalk with 
five angles ; head acute, in five deep cohering fegments. 
Grows on the old decaying roots of mulberry-trees in 
China. Father Cibot, one of the miflionaries, obferved it 
about Pekin, and fent a full account, with excellent draw¬ 
ings of the plant, to the Academy of Peterlburg. Its 
growth 
