310 
PHYSARUM. 
fpring on a common border, the plants will rife very well, 
and need no other care. 
PHYSA'RUM, J. in botany, a genus of Fungi in Per- 
foon’s Syn. 168, whofe fpecies are by fome writers referred 
either to Trichia or to Reticularia. Bulliard has defcribed 
fome of them under the name of Sphaerocarpus. Generic 
effential character—Peridium, or feed-cafe, rigid, fimple, 
moftly fomewhat rugged, and rather powdery ; threads 
internal, Icattered, moftly adhering like net-work to the 
cafe. There are feventeen fpecies, all fmall, found either 
on the trunks of trees, on the ground, or amongft tnofs. 
They are divided into two feftions, as there are five fpe¬ 
cies which may be called fertile, or adherent, having no 
vifible Hem. We (hall give figures of both kinds. 
I. Stemlefs. 
1. Phyfarumreticulatum: creeping,elongated, twilled; 
of an orange colour; with peridiafor the mod part branch¬ 
ing, the branches anaftomofing in a reticulated form. 
Some of the peridia are folitary, fprinkled, undivided; one 
or two lines in length, polymorphous, and bent in form 
of one of the letters O, C, or S. But there are many 
more perfectly figured, which, having grown to the length 
of half an inch or more, draw themfelves out in a variable 
direction: thefe fend out anaftomofing branches from 
different parts, which form a kind of web-like ftrufture. 
While they are uninjured, they are eafily miftaken for 
the Trichia reticulata. The outer bark of the peridium, 
or feed-cafe, is furrowed, of a bright orange colour, 
which towards the bafe gets paler. It is extremely 
brittle, divides longitudinally into two parts, which both 
open with a curved edge. The interior of the bark pre- 
fents a thin yellow membrane adhering to the outer 
circle, from which arife a number of threads of the fame 
yellow colour : thefe are clofely fet, and the interftices 
between them are filled with a copious dufky brown 
powder. The columella, or central pillar of the capfule, 
is abfent. This fungus is fimilar to the next in its colour, 
but diftinguiftied from it by differences in form, fituation, 
and internal ftrufture. We find a beautiful fpecies in 
heaps of dry leaves, in tnoift weather, during the months 
of June, July, and Auguft. Fig. 2. on the preceding 
Engraving, reprefents this ftemlels fpecies, front the natu¬ 
ral fize to a confiderable degree of magnitude. 
2. Phyfarum contextum : columella fometimes want¬ 
ing at the bafe, but often perfeft, and then of the fame 
form and colour as the peridium. This fungus grows on 
branches, barks, woods, and modes, loving moift fixa¬ 
tions. It derives nourifhment from the larger Mniis, on 
which it is found flourifhing during the furnmer, autumn, 
and beginning of winter. 
3. Phyfarum confluens (a), mufcigenum (#). The 
fecond variety differs from the firft in its ftature, for it is 
low, and in its place of growth. Albertini and Schewei- 
niz join them in one fpecies, however, becaufe they are 
fimilar in colour, in coalelcence of the peridia, and like- 
wife in the exiftence of dowmy villi. Were it not for 
thefe circumftances, they obferve that the opening of the 
feed-cafe would warrant its arrangement under the Trichia. 
Ph. confluens is foft, of a yellow' colour. The peridium 
(lightly depreffed, and varying in its form. Commonly 
there is no columella ; fometimes, however, we find it 
fmall, white, and filled with a powder of the fame colour. 
The leedduft is of a pale tawny colour. On modes, 
thorns, and broken ftalks, it creeps extenfively, in moift 
(hady fixations; and is found during fummer and au¬ 
tumn. 
4. Phyfarum bivalve: varies from a cinereous or footy 
colour, to white or pale olive; its margins are white. It 
varies alfo in its dimenfions : the largeft lpecimens fome¬ 
times reaching four lines in length, and two or three in 
height. This eccentric fpecies is found among the heaps 
of many kinds of rubbiih, in a moift fummer, during 
July and Auguft. 
5. Phyfarum cinereum: of this there are three varieties; 
«, globofum; | 3 , complanatum ; y, obovatum. The 
peridium (which on account of its fcaly outer furface, 
appears double) is tender and pellucid. Hence the pow¬ 
der (hining through, gives the cinereous hue; and, this 
being removed, the native white colour is feen. The 
firft variety inhabits the trunk and bark of the pine-tree 
in the autumn. The fecond on the leaves during fum¬ 
mer. The third grows in mar(hy meadows during Oc¬ 
tober. 
II. With a Stipes, or Stalk. 
6. Phyfarum hyalinum: «, albidum; ( 3 , chalybaeum. 
The firft variety, agreeing with the preceding in the 
colour of its powder and peridium, is however lefs fre¬ 
quent. The fecond differs in the azure hue of the larger 
peridii, which affutne fomewhat of the fplendour of fteel, 
in the yellow red colour of the ftipites, in the tawny 
blacknefs of the powder. It is found among the decay¬ 
ing wood of the poplar, towards the beginning of April. It 
is gregarious. 
7. Phyfarum mufcicola : peridium of the ufual fize, but 
differing in its form from the P. fquamulofum, and P. 
nutans, between which and the other fpecies it forms a 
connecting link : this part is minutely fcaly. This llipes 
is of a dirty red. It fpreads gregarioufly during Auguft 
and September. 
8. Phyfarum nutans: «, vulgare,/ 3 , fubtile. The pe¬ 
ridium firft fmooth, then wrinkled, afterwards fcaly. 
The ftipes white, but, as it thickens, of a brownifti hue. 
The firft fpreads commonly on fir-trees; the fecond grows 
on various forts of rubbiih, and often on roofs. 
9. Phyfarum fulphureum: with a globular, ereCl, 
wrinkled, fcaly, fulphur-coloured, peridium, and a (hort 
firm conical white ftipes. The ftature is (hort and thick. 
The ftipes has a thick bafe, which is gradually attenuated 
into the form of a cone; it equals and fometimes exceeds 
the length of the head of the fungus. The peridium is 
round, not umbilicated, wrinkled and fcaly, of a bright 
fulphur-colour ; the threads are of the fame colour, are 
thickly fet, and contain a tawny black powder : the co¬ 
lumella is abfent. It grows on deciduous leaves wafted 
by (howers, towards the beginning of Auguft. Fig. 3 
exhibits this as it appears naturally; at fig. 4, it is mag¬ 
nified, where b reprefents one of the heads broken, and 
the powder burfting out. 
10. Phyfarum viride differs from P. nutans only in the 
colour of the peridii. They are ufually found together, 
both in fummer and autumn. 
n. Phyfarum aureum. A beautiful fpecies, and very 
rare; flourifties in autumn. 
12. Phyfarum aurantium. This fpecies is found both 
fcattered and gregarious. The ftipes, covered with a yel- 
lowilh membrane, rifes equal or fuperior to the depth of 
the feed-cafe. It is ftriated or furrowed, decreafes gra¬ 
dually from the bafe upwards; fometimes ftifly erefted, 
fometimes balf-decumbent. The feed-cafe is not umbi¬ 
licated, and varies from a round to an oval form; and 
the cortex which is more or lefs wrinkled, thin, pellucid, 
and brittle, terminates in fcales, and is at, firft yellow, 
afterwards orange-coloured, and fometimes has a certain 
fteely brilliancy. The powder is of a dark tawny, inter¬ 
fered with yellow threads, by the union of which a nu¬ 
cleus is formed which gives origin to a kind of fpurious 
columella. It grows among the refufe of the garden from 
June to Auguft. 
13. Phyfarum columbinum: «, globofum; / 3 , obova¬ 
tum. In the firft variety, the peridium is middle-fized, 
perfectly round, violet-coloured, tinged with a fteely 
brightnefs, and wrinkled ; it flouri(hes in the fpring. 
The fecond variety differs by its oval form ; and is found 
during November in old draw roofs. 
14. Phyfarum fquamulofum; ftipes jniddle-fized, firm, 
red ; the back of the peridium breaking into thick fcales. 
Common on pines and fir-trees, during fummer, autumn, 
and winter. 
15. Phyfarum 
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