Fungi: Their Nature and Uses

Part 1

THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SERIES.

VOLUME XV.

THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SERIES.

Works already Published.

I. THE FORMS OF WATER IN RAIN AND RIVERS, ICE AND GLACIERS. By J. Tyndall, LL.D., F.R.S. With 26 Illustrations. Price, $1.50.

II. PHYSICS AND POLITICS; or, Thoughts on the Application of the Principles of "Natural Selection" and "Inheritance" to Political Society. By Walter Bagehot. Price, $1.50.

III. FOODS. By Dr. Edward Smith. Illustrated. Price, $1.75.

IV. MIND AND BODY: the Theories of their Relations. By Alexander Bain, LL.D. Price, $1.50.

V. THE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY. By Herbert Spencer. Price, $1.50.

VI. THE NEW CHEMISTRY. By Professor Josiah P. Cooke, of Harvard University. Illustrated. Price, $2.00.

VII. ON THE CONSERVATION OF ENERGY. By Professor Balfour Stewart. Fourteen Engravings. Price, $1.50.

VIII. ANIMAL LOCOMOTION; or, Walking, Swimming, and Flying. By Dr. J. B. Pettigrew, M.D., F.R.S. 119 Illustrations. Price, $1.75.

IX. RESPONSIBILITY IN MENTAL DISEASE. By Dr. Henry Maudsley. Price, $1.50.

X. THE SCIENCE OF LAW. By Professor Sheldon Amos. Price, $1.75.

XI. ANIMAL MECHANISM; or, Aërial and Terrestrial Locomotion. By C. J. Marey, Professor of the College of France, Member of the Academy of Medicine, Paris. 117 Engravings. Price, $1.75.

XII. HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN RELIGION AND SCIENCE. By John W. Draper, M.D., LL.D. Price, $1.75.

XIII. THE DOCTRINE OF DESCENT AND DARWINISM. By Oscar Schmidt, Professor in the University of Strasburg. Price, $1.50.

XIV. THE CHEMISTRY OF LIGHT AND PHOTOGRAPHY; in its Application to Art, Science, and Industry. By Dr. Hermann Vogel. One Hundred Illustrations. (In press.)

XV. FUNGI; their Nature, Influence, and Uses. By M. C. Cooke, M.A., LL.D. Edited by Rev. M. J. Berkeley, M.A., F.L.S. With 109 Illustrations. (In press.)

XVI. OPTICS. By Professor Lommel, University of Erlangen. (In press.)

THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC SERIES.

FUNGI:

THEIR

NATURE AND USES.

BY M. C. COOKE, M.A., LL.D.

EDITED BY THE REV. M. J. BERKELEY, M.A., F.L.S.

NEW YORK: D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 549 AND 551 BROADWAY. 1875.

PREFACE BY THE EDITOR.

Part 2

As my name appears on the title-page of this volume, it is necessary that I should exactly state what part I had in its preparation. I had no doubt originally engaged to undertake the work myself; but finding, from multiplicity of engagements and my uncertain health, that I could not accomplish it satisfactorily, I thought the best course I could take was to recommend Mr. Cooke to the publishers; a gentleman well known, not only in this country, but in the United States. The whole of the work has therefore been prepared by himself, the manuscript and proof sheets being submitted to me from time to time, in which I merely suggested such additions as seemed needful, subjoining occasionally a few notes. As the work is intended for students, the author has had no hesitation in repeating what has been stated in former chapters where it has been thought to prove useful. I have no doubt that the same high character will justly apply to this as to Mr. Cooke's former publications, and especially to his "Handbook of British Fungi."

M. J. BERKELEY.

SIBBERTOFT,

November 23, 1874.

CONTENTS.

PAGE I. NATURE OF FUNGI. 1 II. STRUCTURE. 17 III CLASSIFICATION 64 IV. USES. 82 V. NOTABLE PHENOMENA. 105 VI. THE SPORE AND ITS DISSEMINATION. 119 VII. GERMINATION AND GROWTH. 137 VIII. SEXUAL REPRODUCTION. 163 IX. POLYMORPHISM. 182 X. INFLUENCES AND EFFECTS. 209 XI. HABITATS. 233 XII. CULTIVATION. 253 XIII. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 266 XIV. COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION. 287 INDEX. 295

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG. PAGE 1. Agaric in Process of Growth. 17 2. Section of Common Mushroom. 21 3. Sterile cells, Basidia, Cystidium, from Gomphidius. 21 4. Polyporus giganteus (reduced). 23 5. Hydnum repandum. 24 6. Calocera viscosa. 24 7. Tremella mesenterica. 24 8. Basidia and spores of Phallus. 28 9. Basidia and spores of Lycoperdon. 29 10. Threads of Trichia. 31 11. Arcyria incarnata, with portion of threads and spore. 33 12. Diachæa elegans. 34 13. Cyathus vernicosus. 34 14. Cyathus, Sporangia and spores. 35 15. Asterosporium Hoffmanni. 36 16. Barren Cysts and Pseudospores of Lecythea. 36 17. Coleosporium Tussilaginis. 36 18. Melampsora salicina, pseudospores of 36 19. Cystopus candidus, conidia of 38 20. Xenodochus carbonarius, pseudospore. 38 21. Phragmidium bulbosum, pseudospores. 38 22. Pseudospores of Puccinia. 40 23. Thecaphora hyalina, pseudospores. 41 24. Æcidium Berberidis, peridia of 41 25. Helminthosporium molle, threads and spores. 42 26. Acrothecium simplex. 44 27. Peronospora Arenariæ. 44 28. Polyactis cinerea. 47 29. Peziza Fuckeliana, with ascus and sporidia. 47 30. Penicillium chartarum. 50 31. Mucor mucedo, with sporangia. 50 32. Small portion of Botrytis Jonesii. 54 33. Section of cup of Ascobolus. 57 34. Asci, sporidia, and paraphyses of Ascobolus. 59 35. Perithecium of Sphæria. 61 36. Uncinula adunca, conceptacle with appendages. 62 37. Agaricus nudus. 66 38. Scleroderma vulgare, Fr. 69 39. Ceuthospora phacidioides. 69 40. Rhopalomyces candidus. 74 41. Mucor caninus. 75 42. Sphæria aquila, cluster of perithecia. 78 43. Morchella gigaspora, from Kashmir. 99 44. Cyttaria Gunnii 101 45. Spores of Agarics 121 46. Spores of Lactarius 121 46a. Spores of Gomphidius 122 47. Spores of Polyporus, Boletus, and Hydnum. 122 48. Diachea elegans, capellitium of 123 49. Spore of Hendersonia polycystis. 126 50. Spores of Dilophospora graminis. 126 51. Spores of Discosia. 126 52. Spore of Prosthemium betulinum. 126 53. Spore of Stegonosporium cellulosum. 126 54. Stylospores of Coryneum disciforme. 126 55. Spores of Asterosporium Hoffmanni. 126 56. Spores of Pestalozzia. 126 57. Bispora monilioides, concatenate spores 126 58. Pseudospores of Thecaphora hyalina. 128 59. Pseudospores of Puccinia. 128 60. Pseudospores of Triphragmium. 128 61. Pseudospores of Phragmidium bulbosum. 128 62. Winter spores of Melampsora salicina. 128 63. Spores of Helicocoryne. 129 64. Sporidium of Genea verrucosa. 130 65. Alveolate sporidium of Tuber. 130 66. Asci, sporidia, and paraphyses of Ascobolus. 131 67. Sporidium of Ostreichnion Americanum. 132 68. Ascus and sporidia of Hypocrea. 135 69. Sporidium of Sphæria ulnaspora. 135 70. Sporidia of Valsa profusa. 135 71. Sporidia of Massaria foedans. 135 72. Sporidium of Melanconis bicornis. 135 73. Caudate sporidia of Sphæria fimiseda. 135 74. Sporidia of Valsa thelebola. 135 75. Sporidia of Valsa taleola. 135 76. Sporidium of Sporormia intermedia. 135 77. Asci and sporidia of Sphæria (Pleospora) herbarum. 135 78. Sporidium of Sphæria putaminum. 135 79. Basidia and spores of Exidia spiculosa. 139 80. Germinating spore and corpuscles of Dacrymyces. 140 81. Germination of Æcidium Euphorbia. 142 82. Germinating pseudospores of Coleosporium Sonchi. 144 83. Germinating pseudospore of Melampsora betulina. 144 84. Germinating pseudospore of Uromyce appendiculatus. 145 85. Germinating pseudospore of Puccinia Moliniæ. 146 86. Germinating pseudospore of Triphragmium Ulmariæ. 146 87. Germinating pseudospore of Phragmidium bulbosum. 147 88. Germinating pseudospores of Podisoma Juniperi. 149 89. Germinating pseudospore of Tilletia caries. 150 90. Pseudospore of Ustilago receptaculorum in germination, and secondary spores in conjugation. 151 91. Conidia and zoospores of Cystopus candidus. 151 92. Resting spore of Cystopus candidus with zoospores. 152 93. Zygospores of Mucor phycomyces. 158 94. Sporidium of Ascobolus germinating. 161 95. Zygospore of Mucor. 164 96. Zygospore of Rhizopus in different stages. 166 97. Conjugation in Achlya racemosa. 169 98. Conjugation in Peronospora. 171 99. Antheridia and oogonium of Peronospora. 172 100. Conjugation in Peziza omphalodes. 176 100a. Formation of conceptacle in Erysiphe. 176 101. Tilletia caries with conjugating cells. 178 102. Aspergillus glaucus and Eurotium. 190 103. Erysiphe cichoracearum, receptacle and mycelium. 192 104. Twig with Tubercularia and Nectria. 193 105. Section of Tubercularia with conidia. 193 106. D. Nectria with Tubercularia, ascus and paraphyses. 195 107. Cells and pseudospores of Æcidium berberidis. 201 108. Cells and pseudospores of Æcidium graveolens. 201 109. Torrubia militaris on pupa of a moth. 243

FUNGI

THEIR NATURE, USES, INFLUENCES, ETC.

NATURE OF FUNGI.

The most casual observer of Nature recognizes in almost every instance that comes under his notice in every-day life, without the aid of logical definition, the broad distinctions between an animal, a plant, and a stone. To him, the old definition that an animal is possessed of life and locomotion, a plant of life without locomotion, and a mineral deficient in both, seems to be sufficient, until some day he travels beyond the circuit of diurnal routine, and encounters a sponge or a zoophyte, which possesses only one of his supposed attributes of animal life, but which he is assured is nevertheless a member of the animal kingdom. Such an encounter usually perplexes the neophyte at first, but rather than confess his generalizations to have been too gross, he will tenaciously contend that the sponge must be a plant, until the evidence produced is so strong that he is compelled to desert his position, and seek refuge in the declaration that one kingdom runs into the other so imperceptibly that no line of demarcation can be drawn between them. Between these two extremes of broad distinction, and no distinction, lies the ground occupied by the scientific student, who, whilst admitting that logical definition fails in assigning briefly and tersely the bounds of the three kingdoms, contends that such limits exist so positively, that the universal scientific mind accepts the recognized limit without controversy or contradiction.

Continue reading Fungi: Their Nature and Uses free in the Wunder reader →