ii
II t
livens the few turfy spots which occur in those desert regions,
by its symmetry and extreme whiteness. In its young state!
it is completely enveloped in the smooth wrapper (volva), and
bearing a near resemblance to a pigeon’s egg, scarcel^ses
above the dark moss. After bursting from its confinemeH, it
rapidly advances to maturity, uninjured by the coldest winds,
or the snow with which it is sometimes covered, even in the
middle of August.
This rare fungus was gathered in August 1822, in an excursion
made with a view to extend the botany of Scotland, by
Dr H o o k e r , Mr A r n o t t , and myself. Luzula arcuata,
(Juncus arcuatus of W a h l e n b e r g ) , an interesting plant,
new to the British Flora, discovered in the same locality, and in
the same excursion, will speedily he given to the public by Dr
H o o k e r , in that truly splendid and national work the Flora
LondineuBis.
It is rather surprising that F r i e s should have united so distinct
a genus as Amanita to Agaricus, already overwhelmed by
sections, divisions and subdivisions, and containing above 800
species
Fig. X.Jmanita nivalis.^ Fig. 2. Young plant, soon ajter bursting the volva.
Fig. 4. Young Fig. 3. Section o f a mature plant, plant, with the volva
entire. Fig. 5. Section o f ditto__ —All natural size.