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S PU M A R IA M d c i l a g o .
White SpmaHa.
Class and Obdeb CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI, Lìm — Nat. Obd. GASTROMYCI,
Link.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
Peridium effiguratum, simpkx, celluhso-jhccosum, in medio fatiscens ; intus sporidia
coacervata plicis membranaceis adscendentibus interstincta.—F r ie s.
Peridium of no regular figure, simple, cellulose and floccose, bursting in
the c entre; within, th e sporidia are collected into distinct masses within
the folds of an ascending plicate membrane.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Spumaria Mucilago; effusa, albida, membrana interna plicata ramaso-cornuta.
S. effused, whitish, the internal plicate membrane branched in a horn-like
manner.
S pumaria Mucilago, Pers. Obs. Myc. 1. p. 94,.—Disp. Meth. Fung. p. 8. t. 1.
f. \ .—Syn. Fung. p. \ 6S .-A lb . et Schwein. p. 87— Nees, Syst. p. 27-
t. 8. f. 94.— Schwein. Fung. Carol. No. 360.
Spumaria alba, De Cand. Fl. Fran;, v. 2. p. 261.—Fjusd. Synop. p. 54.—
Grev. Fl. Fdin. p. 452.
R e t i c u l a r i a alba. Bull. Champ, p. 92 -1. 326— Sow. Fung. t. 280. Purt.
Midi. Fl. V. 2. p. 703. e t v. 3. p. 481. t. 2 1— Belh. Fl. Cant. e d . 3. p. 568,
R eticularia ovata, var. 2. With. Bot. Arr. ed. 6. v. 4. p . 461.
M u c ila g o Crustacea alba, Mich. Nov. Gen. PI. t. 96. f- 2.
M ucor spongiosus, Leyss. Fl. Haknsis, No. 1 2 7 4 . / * Pers.
F uligo ovata, laminosa alba. Hall. St. Helv. p. 111.
H ab. On leaves, sticks, stems of plants, grass, &c. in autumn, frequent.
Plant in its young state having the appearance o f a white froth, extremely
various in magnitude, which envelopes the slender stems of grasses,
and afmilnr substances. A t this period, it is quite soft and p u lp y ; b u t in
a few days it becomes of a firmer texture, the surface begins to scale off,
to bu rst in the centre, and to emit a vast number of dark coloured globose
sporidia. When the sporidia have escaped, they are found to have
been contained in numerous, branched, horn-like, nearly erect, membranaceous
folds, resembling irregular, imperfect, divided tubes.
VOL. V.
267
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