f '
li
'Ili
'.i '
(
! li
PYRENIUM U G N A T IL E .
Reddish-white Pyrenium.
Class and Order CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI, W - N at, Ord. GASTROMYCn
G EN E R IC CHARACTER.
Receffaculumsubcamosum, demum inflatum (cam m ) contextu fioccoso. Spori.
dia ra ambitu mdulantia F r ie s .
Receptacle somewhat carnose, at length inflated (hoUow), o f a filamentous
texture. Sporidia imbedded in the circumference.
S P E C IF IC c h a r a c t e r .
P yrenium h g n a tile ; subghbosum, scepissime subhbatum, albo-lateritium.
P. subglobose, mostly somewhat lobed, reddish-white.
P yrenium Ugnatile, Fries, MS. et Syst. Orb. Veg. 1. p. 94 .
H ab. On rotten wood, the trunks of dead trees, &c. Appin, Captain Car.
Mi c h a e l . I have also gathered it, b u t have omitted to record the sta-
tion.
Plant gregarious, subglobose, sessile, entire or irregularly lobed, 2 -3 Unes in
*ameter, somewhat carnose, b u t distinctly floccose in its texture, red-
dish-white, perfectly hollow within. Sporidia numerous, subglobose,
very minute, lying in the circumference among the filaments.
The genus Pyrenium was established by T o d e in his
Fungi Mecklenhurgenses, 1790 ; hut of the three species described
by him, only one is considered to be a true Pyrenium
by 1 RIES. The subject of the accompanying plate, however,
has recently been added by the latter naturalist, and the specimens
he kindly communicated to me have enabled me to ascertain
that Captein C a r m i c h a e l ’s plant is the same species.
A t first sight, P . Hgnatile is extremely like a Sclerotium,
but Its floccose substance removes it at once to the Tremellini,
276