gradually changes to a reddish-brown, the tubes burst irregularly at the
summit, and discharge the sporidia, which are minute, globose, brown,
and totally unmixed with filaments. The remains of the peridia often
exist for a long time after the sporidia have escaped.
By establishing the genus Perichcena, F r i e s has enabled
himself to define, with greater precision, that of Licea, into
which he admits (with much reason), the Tuhulince of P e r s
o o n . His observation is very just, that although, in some of
these plants, the general mass may appear to have an indeterminate
form, the individual peridia of which they are composed
are regular. They enter, therefore, with strict propriety, into
a genus, the form of whose peridia is determinate.
Licea fragiformis is a remarkably pretty fungus, and, from
its red colour, papillose surface, and somewhat globular form,
bears a considerable resemblance to a strawberry. Along with
some other kinds, which are mucilaginous in their young
state, it most frequently occurs after a series of rainy days ; and
consequently, in a dry summer is rarely to be met with.
Of the figures I have quoted, those of B u l l ia r d , J a c -
QUiN, and B a t s c h , certainly belong to our plant. Those of
the Flora Danica are rather too indefinite for me to decide positively
in their favour; and the same may be observed of
S o w e r b y ’s figure of his Reticularia multicapsula, which, in
common with many of his representations of small fungi, is
executed more with a view to general habit than minute character.
1 have occasionally seen this species as much effused,
and as large as his figure.
Fig. 1. Licea fragiformis, natural size. Fig. 2. A portion o f a plant. Fig. 3.
Peridia bursting. Fig. 4. Sporidia; magnified.
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