8s AN HISTORY OF FUNGUSS ES.
BOLETUS acaulis imbrkatus tenuis coriaceis, fuperne villofus,r
X VI' . inferne planus. Halvella acaulis. Hudfon, 633. Halvella
aurifirmiSf viltofa. Relban, 463. Auricula reflexa. Bulliard, PL 274.
Agaricus villofus tenuis, inferno Icevis. Ray Syn . P. 21.
No. 4.
E A R L I K E B O L E T U S .
T A B . LXXXIL
*TpHIS pl'ant at firft grows flat, adhering by its whole breadth
A to the bark of the dead branches or flocks of trees ; it is *
moft frequently of a circular figure, the upper fide quite fmooth,
and. of a browniih yellow, afterwards the under fide, which is
very hairy, begins to rife, and feparate itfelf from the bark ;
fo me times the whole marginfifes, and the plant refts on a central
bafe, as at c.—but more frequently it is raifed on one fide
only, the adhering part ferving as a bafe or root to the part
which is feparated, and which turns to an horizontal diredtion,
grows% increafes, fends out other fpecimens from its extremities,
in a double or imbricated order, and continues from year
to, year, as at e.—the upper fide (which, by the bye, was the
under in the infancy of the plant) ftill continues covered with
a ihort ftiff coat or ihag, which while the plant is young is
^generally of a yellowiih buff, and- is marked with concentric
lines of other colours; but when old changes to an hoary grey,
the circles a little darker : the under fide changes to a dark
cheftnut blown. A fmall particle, as at a. is magnified at b. '
the ihag confifts of filaments, divided, fubdivided, and very
much entangled : I fought for feeds, but could difcover none.
I have placed this plant amongft thé Bo/eti, becaufe it coincides,
infubftance, manner of growth, and in the whole habit,
with the firft div.ifion of that genus.
A certain chara£teriftic of an Halvella is this, that when of
proper age, on being gently irritated, it will ejeét ~a fine pow- •<
der, in form of fmpke;. a property which is wanting in this
plant. It poffibly may, though • very rarely, produce feeds
like its congeners :,—we fee plants of the fame clafs which grow
ip great plenty, and yet their fructifications are very rarely dif-
Qovered, as the Lichen phyfodes, jurjuraceus, &c.
MBDH