G R O W I N G about HALIFAX. 97
HELVELLA Jlipkata, Jlipite fylindrico albido, pileo venofo in- XCVI.
jiato. Elvella clavata. Schaff. Fung. 149. Dickfon . . .
Crypt, f a f , 1. ¿>.19. 1 . . > - fer"°naq^
HE
* nnli
an
BATTLEDOOR HELVELLA.
T A B.
root is an hard fibrous knob, o£ a blackiih brown
colour, and a little thicker than the bottom of the item.
The item while young is cylindrical, folid, foft, pliable,
d of a filvery white; as it advances in age;
becomes a little
wrinkled on the furface, twifted, and fometimes torn, efpecially
near the Toot.
The pileus (if fuch it may be called), is in lhape like the
large end of a battledoor for itriking a fhuttlecock, and the
item refembles the handle. It confiits at firit of two equal'
membranes, of a pale lemon colour, united at their fides, plain,
and united by their whole inner fur faceor , in other words,
it imitates a-fmall bladder, with the two fides prefied together.
As it advances in growth the two fides become wrinkled, and
branching veins begin to originate from that part of the item
which runs into the pileus; at lait the fides ieparate,. and the
pileus becomes inflated or puffed up; and when the bladder is
opened, nothing is found in it, except a few dawny capillary
filaments.
This is the 'Helvetia Inflata, mentionedsfn my Introduction,
but fince, finding that Sc h j e f f e r has applied that name to a
very different fpecies, I have called it as above; Sc h j e f f e r
has figured this plant on the plate above cited, but his figures
were taken from dried ipecimens. s The figures in.MicHELis
and V a i l l a n t ' s Works, which S c h a f f e r has cited for his
plant, have no refemblance of mine.
The fpecimens which lay on the table by me, while I made
this figure and defcription,. on being touched, threw up their
feeds in form of a ftnoke, which arofe with an elaitic force,
and glittered in the fuiiihine like, particles of filver.
Grows in the plantations about Fixby-Hall. in September
and October. ' '