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Show The Hijlory of p L A N T S. 3 6 . . . . the roduce male and female flow~rs The fruCtification of the Lepwtre lS t~s . 1 yfl~wers have no cup or corolla, b~lt on diftinB: parts of the fame plant •. I ·~ ~~:ed in fome fpecies a fingle anthera, m confifl: of a very (hort fiamen, to whtc 1 e can diftingui!h no part of b?t the fee?· others four or more. The female flower dw_n fome fpecies ftands fingle, m others m Th. . extreamly minute and round, an 1 ffi d to the edges of the lamellre ; ts IS h The antherre are a xe h h clufters of four or more toget er Wh re the male flower confifts of a fingle ant et:a, ~ e the feeds to both fides of them. e th rre affixed to the fame ftamen, as lS u ufeeds !land fingle; where ther~ ar~ f~u~:~d fn little clufters, four together. If thefe all the cafe in the othe~s, t e ee s d more vifible, we (hould ~ake _two, ~r frJetifications of the Lepwtre were lar~er han . but where the fruCtificatiOn IS fo mt- . perhaps more genera~ i_nfle~d o~l one. ~ \~:.help of powerful microf~opes, we are nute as not to be diftmgmfh~ .e Wlt ouk of this nature where the obvwus charaCters ' h d to 1t m a wor ' not to pay fo muc regar . · · 1 diftinB:ions on. re the proper ones for e!l:abh!hmg genenc~ ft d very clofe in others farther afun-a The lamellre, in fome of thefe F?ngus s~ ~~1ceifary for the ripening of the fee?-s, der. and in fome, where a larger dtftance IS • fi ure rowing on their fides, which the lamellre have lit~le protuberan~es o~~if~n:~e feed i~ ripening, and which wither, prevent their touchmg one anot er, 11 d this en us Lepiota, from the Greek "-<'~~"~> a as foon as it is fallen. W_e have ca ~ l ~ne ftalk only ariG,ng from the r~ot ; lamella. Some of the ~epwtre. grow \~g ~l1e fame root ; and of both thefe kmds others have feveral pedtcles anf~~ ~~nning up fingle, and producing only one. hea_d,; fome are fimple, each Halk ?rl ped_Ic. ~- into feveral ftalks, and each ftalk havmg It s others are ramofe, each pedlc e lVl mg peculiar head. - 1 · embrane growing from the upper part of Many of the Lepiotre have an an~u a~ md h'l fmall. this is feparated from the the ftalk, and joining the edges of t 1e a~~i~ ~/ ~he he;d. In fome fpecies it. re.head or elfe from the ftalk, by_ the exp. hg d s of the head. but in mo!l: It IS ' ft lk · the s It hangs to t e e ge , f mains on the a ' m o r . h 1 in others it remains as long as any part o very tender, and falls foon to pieces, t oug 1 the Fungus. . h feeds falling from the heads immediately In fome fpecies of the Lepwtre, t ,e rl the arent. in others they fidl: produce (hoot, and pro~uce other perfe~ Fu;h~%~el~~~ und~r the ground to a great. extent, and only roots, whtc;h grow and fpte~dl . b d ce with heads to them. Fmally, others 1'- t up pedtc es m a un an , . . . . after a year or two u1?0 . Fun i of the fame kind, formed m mmmture, m !h.oot at their firft ~allmg mto perf~Ct b rnfn of which afterwards they are allowed to a kind of cafes or mvolucra, by .t e h u. f n perifhes as foon as the plant grows grow up: in fome of _thefe f~ecles t de ~~;~:~rutwith it: i~ fome it remains affixed to up from it; in oth~r.s It remams, an g e~ fum mit of the head. the~~o_t, in ot;e~siAtii:Ja::s t~e~:e;;e~l~l t~~~·aJers appear to be, lhowev~, Jhey a~~ vwus an . h d of certainty: there are no pant~ w IC vary not to be expeCted Wit any egree 1 L . t The branched kmds are fame-much in their manner of growth a; t 1e. epwbrera.nched and the annular appendages • .c d fi 1 the fimple ones 1omet1mes , times Ioun unp e, . f h . olucra are fometimes found permanent, of the fta\k as well as the remams o t e mv , f . fometimes ~ot, on the feveral individuals of ~hte famr: ~~fle}~wed will produce under The feeds of many of. the com~o~ Lepw re~J of t~efe is ufually the involl.Icrum, the eye their proper f~ecles_. . The f ap~~r~h it afterwards grows up in its proper containing the plant m mmiature, rom form. 1 • Lepiota Jimplex cra.Jlius pediculo longior~. 7be jingle, thick Lepiota, with an oblong pedzcle. Tl' · deratel large fpecies. It's root is fomewhat tuberous; it's ftalk round, and ~t :~: ~~knefs Jr a child's finger. It's head obtufely ~oni~, a~~ of a dull bi:o;::s i!h colour. It grows to about four inches in height, and It's ~a lShn~ar ~w~ {~1 fucin diameter at the bafe. The lamellre are of a pale ~rown. T e w o e Pan reculent and of a good fmell, and is worthy to be recei_ved at our table~, thoug~ at ~he fent not regarded ; the ftalk is hollow, and t~er~ IS no annular nm on lt. the }aflowers in· this fpecies are fingle, and the feeds m hke manner fiand finglh o~ fi "bed mellre. It is common in dry paftures in many parts of England. Ray as e en it The Hiflory of P L A N T s. 37 - it under the name of Fungus efculentus pileo & lamellis albis, but they are not properly white; he only feems to have meant to di!l:inguifh it from the common redgilled kind. 2. Lepiota Jimplex lt:evis pediculo cra.Jio bul&?/o. The Jmooth Lepiota with a thick., bulbous pedicle. This is a large and beautiful Fungus. It grows to about four inches in height, and it's head is more than half an inch in diameter. The bottom of the pedicle is a bulb of an irregularly roundia1 !hapc, and of the bignefs of a large walnut ; from this the pedicle continues of the thicknefs of a man's finger, and the head is obtufely conic. The edicle is whitifh; the outGde of the head of a pale brown, and glo.ITy, and the lamellre white; the head is thick and flefhy, but of an ill fmell. The flowers in this fpecies fiand fingl e, and the feeds alfo are difpofed fingly on the lamelltc. There is no annular membrane on the fl:alk. It is common on many of our heaths, among th~ fern and furz-bufhes; Putney heath produces a great quantity of it. C. Bauhine and Ray defcribe it under the name of Fungus pediculo in bulbi formam excrefcente. 3. Lepiota annulata Jimplex Jquammata. The Jcaly, annulated, Jimple Lepiota. This is alfo a large Fungus. It grows to four or five inches in height, and it's head is three or four inches in diameter. It's pedicle is fomewhat thick at the bafe, and fi·om thence rifes of the thicknefs of a man's finger. It is not fmooth, but [quammated as it were with the remains of exter-nal membranes decayed ; near the top it has a beautiful annular membrane, of a tough texture, and ufually fomewhat ereCt, fometimes horizontal, fometimes dependent. The head is broad and almoft flat, rather rounder in it's manner of rifing than conic. It's edges turn in, and it's external furface is cracked and fquammated, as the pedicle, with the remains of fome other membranes. The whole plant is of a fomewhat deep, but not unpleafant, brown colour, except the lamell~, which are fometimes whitifh, fometimes of a pale red. It is fi·equent with us in woods and on heaths. H amp!l:ead heath and Cane wood abound with it. Fabius Columna calls it, Fungus dipfacoides quercinus; and C. Bauhine, Fungus bulbofus fufcus duplici pileolo. 4· Lepiota ramo.fa, glutino.fa, ./lava. The yellfJw, g-lutinous, ramofe Lepiota. This is a very fingular and very elegant fpeci es ; it rifes from a thick tuberous root, and that ufually with three or four .fi:alks. Each of thefe is foon after divided into two or three more, and thefe fometimes fend out lateral ramifications, fo that it is not uncommon to fee ten or twelve branches from one root. Each of thefe has it's head of a circular figure very little elevated at the fummit, and often hollowed. The .fi:alks are about a third of an inch in diameter, and the heads an inch and h alf broad. The ftalks are of a pale whitifh colour, the he.ads of a deep yellow, and covered with a gloffy, glutinous matter; the lamellre are white. The whole plant has a :fl:rong and ciiiagreeable fmell. The antherre in this fpecies ftand four on each fbmen, and the feeds are accordingly arranged in little clu:fl:e,rs, four together. It is common at the ilumps of old trees in autumn: there is alfo a fimple Fungus of this genus which refembles it in colour, which grows in the fame places, and, till taken up, is eafily miftaken for it. This is found very plentifully in Hornfey wood, and about Highgate and H amp!l:ead. Thefe four fpecies may ferve to give a general idea of the different appearances of the Lepiotre. The other fpecies are extreamly numerous ; the principal of them will, however, be eafily underfl:ood by their names. They are, I. The common efculent Lepiota. 2. The great, green, rough Lepiota. 3· The flat-headed, yellow Lepiota. 4· The pale, yellow, contorted, efculent Lepiota, called the chanterella. 5· The funnel-headed, great Lepiota. 6. The great, red Lepiota. 7· The round purpleheaded Lepiota. 8. The long-fl:alked, anniculated Lepiota. 9· The great flat-headed Lepiota, with a bulbous, violet-coloured pedicle. 1 o. The broad, L whita- |