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CHAPTER XIII.

SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT.

This has already been slightly sketched out, and the detailsmay be reserved for the characters which follow of the generaof Fungi which occur in Great Britain, and the divisions underwhich they are arranged. It is impossible here to discuss thevarious arrangements which have been proposed. The oneadopted is that which was given in Dr. Lindley’s 'VegetableKingdom/ and which, as regards the principal groups, is almostidentical with that of Fries. It may be objected that it restson a single character, but in spite of this objection, I knowof no arrangement which gives the true affinities of Fungibetter, and if it be recollected that it is impossible to arrangeany quantity of natural productions in a straight line so as toexhibit their relations, but that these may be illustrated ratherby groups ranged round a common centre, bearing relationsto the several groups which surround them, it will be seen, Ithink, that the arrangement does place together those specieswhich are closely allied, though connected also with others ina contiguous group. Thus the Uredines pass through Podisomainto the Tremellina, and Botrytis, or Sporotrichum, throughIsaria to Clavati. When the sporidia in an ascus are reducedto one, and the sac fits closely to the sporidium, the body so