MERISMA FCETIDUM.Foetid Merisma.

Class and Order CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI, Linn.— Nat. Ord. FUNGI , Juss. &c.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

Plantce subcrustacece vel substipitatce, ramosce, coriacew, ramis semper compla-natis, dilatatis, laciniatis. Hymenium omnerri fere superficiem utrimque oc-cupans, cum stipite valde ccmfusum.

Plants somewhat crustaceous or substipitate, branched, coriaceous: branchesalways compressed, dilated, laciniate. Hymenium covering almost thewhole surface on every side, and passing insensibly into the stem.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER,

Merisma fcetidum ; erectum, cpespitosum, fusco-purpurascens, ramis complana-tis, dilatatis, palmatis, apace albicantibus.

M. erect, tufted, purplish-brown, the branches compressed, dilated, palmate,with the apex whitish.

Merisma fcetidum, Pers. Comment, p. QZ.—Syn. Fung. p. 584— Albert, etSchtv. p. 284.— Schm. et Kuntz, PI. Exs. N. f)6.— Grays Nat. Arr. v. 1.p. 654.— Grev. FI. Edin. ined.

Merisma palmatum, Pers. Mycol. Europ. v. 1. p- 157-

Merisma flabellare, Pers. Comment, p. 93-— Syn. p- 584. ?

Clavaria palmata, Scop. FI. Carniol. 2. p- 483.— Nees, Syst. t. 66. f. 151.

Clavaria anthocephala, Bull. Champ, p. 197- 1 . 452. f. 1 .—Sow. Fung. 1 . 156.—With. Bot. Arr. ed. 6. v. 4. p. 437— De Cand. FI. Fran 9 . ed. 3. v. 2.p. 102. — Ejusd. Syn. p. 21.— Relh. FI. Cantab, ed. 3. p. 563.—Sibth. FI.Oxon . p. 366.— Part. Mid. FI. y. 2. p. 697- et 3. p. 474.

Clavaria flabellaris, Batsch, Elench. Fung. Cord. 1. p7227- t. 28. f. 159-

Ramaria palmata, Holmsk . Coryph. v. 1. with a fig.

Thelephora palmata, Fries, Syst. Mycol. v. 1. p. 432.

Thelefhora flabellaris, Fries , loc. cit. p. 433. ?

Hab. On the ground in woods, Autumn. Near Glasgow , Mr Rennie.Balmuto. In England, it has been found by various botanists; as bySowerby in Hainault Forest,—by Rehlan in Madingly Wood,—bySibthorpe in Shotover Plantations,—and by Mr Purton in a similarlocality at Arrow.

Tufted, often gregarious, varying in size from half an inch to above fourinches in height, and from a single stem to a dense mass two or threeinches in thickness : erect, robust at the base, much branched ; thebranches coriaceous, flat, plicate, dilated upwards, palmate, more or lesslaciniate, and whitish at the apex. The colour of the rest of the plant

VOL. I.

46