MOULDS MILDEWSND A MUSHROOMS A GUIDETOTHESYSTEMATICSTUDYOFTHEFUNGI ANDMYCETOZOAANDTHEIRLITERATURE LUCIEN MARCUSUNDERWOOD Professorf o Botany,ColumbiaUniversity NEW YORK HENRYHOLTANDCOMPANY 1899 Copyright,1899, LUcIENMARCUSUNDERWOOD THEEWN ERAPRINTINGCOMPANY LANCASTER,PA. PREFACE The increasinginterestthathasbeendevelopedinfungidur ingthe pastfewyears,togetherwiththefactthatthereisnoguide writtenintheEnglishlanguagetothemodernclassificationof thegroupanditsextensivebutscatteredliterature,hasledthe writertopreparethisintroductionfortheuseofthosewhowish toknowsomethingofthisinterestingseriesofplants. With nearlya thousandgeneraoffungirepresentedinour countryalone,itwasmanifestlyimpossibletoincludethemallin apocketguide.Alinemustbedrawnsomewhere,anditwas decidedtoinclude: (1)Conspicuousfleshyandwoodyfungi,(2) Thecup-fungi,so sincelittleliteraturetreatingofAmerican formswasavailable,and(3)Generacontainingparasiticspecies. Mostof thegeneraof theso-calledPyrenomycetesandmanyof thesaprophyticfungiimferfectiarethereforeomittedfromspecial consideration. Its i hopedthatforthegroupstreated,thesynopseswillbesuf ficientlysimpletoenabletheaveragestudenttodistinguishgen- ericallytheordinaryfungithatheislikelytofind.Inevery order,referencestotheleadingsystematicliteraturehavebeen freelygiven,inthehopethatsomewillbe encouragedtotakeup thesystematicstudyofsomegroupandpursueitasexhaustively aspossible.Withallthediversityofinterestinglinesofresearch thatareconstantlyopeningbeforethestudentofbotanyofto-day, thereisnonemoreinvitingtoastudent,orbetteradaptedto bringintoactivityalltheresourcesofhisjudgment,thanthesys tematicstudyofthespeciesofsomelimitedgroup,providedthis isproperlycombinedwithastudyofthemorphology,develop ment,andecologicrelationsofsucharelatedseries.Withvery fewexceptions,thereisnogroupoffungithatisnotincryingneed ofthoroughandoriginalsystematicstudy. iii 257373 iv PREFACE The attempthasalsobeenmadeinthefollowingpagestomeet thepopularinterestinfungiasanarticleoffood,bytreatingthe fleshyformswithagreaterdegreeoffulnessthanothers,andone shouldbeablefromthistreatmenttodiscriminateordinary the edible,suspicious,andpoisonousspecies,andrecognizewithsuf ficientcertaintywhatformsaresafetotestforfood.Those whose interestcentersinediblespeciesalone,willfindthegroupsthat interestthemonpages63-66,97-129,and136-145.Itissug gestedthat,inthefieldofexplorationforediblespecies,itissafest tomakehasteslowly,andthenoviceisherebywarnedofthe dangerofeatinganyspecieswhichisnotthoroughlyknown. In thegeneralarrangementofthesystemthewriterhaslargely followedthetreatmentinDienaticrlichenPflanzenfamilien,tho deviationsfromthesequenceofgroupsthereadoptedwillfre quentlyappear,andgroupnames—ordersandfamilies—aremade rigidlytoconformtothesystemproposedatBerlin,butindiffer entlyfollowedintheirrecentpublications. The writerisdeeplyindebtedtohisfriendandformercol league,ProfessorF.S.Earle,forhiskindnessinreadingthose partsoftheproofrelatingespeciallytoparasiticspecies,andfor makingmanyvaluablesuggestions; andtohisassistant,Dr. MarshallA.Howe,formuchkindlyassistanceandmanyuseful suggestions. The coloredplatewhichintroducesthebookwaspaintedfrom naturebyaformerstudent,MissJuliaE.Clearwaters,andhas beenfaithfullyreproducedin sixcolorsbytheHeliotypePrinting CompanyofBoston.Thenineplateswhichconcludethework weredrawnunderthewriter'sdirectionbyMissM.E.Baker; thesearefromvarioussourceswhicharedulycreditedintheex planationsoffigures; afewweredrawndirectfromnature. ColumbiaUniversity, 20July,1899. CONTENTS Morchellaesculenta-Frontispiece ChapterI. Introductory,......i ChapterII. The RelationsofFungitootherPlants, 8 ChapterIII.Reproduction,Constituents,andHabits, 13 ChapterIV.ClassI. Phycomycetes,....22 ChapterV. ClassI. I Ascomycetes 34 ChapterVI.The FungiImperfecti,....68 ChapterVII. ThelowerBasidiomycetes, 80 Chapter VIII.The higherBasidiomycetes, 94 ChapterIX.FungusAllies—theMyxomycetes,. 146 ChapterX. TheStudyofMycologyingeneralandits Studyn i Americainparticular,. 155 ChapterXI. TheGeographicDistributionofAmerican • Fungi, ......165 ChapterXII.Methodsof CollectionandPreservationof Fungi —HintsforfurtherStudy,. 201 Indexes I. IndextoLatinNames,.....209 II. IndextoHostPlants,.....216 III. IndexofAuthorsandCollectors,. 218 IV. GeneralIndexandExplanationofTerms,. 221 Plates 1-9withExplanations,.....228 V I' MOULDS, MILDEWSANDMUSHROOMS CHAPTERI INTRODUCTORY The worldisfullofsurprisesoneveryhand.Toonewhose familiaritywithplantsislimitedtothetreesandshrubsofparks andgroves,ortheherbaceousplantsindoor of cultivation,orthe grassesoflimitedplotsandlawns,oreventoonewhosewalks morehappilyincludethefieldsandwoodlands,itmayseemper plexing,perhaps,tobetoldthatthegreenslimeswithwhich Naturepaintstheshadedwallsandtree-trunks,orthatfloatasa greenscumonthesurfaceofpools,or thatcoverthepotsand benchesingreen-houses,arelikewiseplants,eachinitssimpler, lessassumingmannercarryingonthesamefunctionsas themore conspicuoustreesandshrubs.Thesurprisemaybestillgreater whenhelearnsthatthegray-greenlichensonfencesandrocks, thetoadstoolsspringingfromthegroundoroldtree-trunks,the puff-ballsclusteredonoldlogsthe orlargeronesgrowingsingly inpasturesarealsoplants.Afterthishewillbemoreableto believethatthemouldsthatgrowoncheeseor preserves,the mildewsandblightsthatspreadcultivated over plantstotheir injury,thesmutofcornandoats,therustofwheatandother cereals,arealllikewiseplants,eachwithitsownpeculiarlifehis tory,eachwithitspeculiarmethodofreproduction,eachoccupy ingitsdefiniteplaceintheeconomyofNature.Andprobably thesurprisewillbegreatestofalltothosefortunatepersonswho havenotlearnedtodependonthebakeralonefortheirsupplyof thestaffoflifeandtowhomtheprocessofbread-makingisnotan obsoletefeatureofhouseholdwork,tobegravelyinformedthat theveryyeastbywhichtheir flourandwaterismadetoriseinto theporousspongydoughisjustastrulyaplantasisthegeranium 1 2 INTRODUCTORY growingat thekitchenwindoworthemaplethatshadesthe kitchenporch,andthattheentireprocessofbread-raisingisdue tothegrowth,developmentandrapidreproductionofa plant quickenedintoactivitybythepresenceofmoistureandasuitable degreeofwarmth.Surprisemaythencedegenerateintoashock whenpersons,eventhoseofthemostrefinedhabits,cometolearn thatintheirownpersonstheysupportvariedandinterestingcolo niesofextremelyminuteplantswhichfindperhapsthemostsuit able conditionsfortheirdevelopmentandmultiplicationamong thepapillaeofthetongueandaboutthecrownsof theteeth. Somehow manypeopleassociatelifewithlocomotionandwhile theythinkofanimalsasalive,they lookuponplantsasdead,and uponbotanyasthestudyofthedeadratherthanoftheliving. Therecanbe nogreatermistake,forplantsequallywithanimals arenotonlythoroughlyalive,butfromthegreatersimplicityof theirstructureofferevenbetterfacilitiesfortheworkingoutof problemsconnectedwithgeneralbiology,the sciencenotofani malsalone,butofalllivingthings. When acompoundmicroscopebecomesasmuchofahouse holdnecessityasaclockorapiano; whenchildren are early taughtthenaturestudyofevery-daylife,andbecomefamiliar withthecommonthingsinnaturearoundthem,theseideasasto whatthetermplantlifeincludeswillnotonlyceasetostrikeus asmysterious,butourrangeofavailableinformationwillbein finitelyextended.Thereisnoreasonwhateverwhyacompound microscopeoflowmagnifyingpowershouldnotbejustasmuch acommonappurtenanceof awell-regulatedhouseholdasa piano oramusic-box.Notasaninstrumenttobekeptunderaglass casetoshowtostrangers,notan aselaboratepieceofmechanism liabletobecomedisarrangedbyuse,butasimpleapparatussuita bletobeusedbyintelligentchildrenandaneverydaysourceof instructionandenjoyment. In ourearlychildhoodmanyof usacquirecertainbitsof in formation,toooftenasthedirectresultofteaching,thatinafter lifewefindourselvesto forcedunlearn.Someoftheseprinci are ples thatthebooksconspiredtoimpressuponus.Thedogma thattheinterioroftheearthismoltenandthattheexterioris crust thinnerproportionatelythananegg-shellwasstatedtousinthe geographieswithallthegravityofestablishedtruth,andyetitis INTRODUCTORY 3 supportedbythemostflimsyevidenceandnooneatpresent thinksofitseriouslyasapossibletheoryeven.Weweretold thattherewerejustfiveracesman, ofandtheimpressionwas leftuponusthattheseweresharplydefined.Wenowknow thatthiswasmerelyBlumenbach'sclassificationofaseriesof closelyintergradingtypeswitheveryshadeofcolorfromthe blackestAustraliantothewhitestCaucasian,andthatanyone ofadozenotherclassificationsofracebasedonwiderdatamay bevastlymorerational.Anotherunsupporteddogmathatwe learnedwasthattherearethreekingdomsofnature,theanimal, thevegetable,andthe mineral,andthusthatafundamentaldif ferenceexistedbetweenanimalsandplants.Allthisweare obligedtounlearnandthis"sciencefalselyso-called"ofour earlyyouthmustretreatbeforethelightofmoderninvestigation. The establishmentoftheidentitybetweenwhathadbeenknown asanimalsarcodeandvegetableprotoplasm,followedbythe propositionsofDarwinandWallacerelativetotheoriginof speciesgaveanimpetustothestudyoflivingthingswhichhasre sultedinthebuildingupofourpresentknowledge.Theincreased useofthemicroscopeinthestudyofminuteformsoflife,and thediscoveryofconnectingtypeshasdrivenustothecon clusionthatthereisfundamentallynodefinabledifferencebe tweenanimalsandplants,anditisuselesstoattempttomanu facturedistinctionswheretheydonotexist.Thereisonekingdom oflivingthings,andwehavecometolookuponplantandanimal charactersassimplymarkingtendencieswhichoneitherhand becomemorepronouncedaswepassfromsimpleonecelled organismstowardsthosethataremorehighlyspecialized.No linesdrawnbetweentheseriesofplantandanimalformswill serveasapermanentandsatisfactoryboundaryline; someforms orsomestagesdevelopment of inthelifehistoryofformswillbe