An History of Fungusses, growing about Halifax (Vols 1-2)

A fungus having numerous spherical or oblong vesicles regularly arranged under some part of its surface; these vesicles discharge a dust or powder. There are two divisions of this genus: first, agaric-like, growing on the ground, of a soft filamentous substance, having a proper root, volva Volva: a cup-like or sheath-like structure at the base of the stalk., stem, and pileus; second, parasitic, sessile, or supported on a pillar, and generally of a hard, horny, or woody substance throughout. The little figures at K represent the Sphæria tuberculosa and the Sphæria agariciformis, a new species four or five inches high, with a bulbous, volvated root, a stem, and a pileus. This is a very curious plant and a true non-descript Non-descript: a species not previously recorded or classified in scientific literature., as will be seen in its proper place.

A fungus consisting of a roundish vesicle, supported on a filament, and containing numerous seeds, affixed to a hair-like receptacle. The figure at L represents the Mucor mucedo as it grew on the stalk of a pear, which had a small part of the fruit adhering to it, in a putrid state.

These few characters being established in the memory, it will be easy, upon sight of a specimen, to determine properly and certainly to which of the above families it belongs. However, because the first genus—the Agarics—is very numerous and a perplexing similarity exists between some of the species, it becomes necessary to examine with care the form, texture, number, and situation of the parts of the plant under review before we can discover a certain discriminative, specific mark peculiar to that species and not to be found in any other. Until such a mark is discovered, we cannot truly say that the species is properly defined or identified. I do not mean that we must discover a part in every species which is not to be found in any other—in a simple sense, this is impossible—but rather that the distinguishing mark is to be discovered...