MITRATI:

ORDO III.

M I T R A T I.

Boletus. Hall. helv. III. p. 133. Helvelloidei. Swartz Summ. Scand. ! Clavariæ Mitratæ. Nees syst. p. 174.

CHAR. Hymenium distinct, concrete, superior, ascigerous, persistent, always bare. Asci sub-fixed, clavate, ample. Sporidia jump out elastically. — Receptacle freely evolved, pileate, margined, deflexed, bullate, never closed or marginating the hymenium, hollow within or below. No veil.

OBS. The pileus is rarely elongated, sub-clavate; in the last genus, it is pileate-crustaceous.

ANALOGIA There is an analogy with the Phalli among the Angiogastres, Exidia among the Tremellinas, and in general with all pileate fungi; however, it is wrong to place the Morchellae under the Agarics or Boleti, or the Helvellae under the stipitate Thelephorae, etc.; for the true affinity exists only with the Cupulati, toward which each genus transitions more or less.

HISTOR. Porta already distinguished the Morchellae and Helvellae, but Tournefort repeats the Morchellae in the manner of Clusius. Micheli had 19 species under 4 genera, Linnaeus had 2 species under 2 genera, Persoon had 20 species under 3 genera, and we have 6 genera and over 45 species, although some of these are still considered doubtful. Indeed, recent authors have achieved little in these matters. They seek out new species well, but the definition of a doubtful species is of greater importance; modern mycologists well differentiate the smallest fungi, but the Agarici, Boleti, Mitrati, etc., should not be neglected because of this; the more perfect they are, the more effort should be spent on them.