British Fungus Flora

Abstract

IT was originally estimated that this work would be completed in three volumes, but, as we pointed out in our first notice, this was practically impossible. A notice now accompanies the third volume, to the effect that a supplementary volume will speedily be published in conclusion of the work. The second volume continues the Hymenomycetes, which occupy 268 pages also of the third volume, so that two and a half volumes are occupied by the Hymenomycetes, leaving 220 pages for the Hyphomycetes, which bring the third volume to a close. It is only necessary to enumerate the remaining orders to appreciate the difficulty of completing even with a fourth volume. There are all the Ascomycetes, which occupied in Cooke's “Handbook” an equal number of pages to the Hymenomycetes; and supposing the increase to have been in the same ratio, it may be conjectured that this order (including the Discomycetes) cannot be compressed into less than two volumes. For all that remains afterwards, there will not be so much necessity. There would be the Sphæropsideæ and Melanconieæ, which are of minor interest, although numbering perhaps 700 species. The Phycomyceteæ, which have recently been the subject of a volume, by the same author, as “British Fungi, Phycomycetes, and Ustilagineæ.” Hence they may be dispensed with. The Uredineæ, which, with the Ustilagineæ, formed a volume by C. B. Plowright in 1889, have had so few accessions that a revision is not imperative. The Myxomycetes, which occupied a monograph by G. Massee in 1892, is all-sufficient. As to the Saccharomycetes and the Schisomycetes, the little volume by W. B. Grove, dated 1884, would furnish an introduction, and would be fairly complete to that date, in genera and species. With these modifications, we see no reason why, with two supplementary volumes to contain all the Ascomycetes the five volumes might not be accepted as a fair approximation to a “British Fungus Flora.”

British Fungus Flora; a Classified Text-book of Mycology.

By George Massee. Vols II. and III. (London: Geo. Bell and Sons, 1893.)