phomycetes_. A very common fungus, for instance, which
is abundant on sticks and twigs, forming rosy or reddish pustules the
size of a millet seed, formerly named _Tubercularia vulgaris_, is
known to be the conidia-bearing stroma of the sphaeriaceous fungus,
_Nectria cinnabarina_;[T] and so with many others. The following are
the technical characters of the family:--

_Fruit consisting of sporidia, mostly definite, contained in asci,
springing from a naked or enclosed stratum of fructifying cells and
forming a hymenium or nucleus_ = ASCOMYCETES.

If the characters of the different families are borne in mind, there
will be but little difficulty in assigning any fungus to the order to
which it belongs by means of the foregoing remarks. For more minute
information, and for analytical tables of the families, orders, and
genera, we must refer the student to some special systematic work,
which will present fewer difficulties, if he keeps in mind the
distinctive features of the families.[U]

To assist in this we have given on the following page an analytical
arrangement of the families and orders, according to the system
recognized and adopted in the present volume. It is, in all essential
particulars, the method adopted in our "Handbook," based on that of
Berkeley's "Introduction" and "Outlines."

[A] Rev. M. J. Berkeley, "Introduction to Cryptogamic Botany" (1857),
London, pp. 235 to 372.

[B] De Bary, in "Streinz Nomenclator Fungorum," p. 722.

[C] Tulasne, L. and C. R., "Observations sur l'Organisation des
Tremellinees," "Ann. des Sci. Nat." 1853, xix. p. 193.

[D] Berkeley, M. J., "On the Fructification of _Lycoperdon_,
_Phallus_, and their Allied Genera," in "Ann. of Nat. Hist."
(1840), vol. iv. p. 155; "Ann. des Sci. Nat." (1839), xii. p.
163. Tulasne, L. R. and C., "De la Fructification des
_Scleroderma_ comparee a celle des _Lycoperdon_ et des
_Bovista_," in "Ann. des Sci. Nat." 2^me ser. xvii. p. 5.

[E] Tulasne, L. R. and C., "Fungi Hypogaei," Paris, 1851;
"Observations sur le Genre Elaphomyces," in "Ann. des Sci.
Nat." 1841, xvi. 5.

[F] _Stapeliae_ in this respect approach most closely to the
_Phalloidei_.

[G] Berkeley, in "Ann. Nat. Hist." vol. iv. p. 155.

[H] Tulasne, L. R. and C., "Recherches sur l'Organisation et le Mode
de Fructification des Nidulariees," "Ann. des Sci. Nat."
(1844), i.