The color of both gills and tubes is an important feature in the classification of fungi.
We have now arrived at a point where the amateur may become wearied at the reading of long names and the enumeration of classes and genera. Stevenson has said in his preface to his work on British Fungi that “there is no royal road to the knowledge of fungi,” and if we become enough interested to pursue the subject we will probably discover it at this point. We will try and make this part as simple as possible, and only mention those genera which are most common.
[ Mushrooms may be divided into three great classes:]
I. Gasteromycetes, or “Stomach fungi,” where the spores are produced within the plant.
II. Ascomycetes, or “Spore sac fungi,” where the spores are produced in delicate sacs called asci.
III. Hymenomycetes, or “Membrane fungi,”
where the spores are produced on the lower surface of the cap.
[ Class III. HYMENOMYCETES, OR MEMBRANE FUNGI.]
This class is divided into six orders:
1. Gill-bearing mushrooms, Agarics, or Agaricini.