Hymenomycetes - Illustrated drawing from life - Ernst Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur

Reproduction engraving of: Hymenomycetes

Original title Basimycetes - Schwammpilze

Poster of Dictyophora - Fungi of the class Basidiomycetes or Basidiomycetes, Legion of Autobasidiomycetes

Illustration from the book Kunstformen der Natur, which is a collection of artistic lithographs of natural sciences published by the German biologist Ernst Haeckel between 1899 and 1904.

This naturalistic illustration is part of an overall style inspired by Ernst Haeckel, which greatly influenced the emerging Art Nouveau movement at the beginning of the ^20th century. This work, illustrating the impressive beauty and great diversity of the biological world, was complemented by a certain amount of scientific information, some excerpts of which are reproduced below.

This information is over 120 years old and some of it may be outdated!

Scientific classification:

 Phylum of fungi (Fungi or Mycetes)
Class Basidiomycetes
Legion of Hymenomycetes (Autobasidii)

Scientific notice (extract) accompanying the poster print of Basimycetes - Hymenomycetes :

The vast kingdom of true fungi is characterized by multicellular thallophytic organisms that are distinguished from other thallophytes by their lack of chlorophyll (green leaves) and by their associated saprophytic metabolism, feeding on organic matter from other organisms, similar to animals. This kingdom is divided into two classes, Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes, both of which reproduce by non-sexual germ cells or spores. The majority of Basidiomycetes are represented by the large and well-known tube-shaped fungi (Eumenomycetes). In addition, two more peculiar orders are added: the gasteroid fungi (Gastromycetes, Fig. 10) and the related phalloid fungi (Phallomycetes, Fig. 1-9). The peculiar fruiting body (sporothecium) of the latter is initially simple and egg-shaped, enclosed by a solid fruiting envelope (peridium). This remains at the bottom as a semi-spherical pocket, often divided into lobes at the top (volva), once the growing fruit support (receptacle) has pierced it from above. The latter is formed in the family Clathraceae (Fig. 3-9), it has a lattice-like structure, composed of branched bars, with the spore mass (gleba) inside. In contrast, the fruiting body of the Phallaceae (Fig. 1, 2) is a robust, hollow, cylindrical cone, bearing a head or cap, on which the spore mass is located outside.

Species present on the Hymenomycetes - Dictyophora naturalist board :

• Dictyophora madonna
• Phallus impudicus
• Aseroë rubra
• Clathrus cancellatus
• Clathrella crispa
• Clathrella pusilla
• Calathiscus sepia
• Simblum sphaerocephalum
• Anthurus borealis
• Geaster multifidus
• Coprinus comatus