in botany: A genus of the order of fungi, belonging to the cryptogamia class of plants. The fungus has vesicular heads supported by footstalks.—There are 12 species; the most remarkable of which are, 1. The sporocephalus, or grey round-headed mucor, growing upon rotten wood, and sometimes upon decayed plants and mosses. The stalks of this are generally black, about a line in height; bearing each at the top a spherical ball about the size of a pin's head; its coat or rind is covered with a grey powder, and containing within a black or fulvous spongy down. The coat bursts with a ragged, irregular margin. 2. The lichenoides, or little, black, pin-headed mucor. This species grows in groups near to each other, in chinks of the barks of old trees, and upon old park-pales. The stalks are black, about two lines in height; bearing each a single head, sometimes a double or treble one, of the size of mustard or poppy seeds, of a roundish figure at first, but when burst often flatish or truncated, and of a black colour. The internal powdered down is black, with a tinge of green. 3. The mucedo, or common grey mould, grows on bread, fruits, plants, and other substances in a putrid state. It grows in clusters; the stalks a quarter of an inch high, pellucid, hollow, and cylindrical; supporting each a single globular head, at first transparent, afterwards dark grey; which bursts with elastic force, and ejects small round seeds discoverable by the microscope. 4. The glaucus, or grey clutter-headed mould, is found on rotten apples, melons, and other fruits; as also upon decayed wood, and the stalks of wheat. These are of a pellucid grey colour; the stalks generally single, supporting a spherical ball, which, when magnified, appears to be compounded of numerous, fine, moniliform, necklace-like radii. 5. The crustaceus, or fingered mould, is frequent upon corrupted food of various kinds. It is of a white aqueous colour; the stalks single, each supporting at the top four or five necklace-like radii, diverging from the same point or centre. 6. The septicus, or yellow frothy mucor, is found on the leaves of plants, such as ivy and beech, &c., sometimes upon dry sticks, and frequently upon the tan or bark in hot-houses. It is of no certain size or figure, but of a fine yellow colour, and a substance resembling at first cream beat up into froth. In the space of 24 hours it acquires a thin filmy coat, becomes dry, and full of a foamy powder adhering to downy threads. The seeds under the microscope appear to be globular. Haller ranks it under a new genus, which he terms fuligo; the characters of which are, that the plants contained under it are soft, and like butter at first, but soon change into a black foamy powder.