The species of _Coprinus_ appear to find suitable habitats in every quarter of the globe.
The _Cortinariæ_ predominate in the north; they abound in Northern latitudes, especially on wooded hills; but the plains offer also some peculiar species which flourish during the rainy days of August and September. In less cold countries they are more scarce or entirely absent. The species of the genus _Hygrophorus_ would at first seem to have a similar geographical distribution to those of the last group; but this is really not the case, for the same _Hygrophori_ are to be found in nearly every country of Europe, and even the hottest countries (and those under the equator) are not destitute of representatives of this wide-spread genus.
The _Lactarii_, which are so abundant in the forests of Europe and North America, appear to grow more and more scarce towards both the south and north. The same may be stated in regard to _Russula_.
The genus _Marasmius_ is dispersed throughout the globe, and everywhere presents numerous species. In inter-tropical countries they are still more abundant, and exhibit peculiarities in growth which probably might justify their collection into a distinct group.
The genera _Lentinus_ and _Lenzites_ are found in every region of the world; their principal centre, however, is in hot countries, where they attain a splendid development. On the contrary, towards the north they rapidly decrease in number.
The _Polypori_ constitute a group which, unlike that of the Agarics, especially belongs to hot countries. The _Boleti_ constitute the only exception to this rule, since they select the temperate and frigid zones for their special abode, and some of them at times find their way to the higher regions of the Alps. No one can describe the luxuriance of the torrid zone in _Polypori_ and _Trametes_, genera of _Hymenomycetes_, which flourish beneath the shade of the virgin forests, where perpetual moisture and heat promote their vegetation and give rise to an infinite variety of forms. But though the genus _Polyporus_, which rivals _Agaricus_ in the number of its species, inhabits, in preference, warm climates at large, it nevertheless exhibits species peculiar to each country. This arises from the circumstance that the _Polypori_, for the most part, live upon trees, and are dependent on this or that particular tree for a suitable habitat; and the tropical flora being prolific in trees of all kinds, a multitude of the most varied forms of these fungi is a necessary consequence. _Hexagona_, _Favolus_, and _Laschia_ are common in inter-tropical countries, but they are either entirely absent or extremely rare in temperate climes.