By Harris                                       S.C.R. No. 27

      75R4157 WMS-D                           

                                CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, The State of Texas has traditionally recognized a

 1-2     variety of terrestrial symbols as tangible representations of the

 1-3     proud spirit and heritage of our state; and

 1-4           WHEREAS, The bluebonnet, the pecan tree, the armadillo, and

 1-5     the lightning whelk are examples of some natural specimens that

 1-6     serve to symbolize the great diversity of the Texas landscape, a

 1-7     landscape that is unparalleled in both its scope and its rugged

 1-8     beauty; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, In keeping with this custom, the designation of the

1-10     Devil's Cigar Fungus as the Official State Fungus of Texas would

1-11     provide suitable recognition for this rare mycological inhabitant

1-12     of the Lone Star State; and

1-13           WHEREAS, The Devil's Cigar Fungus, known to scientists as

1-14     Chorioactis geaster, features a long, tapering, dark-brown

1-15     apothecium, which sometimes reaches a height of up to four inches;

1-16     and

1-17           WHEREAS, This distinctive fungus releases its spores in a

1-18     singularly dramatic fashion that earned the plant its common name;

1-19     when ready, the Devil's Cigar Fungus splits open with an audible

1-20     hiss, filling the air with a cloud of spores that waft away to help

1-21     ensure a future generation of life for the species; and

1-22           WHEREAS, An exceedingly unusual specimen, the Devil's Cigar

1-23     Fungus makes its home on decaying hardwood stumps and exposed roots

1-24     and grows domestically only in Central and North Texas, including

 2-1     Travis, Tarrant, and Dallas counties; outside of Texas, it has been

 2-2     found only in Japan; and

 2-3           WHEREAS, The Devil's Cigar Fungus is as uncommon and striking

 2-4     as the state that serves as its home, and its unique attachment to

 2-5     Texas makes it a fitting symbol of the Lone Star State; now,

 2-6     therefore, be it

 2-7           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

 2-8     hereby designate the Devil's Cigar Fungus as the Official State

 2-9     Fungus of Texas.