1-1     By:  Harris                                           S.C.R. No. 27

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 18, 1997; February 20, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;

 1-4     April 4, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 13,

 1-5     Nays 0; April 4, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-7           WHEREAS, The State of Texas has traditionally recognized a

 1-8     variety of terrestrial symbols as tangible representations of the

 1-9     proud spirit and heritage of our state; and

1-10           WHEREAS, The bluebonnet, the pecan tree, the armadillo, and

1-11     the lightning whelk are examples of some natural specimens that

1-12     serve to symbolize the great diversity of the Texas landscape, a

1-13     landscape that is unparalleled in both its scope and its rugged

1-14     beauty; and

1-15           WHEREAS, In keeping with this custom, the designation of the

1-16     Devil's Cigar Fungus as the Official State Fungus of Texas would

1-17     provide suitable recognition for this rare mycological inhabitant

1-18     of the Lone Star State; and

1-19           WHEREAS, The Devil's Cigar Fungus, known to scientists as

1-20     Chorioactis geaster, features a long, tapering, dark-brown

1-21     apothecium, which sometimes reaches a height of up to four inches;

1-22     and

1-23           WHEREAS, This distinctive fungus releases its spores in a

1-24     singularly dramatic fashion that earned the plant its common name;

1-25     when ready, the Devil's Cigar Fungus splits open with an audible

1-26     hiss, filling the air with a cloud of spores that waft away to help

1-27     ensure a future generation of life for the species; and

1-28           WHEREAS, An exceedingly unusual specimen, the Devil's Cigar

1-29     Fungus makes its home on decaying hardwood stumps and exposed roots

1-30     and grows domestically only in Central and North Texas, including

1-31     Travis, Tarrant, and Dallas counties; outside of Texas, it has been

1-32     found only in Japan; and

1-33           WHEREAS, The Devil's Cigar Fungus is as uncommon and striking

1-34     as the state that serves as its home, and its unique attachment to

1-35     Texas makes it a fitting symbol of the Lone Star State; now,

1-36     therefore, be it

1-37           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-38     hereby designate the Devil's Cigar Fungus as the Official State

1-39     Fungus of Texas.

1-40                                  * * * * *