MR. GEORGE MASSEE ON THE THELEPHOREA. 119 
an unusual size. In some instances they spring from erect 
hyphe passing directly from the subiculum, in others terminate 
lateral projections of the corymbose basidia-bearing branches; 
both conditions may sometimes be seen in the same section. 
When quite young, they are perfectly smooth, and remain so for 
some time after having reached full size and performed their 
function as organs of transpiration, when the projecting portion 
becomes incrusted with amorphous masses of oxalate of lime, 
whieh renders them very brittle and easily broken off, leaving 
the hymenium perfectly glabrous. The function stated above is 
proved by the fact that under certain conditions minute drops of 
water may be seen to form on them, and also by the formation of 
external masses of oxalate of lime, which continue to increase in 
size and number due to escape of water containing this substance 
in solution. 
A third type of hymenial appendage, agreeing in some respects 
with what has already been described as occurring in Astero- 
stroma, is met with in Hymenochete under the form of projecting, 
thick-walled, brown aseptate hairs which spring from the colour- 
less thin-walled septate hyphe of the subiculum. 
Basidia are terminal cells of short branches usually arranged 
in a eorymbose manner packed close side by side, and form 
the hymenium. In the simpler forms, as Coniophora and Cor- 
ticium, the corymbose branches spring directly from prostrate 
hyphe of the dense subiculum; whereas in such genera as 
Stereum the hyphe growing erect from the subiculum form a 
complex interlaced weft, known as the subhymenial layer, before 
producing the basidia-bearing branches. In formthe basidia are 
clavate or obovate, and terminated by four more or less elongated 
filiform spicules or sterigmata; each sterigma becomes swollen 
at the apex. These swellings continue to grow for some time 
until a definite size and form is reached, being supplied with 
protoplasm from the basidia which passes along the sterigmata, 
when they are cut off from their support by transverse septa, 
and break away as ripe spores, which are always simple (unicel- 
lular), except in the genus Heterobasidium, colourless when young 
and also at maturity, except in the genera Coniophora, Thele- 
phora, and Heterobasidium, where the epispore 1s coloured. In 
Coniophora the spores are comparatively large, and before the 
epispore becomes coloured, reagents demonstrate the presence of 
