﻿FUNGI 
  AND 
  FUNGOUS 
  DISEASES 
  OF 
  PLANTS 
  257 
  

  

  earth, 
  decaying 
  wood 
  (fig. 
  183), 
  or 
  other 
  nourishing 
  material. 
  1 
  

   In 
  its 
  growth 
  the 
  mycelium 
  helps 
  to 
  effect 
  decay, 
  and 
  may 
  

   thereby 
  enrich 
  soils, 
  or, 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  mushrooms 
  that 
  grow 
  upon 
  

   living 
  trees, 
  it 
  may 
  hasten 
  their 
  destruction. 
  At 
  times 
  aggre- 
  

   gations 
  of 
  the 
  mycelium 
  are 
  formed 
  ; 
  these 
  are 
  whitish, 
  bud- 
  

   like 
  growths 
  (called 
  buttons), 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  beginnings 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  FIG. 
  199. 
  The 
  "shaggy 
  mane" 
  mushroom 
  (Coprinus 
  comatus) 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  left 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  group 
  is 
  one 
  young 
  mushroom 
  just 
  emerging 
  from 
  the 
  soil. 
  

   The 
  tallest 
  plant 
  in 
  the 
  photograph 
  was 
  9J 
  inches 
  high. 
  From 
  A. 
  H. 
  R. 
  Buller's 
  

  

  " 
  Researches 
  on 
  Fungi 
  " 
  

  

  mushrooms. 
  They 
  grow 
  and 
  push 
  their 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  surface. 
  

   As 
  the 
  button 
  elongates, 
  its 
  top 
  begins 
  to 
  expand 
  into 
  the 
  

   umbrella-like 
  form, 
  and 
  finally 
  opens 
  out 
  as 
  the 
  crown, 
  or 
  

   pileus, 
  with 
  its 
  center 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  stalk 
  

   (stipe) 
  (figs. 
  199 
  and 
  200). 
  As 
  the 
  pileus 
  opens, 
  it 
  is 
  joined 
  

  

  1 
  "The 
  Principles 
  of 
  Mushroom 
  Growing 
  and 
  Spawn 
  Making," 
  Bulletin 
  <?5, 
  

   Bureau 
  of 
  Plant 
  Industry, 
  U.S. 
  Dept. 
  Agr., 
  1905. 
  The 
  United 
  States 
  De- 
  

   partment 
  of 
  Agriculture 
  publishes 
  several 
  bulletins 
  upon 
  poisonous 
  and 
  

   edible 
  fungi. 
  

  

  