BARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



197 



blunt, and nearly hemispherical, and from it radiates 

 a mass of branched threads from which the spores 

 are produced ; but as the evolution of the spores is 

 accompanied by the excretion of a large quantity of 

 a mucous substance, by which they are bound into a 

 compact mass, it is impossible to see the structure of 

 these threads until all the spores are washed away 

 by water. The aspect of the stems, before and after 

 the application of water, is represented under a 

 comparatively low magnifying power in Fig 127. 



From the latter the spores originate ; one, two, or 

 three spores could be seen still seated on the upper 

 end (fig. 12S). One point I could not determine, 

 although it is important, viz. : whether the spores 

 were produced separately from the basidia, so that as 

 each fell off its sterigma, its place was occupied by 

 another ; or the spores successively produced remained 

 united in a chain. At any rate, I was unable to see 

 any spores still concatenate. The affinity, however, 

 in other respects of my fungus with those previously 



- 9 — **^= 



Fig. 127. — Haplographium bicolor. X 150. 



Fig. 128. — H. bicolor; portion of the branched head 

 and spores. X 750. 



Koqo 



Fig. 129. — H. chlorocep/ialuin. a, stem, X 120 ; h, summit 

 of stem and spores, X 250. 



Fig. 130.—//. tenuissimnm. a, two stems, X 150 ; b, head of 

 branches ; c, spores, X 750. 



The threads which constitute the head are branched 

 in a penicillate manner, and form, when undisturbed, 

 an obconical or top-shaped mass ; under pressure 

 they spread out so as to radiate in all directions, and 

 can then be seen, by a high power, to spring from a 

 few oblong cells seated on the upper surface of the 

 topmost cell of the stem. The further end of each of 

 these gives rise to a cluster of branches, varying in 

 number from two to five, each of which similarly 

 produces in turn from two to seven ultimate basidia. 



enumerated renders it very probable that they were- 

 so. In conclusion I will give descriptions of the three 

 species of Haplographium now known in addition to- 

 Berkeley and Broome's. 



Haplographium, Berk, and Br. (1859). 



Flocci free, septate, dark-brown, sometimes penicil- 

 lately branched at the apex. Spores simple, conca- 

 tenate, hyaline. 



