] S British Ftmoi 



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sometimes from specialized portions of the sporopliore, 

 in considerable quantities. When outside the cell- 

 wall; the water evaporates, leaving the calcic oxalate 

 behind in the solid form. This deposit is most 

 abundant; as would be expected, on young sporo- 

 phores, being washed off by rain or dew as the fungus 

 becomes old. A very common, densely tufted, gill- 

 bearing fungus, with a fluted, ochraceous pileus, 

 called Cojyrinus rnicaceus, derives its specific name 

 from the dense layer of sparkling crystals of oxalate 

 of lime covering the young pileus, which resembles a 

 dusting of mica or crystallized sugar. As to whether 

 calcium oxalate is of any definite use to fungi is not 

 known ; it may possibly assist in some way in con- 

 nection with metaholism, or the transport of formative 

 material from the mycelium to the sporcphore during 

 its growth. 



The texture of the tissue forming the sporophore 

 varies considerably in different groups, and in many 

 cases is very different in different species belouging to 

 the same genus. In the small, short-lived, gill-bearing 

 fungi the stem generally consists of rows of hvphge 

 more or less parallel to its length, but at the same 

 time more or less branched and intertwined. The 

 hyphee as a rule are more compact and thicker- walled 

 towards the periphery, and usually disappear in the 

 centre with age, leaving the skin more or less com- 

 pletely hollow. The surface of the pileus is also more 

 compact than the inner portion or '^flesh,^'' and very 

 frequently presents a smooth and polished appearance, 

 due to the gelification of the walls of the superficial 

 hyphse, which afterwards stick together and form a 



