4 FUNGUS-FLORA. 



The mycelium or vegetative portion of a fungus, being 

 concerned in obtaining and assimilating food, is iisually 

 buried in the substratum or matrix from wliich the fungus 

 obtains its food, whereas the portion that appears in the air 

 has to do entirely with the reproductive phase, in other 

 words is either directly or indirectly concerned with the 

 production of spores, and collectively constitutes the sporo- 

 plwre, which in turn receives special names in the diiierent 

 groups, or in complicated cases different parts are in- 

 dividualised ; for example, in the common edible mushroom 

 (^Agaricus cam/pestris), the vegetative portion or mycelium is 

 buried in the ground, the whole of the above-ground 

 structure being the highly differentiated sporophore, con- 

 sisting of a stipe or stem, and a pilcus or cap, A veil is al.so 

 present in the form of a thin membrane stretched from the 

 stem to the margin of the pileus for the purpose of protecting 

 the gills during the young stage, while the spores are 

 growing, the whole of this complex sporophore being for the 

 purpose of producing spores on the gills or lamellae, protecting 

 them during their development, and assisting in their 

 dispersion at maturity. 



In addition to the two primary groups of fungi indicated 

 above there exist others, included under the families known 

 as Hypliomycetes, Melanconieae, &c. Most of the forms in- 

 cluded in these families are minute, and popularly known as 

 * moulds,' ' mildews,' &c. ; many such have of late years 

 been proved to be phases in the life-cycle of higher fungi, 

 mostly belonging to the Ascomycetes. Kumerous species, 

 however, yet remain without any indicated connection with 

 higher forms, and consequently must for the present be 

 considered as species. 



Fuller morphological and physiological information re- 

 specting the fungi, in addition to their evolution and inter- 

 relationship, will be found in a work I have previously 

 written on Cryptogamic Botany.* 



* ' The Evolution of Plant Life : Lower Forms.' 



