THE CLASSIFICATION OF MUSHROOMS 



up the study of books designed particularly 

 to guide one in the identification of mush- 

 rooms. 



The Basidiomycetes are the predominant 

 fleshy fungi. They are all characterized by 

 the development of a sporophore or fruit- 

 body (that which is called the ''mushroom," 

 ^'toadstool," ''punk," etc.), frequently of 

 large size and of most diverse form, size, 

 and color. In certain areas the sporophore 

 is differentiated into a spore-bearing surface. 

 If sectioned and examined microscopically 

 this fruiting surface is found to consist of a 

 close layer from which arise ordinarily in 

 a palisade manner certain clavate branches 

 called basidia, each basidium producing, as 

 a rule, four spores. 



This is but one of the orders of the fungi. 

 It comprehends numerous families, but for 

 our purpose it is enough to indicate briefly 

 and successively the characteristics of five 

 of these, namely, Agaricacece (gill fungi), 

 Polyporacece (pore-bearing), HydnacecB 

 (with tooth-like structures), Clavariacece 



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