TERMITE FUNGI: A RKSUME. 325 



From that point the development varies. In one form the 

 mound of hyphse acquires a thick cartilaginous coat, and as it 

 elongates assumes a flask or bottle-like shape, sometimes 

 attaining a height of 4 cm. or more within the comb 

 chamber. The cartilaginous outer coat constitutes the 

 universal veil, and the gills begin to be differentiated within 

 it at an early stage. With further growth the apex of the 

 immature agaric is forced into the soil and gradually bores its 

 way to the surface. During this process the stalk increases 

 in thickness throughout its whole length to a diameter of 

 1-2 cm., and the cartilaginous coat becomes thinner upwards. 

 Finally, this outer coat ruptures, usually below the ground 

 level and below the level of the developing pileus. The 

 apical portion of it is carried up entire, so that, when the 

 agaric emerges from the ground, it consists of a white stalk 

 with an oval head, the head being covered with a cartilaginous 

 layer which sheathes the upper part of the stem and terminates 

 in a free, often recurved, edge below. The resemblance of this 

 to a Podaxon raises some doubt whether it has not been 

 regarded as such in some cases, though there are, of course, 

 valid records of Podaxon from the neighbourhood of termite 

 nests. Finalty, the covering of the head splits circumferen- 

 tially at the margin of the pileus, and the sheathing portion is 

 left as a ring on the stem. 



The stalk, in the form described, is almost of uniform 

 diameter throughout, brown with a cartilaginous coat below, 

 white and longitudinally fibrillose above, solid, fibrous 

 internally, furnished with a cartilaginous ring which has a 

 free margin above and below, and often with a few scattered 

 adherent patches of the same texture. This form is Berkeley's 

 Lentinus cartilagineus. The length of the stalk depends on 

 the distance of the comb below the ground ; specimens up to 

 50 cm. long have been found, but Gardner's " 4 feet " is 

 probably an exaggeration. 



While all stages of this " Lentinus " or "Armillaria " form, 

 from the first tuft of liyphse to the fully-expanded agaric, 

 have been obtained, the same has not been possible with the 

 second, the stages within the soil not having been observed in 

 the latter. The original mound of hyphae is the same, but 



