l6 Guide to the Mushrooms 



in the form of luilrs, scales or granular 

 dots. The edge of the cap is known as the 

 margin. 



When the cap first emerges, it is egg- 

 shaped, then it expands, 1)ecoming convex 

 in shape, and is finally almost flat or plane. 

 If the pilens is convex at matnrity, it is 

 said to l)e campanidate ; when there, is a 

 sharp depression at the center, it is umhili- 

 cate; if irregularly sunken, depressed; if 

 funnel shaped, Infundihidlform ; if there is 

 a sharp knol) at the center of the cap, it is 

 uuihonate; if the umbo is broad and rath- 

 er indistinct, the cap is called gibbous. 



Lamellae or Gills. — These are thin 

 blades on the underside of the pileus rad- 

 iating from the stem to the outer edge of 

 the cap. The tissue of which they are 

 composed is the liymenium, which is the 

 spore bearing cell. The color of this spore 

 bearing cell is not always indicative of the 

 color of the spores. The general shape of 

 the gill may be seen by cutting the pileus 

 in halves. The gills may be broad, narroiv, 

 lance-shaped (lanceolate). When the end 



