GASTEROMYCETES. 



[ 350 ] 



GASTEROMYCETES. 



Fig. 273. 



Clathrus 

 cancellatus. 



tissue traversed by transverse membranous 

 septa, and exhibits a tendency to split, like 

 an orange, into quarters. When 

 the peridium bursts, which it 

 usually does at the apex, the 

 central sporiferous structure 

 emerges, under various forms. 

 In Phallus it is a capitate or 

 clavate column ; in Clathrus 

 (fig. 273), an elegant, globular, 

 fleshy trellis ; in Aseroe, a co- 

 lumn with a stellate bead, &c. 

 In all cases, the spores, Avhicb 

 are developed on convolutions 

 of the fleshy sporiferous mass 

 (ffleba), on tjasidia, are found The sporiferous 

 detached and confluent into a ^'^'^^'^ : ^'•^'"'^ 



, • • 1 11 . , ji eniereed from 



wet Viscid mass aahermg to the the ruptured 

 sporiferous surface at the time peridium. 

 this has emerged from the ^-^"^'^ °^'^- '^^• 

 peridium and expanded to its full size. 

 This wet condition of the mature sporife- 

 rous layer is distinctive between the Phal- 

 loidei and the Hymenomycetes, to which 

 they bear many relations. 



The ITypogaei receive their name from 

 tbeir subterraneous habit of growth; in 

 which they resemble Truffles, a tribe of As- 

 comycetes bearing much external similarity 

 to these plants (see Tuberacei). The 

 general character is that of globular or de- 

 pressed balls, growing underground, sessile 

 on a flocculent mycelium. They exhibit a 

 peridium enclosing a fleshy r/leba, excavated 

 into sinuous cavities lined by a membrane 

 bearing basidiospores. Tliese fruits do not 

 burst, but set free their spores by decaying. 



Lastly, the Podaxinei bear much resem- 

 blance to the Trichogastres ; but they always 

 contain a central fleshy column, called the 

 hymenophore. The yoimg plants exhibit a 

 peridium passing internally into a fleshy 

 mass hollowed into labyrinthiform cavities 

 (fig. 275), with a solid column in the centre 

 of all. The cavities are lined by a mem- 

 brane bearing basidiospores (fig. 277). The 

 gleha sometimes breaks up into a pulverulent 

 mass of spores and filaments ; sometimes it 

 is permanent. The internal structiu-e of 

 this order presents many points of gi-eat 

 morphological interest, but rather as regards 

 the mode of arrangement and composition 

 of the tissues than the character of the ul- 

 timate elements themselves, which consist 

 of the ordinary filamentous interwoven tis- 

 sue of Fungi in the general mass of the 

 structure, and of globular loosely packed 

 cells in the sporiferous regions. 



Fiff. 274 



Fig. 275. 



Secotium erythrocephalum. 



Fig. 274. Natural size. 



Fig. 275. Vertical section. 



Fig. 276. Vertical section through the head, showing 

 the labyrinthiform cavities. 



Fig. 277. Portion of a septum dividing the loculi, bear- 

 ing basidia. Magnified 400 diameters. 



Synopsis of the Families. 



Podaxinei. Peridiutn dehiscent, en- 

 closing a sinuously excavated, fleshy, spori- 

 ferous mass, falling to powder or permanent 

 when mature, with a central solid column. 



Hypogjei. Pendium indehiscent, coat- 

 ing a fleshy, sporiferous mass. Subter- 

 raneous. 



Phalloidei. Peridium dehiscent, en- 

 closing a fleshy, sporiferous mass, which 

 emerges from the burst peridium as a club- 

 shaped or capitate column, or a globular 

 network of wrinkled fleshy precesses, coated 

 on the sporiferous surfoces with a dark- 

 coloured foul-smelling .slime (composed of 

 minute spores imbedded in mucus). 



Trichogastres. Peridium double, more 

 or less distinct, dehiscent, enclosing a mul- 

 tilocular, fleshy, sporiferous mass, which 

 finally breaks up into dust, without a cen- 

 tral column. 



