456 Vmverdty of Californm Publications in Botany [Vol. 7 



The filaments which constitute the solid portion of the sporophore 

 arc ill tlioir vonngrcr stages similar to the larger hyphae which make 

 np the vegetative mycelium (fig. 4, pi. 54). As the fruit bodies become 

 older the segments lengthen, and the walls thicken until they are about 

 eipial in thickness to the width of the lumen (fig. 5, pi. 53). When 

 the microscope is focused up and down upon thick sections cut trans- 

 versely across the hyphae it is seen that the filaments are loosely 

 coiled in a fairly regular spiral, some turning clockwise and others 

 counter-clockwise. In old sporophores the hyphae adhere tightly to 

 each other wherever they are in contact. In the earlier thin-walled 

 state the segments are filled with cytoplasm and have two typical, 

 small nuclei. This is precisely the situation found by Harper (1902) 

 in Coprinus ephemerus and Hypochnus suhtilis. Clamp connections 

 are numerous, but no spine-like tubercles appear. The protoplasmic 

 contents of the thick-walled hyphae of older sporophores are masked 

 by the walls to such a degree that the number of nuclei present can- 

 not be determined. In Coprinus ephemerus (Harper, 1902) there are 

 many nuclei in the old "cells" of the pileus and stipe. Maire (1900) 

 found the same to be true in a large number of the fleshy Agaricaceae 

 which he had examined. 



The subhymenial layer is composed of hyphae which are thin- 

 walled, and which retain the characters displayed by all the hyphae 

 in their earlier state. Branching is common, and clamp connections 

 are plentiful. There are two nuclei to each segment. The segments 

 are rich in cytoplasm. 



The basidia are borne at the ends of thin-walled hyphae. They 

 are only slightly larger in diameter than the hyphae which bear them. 

 All the elements in the hymenium are similar (fig. 6, pi. 54), that is 

 there is no distinction between potential basidia and paraphyses. 

 Mature basidia project beyond the hymenial surface. The basidia 

 come to maturity in succession, only a few in a relatively large area 

 being found with spores attached at any one time. The basidia meas- 

 ure 5 by 20/x. Each has four long, slender sterigmata and bears four 

 spores. Immature basidia display two nuclei. No fusion of these 

 nuclei has been observed, but in later stages four have been seen. It 

 is therefore presumed that the usual fusion and two successive divi- 

 sions, as described by Wager (1893), Maire (1900), and Harper 

 (1902), have taken place. 



The spores en masse are white. When seen with the microscope 

 they are nearly hyaline and of an olive green shade. There is a con- 



