262 ROMANCE OF LOW LIFE AMONGST PLANTS. 



spores, or only to a small extent, that the species is 

 perpetuated through the winter. The only alterna- 

 tive process appears to be by means of a perennial 

 mycelium. It is a well-known fact that the majority 

 of the terrestrial species have the base of the stem 

 attached to a thin delicate network of threads, which 

 interlace the soil, and is called the mycelium, or 

 spawn ; and it is upon this mycelium that the young 

 agarics are developed. The spawn of a mushroom- 

 bed is a case in point. This mycelium we know to 

 be perennial in very many species, possibly in all, 

 and that by resting in the soil, protected and unin- 

 jured through the winter, it is capable of reproducing 

 the species in the succeeding year. The occurrence 

 of the same agaric, upon the same spot, year after 

 year for many years, is in favour of this view. In all 

 the "fairy rings" this rejuvenation is doubtless due 

 to a perennial, hibernating mycelium, although it 

 may have originated or subsequently been augmented 

 by germinating spores. The only theory we can 

 propound for the perpetuation of the majority of 

 fleshy fungi is the persistency of the mycelium. 

 Unusually keen winters are generally succeeded by 

 an autumn conspicuous for the small number of indi- 

 viduals of the fleshy fungi, the inference is that the 

 mycelium has succumbed to the frost. 



Another view has been maintained amongst a few 

 mycologists, that it is not so much through the 

 mycelium that the species is perpetuated as by the 

 germination of the spores. It is admitted that the 

 spores are difficult to germinate artificially when 

 obtained direct from the mature agaric ; but it is 



