LEPIOTA PROCERA 



27 



one could definitely determine whether or not the underlying 

 organisation of the hymenium of Lepiota procera resembles that of a 

 Panaeolus in detail would be to watch the development of one and 

 the same small area of the hymenium for several hours with the 



Fig. 17. — Lepiota j^rocera. A, hymenium in a surface view showing spores on 

 present-generation basidia, b, and prominent coming-generation basidia, c, which 

 have not yet developed spores. B, vertical section through part of a gill show- 

 ing : the hymenium, h, made up of basidia in various stages of development and 

 of sterile paraphyses; the compact subhymenium, s; and the loose trama, t. 

 C, a part of B more highly magnified : h, the hymeniiun ; s, the subhymenium ; 

 and t, part of the trama ; a, a collapsed past-generation basidium ; b, present- 

 generation basidia ; c, coming-generation basidia ; d, future-generation basidia ; 

 e, sterile paraphyses, left unshaded so that they may be readily distinguished 

 from the basidia. D, two spores highly magnified, showing their thick walls. 

 Magnification : A, about 290 ; B, 76 ; C, 293 ; D, 746. 



microscope and observe the order in which the basidia produce and 

 liberate their spores. 



In the hymenium of Lepiota procera, in a general way, one can 

 distinguish the following elements : past-generations-basidia (Fig. 17, 

 a in C), present-generation basidia (6 in C and A), coming-generation 

 basidia (c in C and A), future-generations basidia [d in C), and para- 

 physes (e in C). The spores have unusually thick walls for colourless 

 spores, and it is probable that, in correlation with this fact, the spores 



