AMANITOPSIS VAGINATA 



99 



The new spores which arise as tiny rudiments aie evidently being 

 produced here and there in the middle of spaces not occupied by 

 older spore-bearing basidia. Every series of basidia which at any 

 particular time are giving rise to rudiments of spores has the same 

 scattered arrange- 

 ment. Hence, of 

 course, it follows 

 that, in general, 

 basidia bearing 

 spores of about the 

 same age are scat- 

 tered over the hy- 

 menium and not 

 gathered into com- 

 pact groups. This 

 loose arrangement of 

 the basidia was 

 found to be charac- 

 teristic of pilei which 

 were just expand- 

 ing, pilei which were 

 well expanded, and 

 pilei which were 

 older and expanded 

 to the full limit. 



Amanitopsis 

 vaginata. — Tlie 

 fruit-body of this 

 common and beauti- 

 ful species differs 

 from that of Amanita rubescens and the Amanitae generally 

 in that, although possessing a volva at the base of the stipe, 

 it lacks an annulus (Fig. 44). The ensheathing volva is usually 

 half-hidden in the ground, but in a fruit-body which has 

 been carefully gathered it forms a conspicuous structure that is 

 large, upright, free, lax, and membranous (Fig. 45). The wedge 

 shape of the gills in transverse section, the slightly downward- 



FlG. 



"■*• ■* <- I 



44. — A fruit-body of Amanitopsis rar/iiiata. The 

 pileus is fully exi)antlecl and sliedditig spores. Tiie 

 stipe is surrounded at its base by the volva and 

 bears a few excreted water-drops. Photographed 

 at Sutton Park, Warwickshire, by J. E. Title3^ 

 About I natural size. The height was 4 inches. 



