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RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



basidia with young spores are shorter and less protuberant than 

 basidia with mature spores. During the development of the spores, 

 the basidium-body gradually elongates and so raises the spores into 

 a higher and higher position as they become more and more mature. 



Fig. 51. — Pluteus cervinus. Transverse section through the hymenium, about 

 the third day of the spore-discharge period, to show the relations of the cystidia 

 with the other lamellar cells : h, the hymenium ; s, the subhymenium ; t, the 

 trama. The two cystidia, a and b, spring from tramal cells and each bears 

 an apical crown of more or less recurved prongs. Their protoplasm encloses 

 large vacuoles, v, and the parts which project into the interlamellar space 

 have very thick walls, w. Other hymenial elements : c, collapsed basidia 

 which have discharged their spores ; d, basidia bearing ripe or almost ripe 

 spores, with basidial bodies of full length ; e, younger basidia with sterigmata 

 or very young spores, with basidial bodies still growing at their ends and 

 therefore not yet fully protuberant ; p, paraphyses. Magnification, 733. 



The end of the basidium, just beneath the sterigmata, becomes more 

 slender than the main shaft during the final lengthening of the 

 basidium-body and appears to be responsible for the elongation in 

 question. 



The paraphyses (Fig. 51, ^) are small somewhat oval cells, which 

 gradually swell in size as the hymenium becomes older and as more 

 and more basidia discharge their spores and collapse. They never 



