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RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



from which the spores have been removed, drawn with the camera 

 lucida. The long basidia are shaded, the short left plain, and the 

 positions of the sterigmata are indicated by dots. It will be noticed 

 that the basidia are all isolated from one another, their separation 

 being effected by the intervening paraphyses. From six to eight 

 paraphyses surround each individual basidium. The paraphyses 

 adhere closely together and thus form a continuous system, which 

 may be thought of as a hymenial pavement in which the basidia 

 A B 



Fig. 61. — C'oprinus comatus. Arrangement of the dimorphic basidia. A, a 

 camera-lucida sketch of a surface view of the liymenium after the removal 

 of tlie spores. The long basidia, I, are shaded with Hnes, and the short 

 basidia, s, are left unshaded. Paraphyses, p, separating adjacent 

 basidia. B, a similar sketch to that shown at A but with the paraphyses 

 and sterigmata left out. The dotted lines of organisation have been 

 added arbitrarily by the author. In general, along any one of these 

 lines there is an alternation of long and short basidia, I and s. Mag- 

 nification, 293. 



are set at intervals. The paraphyses appear to have several 

 functions to perform : (1) they act as space-making agents for 

 separating adjacent basidia ; (2) by gradually increasing in size 

 laterally after the basidial bodies have been formed, they assist 

 in extending the area of each gill and in thus helping to expand the 

 pileus ; (3) they give mechanical support to the individual basidia, 

 particularly the long ones which, unless altered in shape, could 

 scarcely stand upright without their assistance ; and (4) they prob- 

 ably act as nurses to the basidia, when these are developing, by 

 supplying them with water and food substances. The fact that, 

 in the Coprinus Type of fruit-body, the basidia on any small area of 



