COPRINUS MICACEUS 337 



pointed toward the pileus-periphery and broad toward the stipe, 

 at first white, then from below upwards becoming brownish and 

 finally blackish. Their free margins are covered with large cystidia. 

 As the pileus expands, the gills become well separated from one 

 another, and then the large cystidia present upon their sides can 

 be seen as tiny pellucid pegs projecting freely into the inter lamellar 

 spaces (c/. Fig. 146, p. 325). Spore-discharge and autodigestion 

 begin at the base of the gills before the upper parts of the gills have 

 become completely blackened (Fig. 158, C and D, p. 354). 



The stipe near its base is • 4-0 • 8 cm. thick and tapers slightly 

 as it passes upwards, so that at its top it is often only • 2-0 • 4 cm. 

 thick (Fig. 149, p. 334). It continues to lengthen as the pileus 

 expands and whilst spore-discharge and autodigestion are taking 

 place, so that in the end it may become 8-11 cm. long. It is hollow 

 (Fig. 158, p. 354), brittle and whitish. 



The pleurocystidia at maturity are 100-150 jj- long, 40-65 ^ 

 wide, cylindrical or elongated-oval, equally rounded at both ends, 

 stalkless or with an extremely short stalk, and easily detached from 

 the gills which bear them. 



The globular cells which make up the scales on the top of the 

 pileus are colourless and have smooth walls from which crystals of 

 calcium oxalate are absent (Fig. 151, p. 339). The diameter of the 

 largest cells is about 65 ix, that of the smallest cells about 25 ^l, and 

 that of most of the cells from 40 to 50 /^. 



The spores have three differing dimensions : length, breadth, 

 and thickness. From above, they appear to be slightly oval 

 (Fig. 155, A, p. 346) and, when seen in side view upon the sterigmata 

 (Fig. 156, p. 348) or isolated in water, their diameters vary according 

 to the way they happen to be turned to the observer. The spores 

 are 8-11 fi long, 6-6-5 /a broad, and 5 /* thick. In water, a spore 

 is pointed at its basal end and somewhat flattened at its apical end, 

 while its maximum breadth is attained at a distance of about two- 

 fifths of its length from the basal end. Individual spores, when seen 

 in water under the microscope, are not deep black but brown. 

 Spore-deposits on white paper are blackish-brown. 



The fruit-bodies are densely caespitose and come up in woods, 

 hedgerows, etc., about stumps and buried roots. In England they 



VOL. III. ^ 



