COPRINUS PLICATILIS 



41 



Fig. 24. — Coprinus jAicatilis. Semi-diagrammatic transverse 

 section (taken in a horizontal plane) through an expanding 

 pileus (cf. A in Fig. 25). The inner edges of tlie long gills 

 have already been pulled away from the stipo and the 

 interlamellar spaces a (t. are widening as the pileus expands. 

 The pileus-flesh 6 6 is divided by grooves c c whicli lead down 

 to loose tramal cells of the long gills ; by splitting down these 

 planes of weakness, tlie pileus is able to expand and become 

 plicate. The pileus-flesh is bounded on its outer side by the 

 palisade cells dd. Attached to the pileus-flesh are the long 

 gills and the short gills which alternate Mith one another. 

 The hymenium is made up of conspicuous sterile paraphyses 

 (a sheet of connected cells), trimorphic basidia bearing black 

 spores, and cystidia e e. The basidia project freely into the 

 interlamellar spaces. The cystidia on the sides of the gills 

 (pleurocystidia) e e appear to act as guards in tliat they pre- 

 vent opposing hymenia pressing against one another tluring 

 the development of the spores. There are also cystidia 

 (cheilocystidia)/ on the ends of the free edges of the sho'rt gills 

 and swollen cells g on the edges of the long gills. English 

 material. Magnification, 42. 



