64 



RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



i.e. on a unit area of the hymenium Stropharia semiglobata pro- 

 duces nearly three times as many spores as Coprinus comatus. In 

 other words, in the example chosen, as judged by the criterion of 



Fig. 40. — ^Comparison of the niimber of spores produced on equal 

 areas of hymenium in the Panaeolus and Comatus Sub-types of 

 hymenial organisation. A, exhausted hymenium of Stropharia 

 semiglobata. The basidia, b, are all collapsed and are known 

 by their sterigmatic stumps ; p, paraphyses ; c, a cystidiiim ; 

 IV, wasted spores. B, exhausted hymenium of Coprinus 

 comatus. The long basidia, I, and the short basidia, s, each 

 have four sterigmatic stumps ; p, paraphyses ; w, a wasted 

 spore. C shows a mass of spores equal in number to the sterig- 

 matic stumps in A ; while D shows a mass of spores equal 

 in number to the sterigmatic stumps in B. It is obvious 

 from an inspection of C and D that the Stropharia produced 

 about three times as many spores as the Coprinus per unit 

 area of the hymenium. Magnification, 352. 



the number of spores produced per unit area of the hymenium, the 

 Non-Coprinus Type is about three times as efficient as the Coprinus 

 Type. The difference in the number of spores produced per unit 

 area in the two Types is fundamental and is correlated with the 

 fact that on any small area of the hymenium, e.g. • 1 square mm., 

 in the Non-Coprinus Tjrpe several generations of basidia develop 

 and Uberate their spores in succession during a period of several 



