158 



RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



As such a young mycelium grows older, as shown in Fig. 88, the 

 hyphal fusions become more and more numerous until at length 

 the whole mycelium is converted into a closely-woven three- 



FiG. 88. — Coprinus sterquilinus, a homothallic Hymenomycete. Diagram of 

 an older mycelium in the diploid phase : a, a basidiospore which has ger- 

 ■ minated ; b b and c c, leading radial hyphae, now all bearing clamp - 

 connexions d d at regular intervals ; e e, lateral liyphae in the older part 

 of the mycelium growing irregularly, many of them have established 

 anastomoses as at / /, so that the myceliiun is becoming converted into a 

 closely meshed three-dimensional network. Highly magnified. 



dimensional network. It may therefore be safely inferred that, 

 when a myceUum has penetrated throughout a horse-dung ball, 

 its hyphal fusions must number tens of thousands. 



An older part of an actual mycelium of Coprinus sterquilinus, 

 0-15 square mm. in area, is shown in Fig. 89. Its hyphal fusions, 



