172 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



We have read in Chapter I. a little of the work of bacteria 

 and moulds ; mushrooms also share in this work. 



Where do mushrooms bear their spores P Cut off 



the stem of a common mushroom. Lay the cap carefully on a 

 sheet of paper, gills downwards. After several hours there will 

 be a pretty spore print on the paper. The fine powder is the 

 spores. When the spores lodge in a place with sufficient 

 moisture, they send out delicate white threads, which grow 

 mostly underground, but you can see them on the surface under 





Fig. 177. — Photograph of a mushroom (^Amanita), showing the ring {^annuhis) 



and cup {voli'o). 



trees during the rainy season. They look like masses of wet 

 cotton-wool. This is what mushroom gardeners call spawn. 

 It takes up moisture and food from the soil, and as it may grow 

 underground for months, it is no wonder that when mushrooms 

 come they seem to " spring up in a night." They start as buttons 

 on the spawn, and may get quite large before we notice them. 



One common mushroom, which is often cultivated for the 

 table, has pink gills (the spores are at first pink), which after a 

 time turn brown. It has a white or brownish cap and a ring 

 around the stem. 



The mushroom in Fig. 177 has a ring which shows in 



