FUNGUS-CELLULOSE. 79 



up by the entire preparation. By after-treatment 

 with absolute alcohol, the coloring matter is re- 

 moved from the cellulose portions, remaining only 

 in those which are corky. 1 



FUNGUS-CELLULOSE. 



In 1866 De Bary gave this name to the sub- 

 stance composing the cell-walls of fungi. 2 Pre- 

 viously (1852) Schacht had shown 3 that these 

 walls were very resistant to micro-chemical re- 

 agents, and especially that the reaction character- 

 istic of pure cellulose seldom succeeds. Since 

 then, the names fungine and metacellulose have 

 been given to this doubtful substance. Recently 

 Richter has succeeded in showing that the walls 

 of hyphae are, in reality, formed of cellulose as a 

 fundamental substance, 4 its detection being ren- 

 dered difficult by the presence of infiltrated mat- 

 ters, possibly of a protein nature. 



After fungus tissues have been treated with con- 

 centrated potash, frequently renewed, for several 

 weeks, and especially after they have been finally 

 boiled in this fluid, they assume a blue color with 



1 Olivier : Note sur le systeme te"gumentaire des racines chez les Pha- 

 ne*rogames. Bull. Soc. hot. de France, 1880, T. XXVII., pp. 234-235. 



2 De Bary : Morphol. u. Physiol. d. Pilzen, Flechten u. Myxomyceten, 

 p. 7, et seq. 



3 Schacht : Pflanzenzelle, p. 9. 



4 Richter : Beitr. z. genaueren Kenntniss d. chem. Beschaffenheit. d. 

 Zellmemb. bei den Pilzen. Sitzber. wiener Akad., 1881, Bd. LXXXIL, 

 Abth. i. 



