CRYPTOGAMS 



327 



FIG. 466. Spore print of a 

 gilled mushroom. 



of this expanded fruiting membrane that the class of mush- 

 rooms we are considering gets its botanical name, Hymeno- 

 mycetes, membrane fungi. The hymenium is not always 

 borne on gills, but is arranged in various ways which serve 

 as a convenient basis for distinguishing the different orders. 

 In the tube fungi, to which the edible 

 boletus belongs (Figs. 464, 465), the 

 basidia are placed along the inside of 

 little tubes that line the under side 

 of the pileus, giving it the appear- 

 ance of a honeycomb. In another 

 order, the porcupine fungi, they are 

 arranged on the outside of project- 

 ing spines or teeth, while in the 

 morelles they are held in little cups 

 or basins. 



376. Spore prints. --When the 



gills are ripe, they shed their spores in great abundance. 

 Take up the pileus that was laid on paper, as directed under 

 Material, on page 323, and examine 

 the print made by the discharged 

 spores; it will be found to give an 

 exact representation of the under side 

 of the pileus. 



377. The spores. Notice the color 

 of the spores as shown in the print. 

 This is a matter of importance in dis- 

 tinguishing gill-bearing fungi, which are 

 divided into five sections according to 

 the color of the spores. One source of 

 danger, at least, to mushroom eaters 

 would be avoided if this difference was 

 always attended to, for the deadly 

 amanita (Amanita phalloides) and the 

 almost equally dangerous fly mushroom 

 (A. muscaria) both have white spores, 



FIG. 467. Deadly agaric 

 (Amanita phalloides), show- 

 ing the broad pendent annu- 

 lus, a, formed by the rup- 

 tured veil ; the cup at the 

 base, c, and floccose patches 

 on the pileus, left by the 

 breaking up of the volva. 



