156 



BASID10MYCETKS. 



Auricularia sambucina (Auricula judce), Judas'-ear, has large fruit-bodies, 

 which may attain the size of several inches, resembling an ear or a mussel shell. 

 In the moist condition they are flesh-coloured, tough and gelatinous, but when 

 dried, become hard, grey and wrinkled ; the exterior is covered with short hairs ; 

 while the internal surface bears the hymenium. Habitat : stems and branches 

 of old Elder- trees (Sambucus). 



Order 3. Tremellaceae. The round, pear-shaped, longitudinally 

 divided basidia bear 4 elongated sterigmata, situated apically, and 4 

 basidiospores (Fig. 160 C, D), and are united 

 into the hymenium on the surface of the 

 fruit-body. The fruit-bodies are frequently 

 gelatinous and quivering ; similar fruit- 

 bodies are also found in the Dacryomyce- 

 taceas and HydnaceaB. Simple conidiophores, 

 which appear not unfrequently in the basi- 

 diocarps, before the basidia, are known in 

 many species. Saprophytes. 



Exidia has kidney-shaped, oblong basidiospores, 

 and small, hook-like conidia ; E. glandulosa, E. albida, 

 etc., on wood. Craterocolla has conidiocarps ; C. cerasi 

 on Cherry-wood. Sclacina incrustans ; the yellow, 



& D 



FIG. 159. Peridermium 

 trobi : secidia of Cronar- 

 tiuin ribicola (nat. size). 



FIG. 160. B Auricularia samlucina : a-d basidia in vari- 

 ous stages of development; e a sterigma bearing a spore. 

 C Trcmella hitescens : a-d basidia seen from various sides 

 (b from above) and in various stages of development; 

 e sterigma with basidiospore (x 400). D Exidia glandu- 

 losa : a-c various stages in the development of a basi- 

 dium; d sterigma with basidiospore (x 350). 



fleshy, or cartilaginous fruit-bodies are found in autumn covering the ground in 

 moist woods. Tremclla has round basidiospores ; T. mesenterica has irregularly- 



