TYPES OF AGARICINEAE 237 



A comparison of the structure of the hymenium in a considerable 

 number of Agaricineae has shown that each of the two general 

 types of fruit-body organisation is made up of several sub-types. 

 Now the Common Mushroom belongs to one of the sub-types. 

 In order to avoid confusion, therefore, it has been found necessary 

 to discard the term " Mushroom type " for one of the two generalised 

 types and to adopt a more precise nomenclature. The first of the 

 generic types, which includes all Agaricineae with the exception 

 of the Coprini, will be called the Aequi-hymeniiferous or Non- 

 Coprinus Type, and the second, which includes the species of the 

 genus Coprinus only, will be called the Inaequi-hymeniiferous or 

 Coprinus Type. The term aequi-hymeniiferous refers to the fact 

 that the hymenium of the fungi belonging to the first type develops 

 in an equal manner all over the surface of each gill both previously 

 to, and during the period of, spore-discharge ; whilst the term 

 inaequi-hymeniiferous indicates that the hymenium of the fungi 

 belonging to the second type develops in an unequal manner. 

 The basidia in an inaequi-hymeniiferous hymenium develop and 

 shed their spores in zones : a zone of spore-development, followed 

 by a zone of spore-discharge, passes from below upwards on each 

 gill. The Sub-types have been named after representative genera 

 and species. A full list of the Types and Sub- types of fruit-body 

 organisation which I have been able to distinguish is as follows : 



ORGANISATION OF SPOROPHORES 

 I. THE AEQUI-HYMENHFEROUS OR NON-COPRINUS TYPE 

 Includes all Agaricineae except Coprini. 



A. The Armillaria Sub-type. 



Examples : Armillaria mellea, Collybia velutipes, 

 Russula cyanoxantha, Pluteus cervinus, 

 Nolanea pascua. 



B. The Bolbitius Sub-type. 



Examples : Bolbitius flavidus, B. titubans. 



C. The Inocybe Sub-type. 



Examples : Inocybe asterospora, Galera tenera. 



