MYCELIUM 19 



to the vegetable nature of the Myxomycetes, and consequently 

 regard the vegetative condition as upon an equality in function, 

 if not in structure, with the mycelium. This was clearly the 

 view of ]\I. Luveille, who termed it " a malacoid or pulpous 

 mycelium." We see no objection to its being called a Plas- 

 modium — the name does not alter its character or functions. 

 Dc Bary was content to admit that the wall of plasmodia, as 

 well as the cell-walls of spores and other parts, gave a distinct 

 cellulose reaction, and possil.)ly cellulose in some form is general 

 in ]\Iyxomycetes. And further, according to the same eminent 

 authority, the presence of cellulose is the only character show- 

 ing that these organisms are in touch with the vegetable 

 kingdom. This question we are not anxious to discuss further 

 here. Swarm-cells with the power of movement are produced 

 on germination from the spores of ]\Iyxomycetes ; these swarm- 

 cells ultimately coalesce and form a plasmodium, which is capable 

 of passing into a resting stage, and sometimes to become sur- 

 rounded by a colourless membrane. There are no threads or 

 filaments, as in a filamentous mycelium, neither in the sclerotioid 

 mycelium is there a similar resemblance ; in fact, there is no 

 greater difference between a plasmodium and a sclerotioid my- 

 celium than there is between a sclerotioid and a filamentous my- 

 celium. From the plasmodium are differentiated the carpophores, 

 the receptacles, and the fructification of a Fungus, even although 

 the Plasmodium or analogue of mycelium is not filamentous, but 

 rather resembles a sclerotiuni in a soft and pulpy condition. 



Theoretically, mycelium originates with the germ -tubes 

 which are protruded by spores or conidia upon their germina- 

 tion. It is easy enough to observe the process thus far, 

 produced artificially by placing the spores in a nutritive fluid, 

 but in the case of the larger Fungi the operation cannot be 

 carried much further under ordinary circumstances. In the 

 case of Agarics it is concluded that the mycelium produced by 

 a number of spores unite in the production of a single Agaric, 

 so that one specimen is the produce of several germinating 

 spores. We know that the soil contains a great mass of 

 mycelium in places where Fungi are found growing. Worth- 

 ington Smith says ^ that the Agarics of the autumn spring up 



' Reproduction in Coprinus, Grevillca, iv. (1876), p. 53. 



