82 



BOTANY. 



horse manure that has been kept covered with a glass for some 

 time, as described for Ascobolus. After two or three weeks 

 some of these fungi are very likely to make their appearance, 

 and new ones continue to develop for a long time. 



The first trace of the plant, visible to the naked eye, is a 

 little downy, white speck, just large enough to be seen. This 

 rapidly increases in size, becoming oblong in shape, and growing 

 B 



FIG. 48. A, young. B, full-grown fruit of a toadstool (Coprinus), x 2. C, 

 under side of the cap, showing the radiating " gills," or spore-bearing plates. 

 D, section across one of the young gills, x 150. E, F, portions of gills from 

 a nearly ripe fruit, x 300. sp. spores, x, sterile cell. In F, a basidium is 

 shown, with the young spores just forming. G, H, young fruits, x 50. 



finally somewhat darker in color ; and by the time it reaches 

 a height of a few millimetres a short stalk becomes percept- 

 ible, and presently the whole assumes the form of a closed 

 umbrella. The top is covered with little prominences, that 

 diminish in number and size toward the bottom. After the 

 cap reaches its full size, the stalk begins to grow, slowly at 

 first, but finally with great rapidity, reaching a height of 



