340 



THALLOPHVTES. 



dark outer peridium, and composed chiefly of branches of hyphae running longitudinally 

 upwards (Figs. 229 and 230, ip). While this differentiation is proceeding from below 

 upwards, small mucilaginous areolae form at certain points in a deep layer of the white 

 air-containing medulla, also proceeding from below upwards, like all the succeeding 

 differentiations (Fig. 228, 5, and Fig. 229). The formation of mucilage advances at 

 the same time from the inner peridium inwards, and leaves round each of the muci- 

 laginous areolae a border of air-containing tissue (Fig. 229), which afterwards developes, 

 by the dense interweaving of its branched hyphae, into a firm envelope consisting of two 

 layers, in which the mucilaginous areola lies. Each of these areolae becomes a hyme- 

 nial chamber. While the centre of the Fungus is becoming changed into mucilage, 



FIG. 230. — Criicibiihitn vulffare; longitudinal section through the 

 upper part of the right side of the mature fructification, showing the 

 course of the filaments ; for the sake of clearness the number of filaments 

 has been reduced and their thickness increased. 



Fig. 231.— Longitudinal section of a nearly ripe 

 fructification of Phallus impiidicus immediately be- 

 fore the elongation of the stalk (J the natural size) ; 

 a outer layer of the peridium ; g its gelatinous layer ; 

 i inner peridium ; j^the stalk of the pileus t not yet 

 elongated, covered by the white honeycomb-like 

 ridges ; sp the dark -green mass of spores (gleba) ; 

 h hollow cavity of the stalk, filled with watery jelly ; 

 n the cup in which the base of the stalk remains after 

 its elongation ; x the place where the inner peridium 

 becomes detached by the elongation of the stem ; 

 m mycelial filament. 



the chambers grow into lenticular bodies ; a mucilaginous point has appeared at an 

 early stage on the lower and outer part of each chamber, and forms its umbilicus. 

 From it a denser bundle of threads runs downwards to the peridium, the umbilical 

 bundle (Fig. 229, «, and Fig. 230, ns)\ this is itself surrounded by a conical bag (/) 

 which surrounds the bundle like a loose sheath. This sheath eventually becomes 

 mucilaginous; the bundle runs upwards into the mucilaginous depression of the 

 umbilicus, where it is resolved into its threads which are now more loosely connected. 

 The mucilaginous tissue in the interior of each chamber disappears, leaving a len- 

 ticular space similar in form to the chamber itself; and from the inner layers of the 



