ANATOMY OF FUNGI 41 



sporophore is often termed a stroma, the conception of 

 which is a more or less fleshy, erect, or broadly effused 

 sporophore, as in Hypoxylon^ having numerous perithecia 

 or flask-shaped fruit-cases containing asci embedded in its 

 substance. A stroma may be considered as a compound 

 fruit in the same sense as the mulberry and pine-apple are 

 spoken of as compound fruits ; each perithecium enclosed 

 in the stroma being an entity, in the sense of originating 

 from an independent sexual act that is, if the sexual organs 

 are of functional value at the present day. 



The greatest variety in form and structure presented by 

 the sporophore is met with in the Basidiomycetes. In 

 the simpler forms, as Corticium, it forms a broadly effused 

 crust firmly attached to the substratum at every point, and 

 covered everywhere on the upper free surface with the 

 hymenium or specialised spore-bearing surface. Such a 

 sporophore is described as being resupinate or adnate. In 

 the genus Stereum we get a first glimpse of the structure, 

 which, after considerable evolution in the various families 

 of the Basidiomycetes, results in the parasol-shaped 

 structure met with in Agarics or toadstools. In some 

 species of Stereum the whole of the sporophore is 

 resupinate and everywhere firmly attached to the sub- 

 stratum, as in Corticium. This occurs when the fungus is 

 growing on the upper surface of wood lying on the 

 ground that is, where the surface of the fungus is parallel 

 with the ground. On the other hand, when the same 

 species is growing on a vertical log, it commences as 

 a resupinate patch, but not infrequently the edge of the 

 sporophore farthest removed from the ground becomes free 

 and grows out more or less at right angles to the log. 

 Here we have the first indication of the inferior hymenium 



