236 



THE NATURE BOOK 



The general construction of the Hymeno- 

 mxcctcs may be considered from the 

 appearance of the well-known Mush- 

 room as a type, the organisation and 

 reproduction scheme being the same. 

 This class includes nearly all the larger 

 Fungi, the name having reference to the 

 plant possessing a fruit-bearing surface. 

 The Fungus possesses : i, Mycelium, or 



THE FLY AGARIC. 

 Common in Birch and Fir woods. The cap is at first blood-red in colour. 



body ; 2, Receptacle ; 3, Reproductive 

 organs. 



The flesh-coloured gills of the Mushroom 

 have the Hymcnium or fruit-bearing sur- 

 face spread over them in the earlier 

 stages of its growth. Upon that surface 

 are the sporopJwrcs which bear the spores, 

 or seeds ; generally four in a group, and 

 possessing rudimentary stalks. These 

 spores, when germinated, produce again 

 a Mycelium possessed of the same 

 apparatus. 



All the classification of Fungus types is 

 very commonly determined from the 

 character of the spore. 



In the genus Agaricus there is division 

 into five series, determined by the colour 

 of the spores as white, pink, brown, purple 

 and black. The white-spored species 

 are the highest in type — firmer and more 

 persistent than those having coloured 

 spores. With the last-named there is a 



tendency to collapse easily, especially in 

 the case of the black Agarics. As com- 

 pared with other ])lants. the Fungi present 

 a singular phantasy of being, possessing 

 often an ephemeral existence largely 

 characterised by the matter from which 

 they are expressed. Sometimes one 

 species is found preying upon the decay- 

 ing substance of another, such as the 



slender silver- 

 grey Nyctalis 

 Parasitica, with 

 long curving 

 stems springing 

 from a stout 

 russet-brown 

 variety of 

 Agaricus. 



Without go- 

 ing further into 

 the profundities 

 of the construc- 

 tion and ex- 

 terior character 

 of the spores 

 themselves, the 

 under surface 

 of the Fungus 

 must be con- 

 sidered. The 

 character of the 

 gills, or Hyphce, 

 as they are 

 termed, is most 

 definite class dis- 



variable, 

 tinctions. 

 In the 

 gills are 

 whereas 



and forms 



Agarics, and allied tjqDCS, the 

 of loose flexible character, 

 in the perennial Fungi they 

 become very densely compacted, some- 

 times cork-like, or e\'en hard as wood 

 itself. Other species, again, have a granu- 

 lar liquid secreted in the HyphcB resem- 

 bling milk, from which fact the genus is 

 called Lactarius. 



The character of the stem, or stipe, 

 the absence or presence of the ring upon 

 it, the margin of the cap, or pilcus, and 

 general shape, the quality of its flesh and 

 colouring beneath the outer pellicle, are 

 all matters of consequence in classifying 

 species. The stem may be solid, semi-' 

 solid, or hollow, possessing a bulb-like base, 

 rootlets, or a long tap-root. 



The first illustration gives a good idea 

 of the Fly Agaric, classified as Amanita 



