12 



MICROBES, FERMENTS, AND MOULDS. 



the support or covering of the spores, which are fixed 

 on the radiating lamellae that may be seen on in- 

 verting the umbrella (Figs. 2 and 3). This umbrella 

 or floral peduncle is the only part of the plant which 

 appears above the soil, or the organic substances on 

 which the fungus grows. 



But the really essential part of the plant is that 



Fig. 2. Section of one of the lamellce 

 of the umbrella of Agaricus c : 

 a, b, spores of the hymenium 

 (slightly magnified). 



Fig. 3 Spores of the hymenium, greatly 

 magnified, and resting on their supports 

 or Uasides, a. 



which does not appear on the surface; namely, the 

 white filaments or hyphce which creep along the soil, 

 the manure, or whatever supplies the nutritive matter, 

 and which represent at once the root, the stem, and the 

 branches of the plant ; this part is termed the mycelium. 

 We shall presently see that many of the lower fungi 

 are without the organ we have called the umbrella, and 

 which botanists term the hymenium or organ of repro- 

 duction, and consequently consist only of mycelium. 



