A MANUAL OF BOTANY 123 



the cap for siiiiiliirity of form and color. iMake a tcni})orary 

 mount of a small portion of the powder, and examine (lii) or 

 {hp). What do you see? These small objects are spores 

 that reproduce the plant. Where did they come from ? 

 Why are they so many and so small ? What is the color of 

 the print, and of the spores, under the microscope ? Draw 

 some spores. 



Decay of mushrooms. Permit a mushroom to decay. Com- 

 pare it with meat and vegetables; which does it resemble 

 in decay? Is it attacked by larvae or worms? What odor 

 has it ? Will mushrooms keep as long as potatoes or carrots? 



Light and mushrooms. INIush rooms are often grown in 

 dark cellars, caves, or in buildings without windows. Why 

 could you not grow green i[)lants in such pljices ? IMush- 

 rooms, like all fungi, lack chlorophyll. In food and light 

 requirements how do they resemble animals ? From your 

 study of various fungi, state some of the characteristics of 

 this plant group. 



Many mushrooms are poisonous. A very few {amanitas) 

 are, with certainty, deadly in their effect. They may be 

 known by : — 



1. White gills, whatever the cap color may be. 



2. A cup at the base of the stalk, into which the latter 

 fits. 



3. A ring on the stem, more or less like a folded 

 umbrella. 



4. Growth on the earth, not on stumps or wood. 



5. Grow solitary. 



Use. From the nature of the food of most forms, of what 

 value are these plants ? Of what use to man are some 

 kinds? (They are nitrogenous in composition.) 



Drawings of various species. Draw as many kinds as 

 you can find and have time to work with. Learn their 

 names, if possible, and their edible qualities or dangerous 

 characteristics. 



