FUNGI. 



253 



and from the inner layers of the hyphae of the sporangium branches now arise which 

 are directed inwards and form the hymenium. Each sporangium is therefore clothed 

 on its inner surface by a hymenial layer formed of paraphyses and basidia ; each of the 

 basidia produces four spores on short stalks. As the Fungus matures, the upper part of 

 the peridium becomes stretched and flat, forming the Epiphragm, it afterwards ruptures 

 and disappears, and the Fungus thus opens into a cup. The mucilage which sur- 

 rounds the sporangia dries up, and the sporangia now lie free in the cup formed 

 by the peridium, held by their umbilical bundles, which, when moistened, may be 

 drawn out into long threads. If we 

 imagine the sporangia more nume- 

 rous and more closely packed and 

 with less dense walls, we obtain an 

 explanation of the roundish cell-like 

 loculi which occur in the receptacles 

 of other Gasteromycetes (as Octa- 

 viania, Scleroderma, &c.). 



Still more remarkable are the 

 changes produced in the Phalloi- 

 desB by internal dilTerentiation of 

 the tissues ; but of these only the 

 most important points can be illus- 

 trated in the case of Phallus impu- 

 d'lcus. Here also the young recep- 

 tacle, formed on the underground 

 perennial mycelium which consists 

 of thick threads, is at lirst a homo- 

 geneous convolution of threads, in 

 which the differentiation begins and 

 advances during growth. When the 

 body has attained the size and form 

 of a hen's or even a goose's Q^'g^ a 

 longitudinal section gives the appear- 

 ance represented in Fig. 178. The 

 tissue consists at this time of dif- 

 ferent portions which may be classi- 

 fied into four groups — (i) The 

 Peridivmi, composed of an outer 

 firm, thick, white membrane (a), of 

 an inner white, firm, but thin mem- 

 brane (/■), and of an intermediate 

 thick layer of mucilaginous hyphae 

 (^) (the gelatinous layer). (2) The 

 Spore-forming apparatus or Gleba 



(j/»), bounded on the outside by the inner peridium (/'), on the inside by a firm thick layer 

 {t) from which walls project outwards united in a honeycomb manner dividing the 

 gleba into a number of chambers. In these chambers the fertile branches of the hyphse 

 are found in great numbers, and on their basidia are formed four or more spores ; so 

 that, when ripe, the dark-green gleba appears to consist almost entirely of spores. 

 (3) The Stem {st\ formed of air-containing tissue hollowed into a large number of 

 very narrow chambers ; it is hollow, that is, its axial portion is transformed into a deli- 

 quescent jelly ; the canal thus formed is open above in some individuals, in others it is 

 closed by the inner peridium. (4) The Gup («) forms a low broad column of firmer 

 tissue, the outer part running upwards into the inner peridium, and sending up at the 

 same time a layer which becomes softer between the stem and the inner membrane of 



Fig. xii .—Crucibultim vulgare; longitudinal section through the 

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

 course of the filaments ; for the sake of clearness tlie number of fila- 

 ments has been reduced and their thickness increased. 



