182 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [MARCH 
exoperidium except at the base, and sinks to the ground from 
* its own weight (fig. ¢), after which it deliquesces, and leaves but 
a slight trace of itself around the base of the footstalk and 
exoperidium. 
The hyphz found imbedded in the volva extend inward and 
form the exoperidium in which three rather distinct zones occur. 
The first or outermost is composed of branching hyphez which 
run parallel with the periphery. In the middle zone the 
branching and anastomosing hyphe run in a radial direction, 
becoming thicker as they extend inward, and soon pass over into 
the third zone in which the hyphe are closely interlaced, and 
“ have their thick walls beset with numerous red granules. The 
hyphe of the outer and middle zones lie imbedded in a muci- 
laginous substance which when dry gives the exoperidium a~ 
horny consistency, but when moistened swells considerably. 
At first the hyphz of the innermost layer of the exoperid- 
‘ium pass inward and are in connection with those of the endo- 
peridium, but through the disintegration of the walls of the 
hyphe forming the inner portion of the granular zone a separa- 
tion soon takes place between these two layers. Owing partly 
to the distention of the endoperidium ‘with its contained ele- 
ments, and partly to the elongation of the footstalk in the region . 
between the exoperidium and the endoperidium, the former is 
ruptured more or less irregularly around the base, at the same 
time splitting from below upward into numerous laciniz, while 
not uncommonly a similar splitting may take place at the apex. 
As a result, the exoperidum becomes divided into numerous 
irregular segments which curl spirally either outward or inward, 
according as the ‘mucilaginous substance in its outer zone is 
dry and contracted or moist and swollen. In this manner the ~ 
exoperidium is finally removed by a process of peeling, so that 
in the more mature state little or none continues attached to the 
plant, the remainder ee about the base in the form of aesgee! 
Wieser ne ates aR tae en a ee ee oe ek 
a ; . ae a = " ae aap thick walle d closely ieee 
laced ise, and i is: of 3 an extern hard and. enduring « ear 
ce 
