THE RECEPTACLE ' 33 



tively thick, and consists of an outer and inner layer, the 

 former breaking up as the cap expands, and adhering in 

 patches or scales, as in Agaricus procerus, whilst the inner 

 silky, fibrous layer is closely adnate to the flesh. Not uncom- 

 monly the cuticle, without breaking np, is finely striate with 

 innate silky fibrils, or shining with a satiny lustre. The flesh 

 beneath the cuticle differs somewhat in different species, in 

 texture and in comparative thickness, but is always thinnest 

 about the margin, sometimes scarcely exceeding that of the 

 cuticle. The cells of the fleshy substance of the pileus in 

 Agarics are more branched than those of the stipe. They will 

 form, by anastomosing and crossing each other, a sort of poly- 

 gonal trellis-work, and in the meshes so formed there is a 

 second system of larger cells. Corda alludes to them, especially 

 in the Bussulae, and he says, " These two forms are not always 

 neatly separated, but pass, as the organ requires, more or less 

 rapidly, one into the other, or, what is more rare, they are sub- 

 stituted the one for the other. These two forms of tissue take 

 part, generally both together, in the structure of the hymenium, 

 each giving birth, or both together, to one or many organs of 

 the hymenium." 1 



The lactiferous tubes in such a genus as Lactarius are often 

 of larger dimensions than the ordinary tissue, and M. de 

 Seynes protests against their being called " vessels," because, if 

 the cells are very long, yet it is possible to see that they 

 are divided transversely. In Fistulina, which contains an 

 abundant red juice but more fluid, it is contained in special 

 varicose and sinuous tubes, like the laticifers, but furnished 

 with transverse divisions. On approaching the gills the same 

 series of cells are curved and recurved, showing that the milky 

 secretion is there more abundant. As to the functions or 

 import of this juice, that is still an obscure point, for there are 

 so very many Agarics which do not possess it at all, or if pre- 

 sent, it is in smaller quantity, and not equally visible. It is 

 well enough known that in Lactarius the milky juice descends 

 into the hymenium, for if the gills are cut or bruised, it oozes 

 out, and hangs suspended in drops. When dried it is readily 

 seen to be resinous. 



1 Corda, Icones Fungorum. 



