THE FRUCTIFICATION 43 



Hymenomycetes, and that it is scarcely probable that sexuality 

 exists. 



The contents of the closed receptacle of the second type 

 enumerated in the preceding chapter — the peridium — differ in 

 some features from the foregoing, although they accord in the 

 spores being produced upon basidia. In this case there is no 

 effused and exposed hymenium, but the interior of the peridium 

 is occupied and filled with the gleba, or entire reproductive 

 mass, which is at first homogeneous. Afterwards minute rifts 

 are to be observed in the gleba, which increase in size, and 

 ultimately form a labyrinth of cavities. The walls of these 

 cavities are composed of hyphae, and the inner face is converted 

 into a hymenium, the basidia of which are the 

 terminations of the hyphae of the walls. These 

 basidia are more variable than in the Hymeno- 

 mycetes, and the number of spores not so 

 constant (Fig. 23) : in the JBymenogastreae from 

 one to four; in the Phalloideae from four to 

 eight; in Bovista and Lycoperdon four and 

 terminal ; but in Tulostoma four and lateral. 

 Hence it will be observed that the spores are FlQ - 23.— B 



, n ,.,. .,,. ., ... , dium and spores 



produced on basidia, within special cavities and i Lycoperdon. 

 lining the walls ; but the entire mass, or 

 gleba, is contained within a closed peridium, which is not 

 ruptured until the spores are mature. When this takes 

 place the entire gleba will be found in most cases (exclusive 

 of the Phalloideae and the Nidulariacei) to be converted into a 

 finely pulverulent mass, mixed with fine fibres. The powdery 

 mass consists of the ripe spores, and the fine fibres are the 

 remains of the internal hyphae, now called the eapillitium. 

 In the Hymenogastreae, which are the subterranean Gastro- 

 mycetes, the walls of the cavities are more persistent, and 

 therefore there is no capillitium, and the peridium is not 

 ruptured when mature. One or two features of the spores are 

 in contrast with those of the Hymenomycetes, that they are for 

 the most part coloured, often warted, or spinulose, whereas the 

 majority are also globose in form, except in the subterranean 

 species. The basidia can be seen only whilst the gleba is 

 young, for before the spores are mature they are dissolved away 



