CHAPTEK III 



THE CAEPOPHORE 1 



The mycelium, in all its forms and variations, is but the 

 prelude and preparation for the development of such parts or 

 organs as may be necessary for the subsequent processes of 

 reproduction. The production of the carpophore is, in itself, 

 only a continuation of the process of vegetation, but that 

 vegetation is no longer subterranean, subcuticular, or creeping ; 

 invariably it is more or less, in development, at right angles to 

 the mycelium, and may be accomplished by the production of 

 special erect branches, or a stem compounded 

 of an indefinite number of erect threads, 

 agglutinated and consolidated together; 

 whether it is to be the conidiophore of a 

 mould, the stroma of a Oordyceps, the club of 

 a Geoglossum, or the stalk of an Agaric or 

 Boletus, it is the fruit-bearer, or carpophore, 

 which is destined to bear the fructification of 

 Fig. 7.— Unbranched the species. It may be reduced to its lowest 

 carpophore of terms, and be practically obsolete, so that the 



Rhopalomyces. ., ., 



receptacle is sessile, or nearly sessile, upon 

 the mycelium ; still there is normally and technically a 

 carpophore, which supports the organs of reproduction. 



In the larger moulds generally the ascending hyphae are 

 branches of the mycelium, and do not alter much in character 

 except in being rather thicker and with more rigid walls, so as 

 to maintain an erect position. These erect threads are in 

 most cases clustered together, and are modified in ramification 



1 The term " carpophore," in its special sense, is usually restricted to forms of 

 a distinct fruit, consisting of an aggregate of reproduotiye organs. 



