MYCELIUM 



the most important particulars, but not as to its constant 

 presence. 



The mycelium is the active agent by which Fungi disin- 

 tegrate decaying organic matter, or prey upon and destroy the 

 living, and so far as they derive nourishment from the sub- 

 stratum, their nutrition resembles that of flowering plants, but 

 beyond this the mycelium is active in decomposing the organic 

 matrix, the product of which is not required or taken up by 

 the Fungus. Hence there are forms which are satisfied with 

 taking up from living or dead substrata only so much as is 

 needed for the construction of their bodies, as well as those 

 which in addition produce copious decompositions in the 

 substratum and destroy it. We may assume that the mycelium 

 exerts a ferment action upon the matrix, although the quantity 

 of the ferment may be small, and that these ferment actions 

 first take place in order to convert a portion of the substratum 

 into a form which is capable of nourishing the Fungus. 



In the headings of the several chapters we have used terms 

 in their general sense, representing the mycelium as equivalent 

 to the vegetative system, the carpophore as the supporter of 

 the fructification, or intermediary between the vegetative and 

 reproductive systems, whilst receptacle is employed in a sense 

 different from that which it holds in other branches of botanical 

 science, and should be accepted literally as representing the 

 envelope of the fructification, whatever its form may be, when 

 any envelope is present. This definition is necessary so as to 

 prevent confusion of the terms we have employed in a general 

 sense, with their special application elsewhere. 



