From Spore to Mushroom 



it grows, and comes out of the ground a round puffball, (See 



Plate opposite p. 124.) 



If one wisties to learn to distinguish the members of the 

 mushroom or toadstool family, either 

 for the pleasure he may derive from 

 >F^^i> knowing them, or from a desire to 



m^-e—'^^ fgx^sa^ix^^x distinguish the edible from the poison- 

 ous, he must 

 be familiar /-^jo^jri 

 with the typi- ^__^____^ 

 cal parts of the *^ ^^^^^^^ ,t --Cap 



and must \^ W^m^^ J 

 know the names of these parts. | |f|»«"v.--J." 



The edible mushroom of the market 

 {Agaricus campestris) 



^ serves well for study, *■ *'^ ^''^ 



Veil \-f^<^§^] 3S it shows some of 



the characteristics 

 which all the toad- 

 ti'^-'-'S stools, mushrooms, brackets, and puffballs 



have in common. 



(i) This mushroom is in shape some- 

 thing like a parasol. 



(2) The handle is the stem, or stipe. 



(3) The open top is the cap, or pileus. 



the cap, radi- '-Afft^K^^^, .,, 

 ating from JB" ^^ ^\J''J) 



the stalk to Ring.. 1 



Spores on ,. j r 



slender processes ttie edge 01 fVlji 



the cap, are ''' ' 



Myceiiaithreads *in plates-the gills, or lamdlsc. 



(5) When the mushroom is in 



shortceiis the button stage, the gills are not 



^, ,. ,. J u J- visible, for they are covered with 



. .Club-shaped bodies ■* 



a thin sheet of mycelial threads. 

 Section across gill (magnified) Called the veil. (See coloured plate 



of Agaricus campestris.) 

 (6) As the button grows the veil stretches, and finally breaks, 



12 



