304 THE BIOLOGY OF THE PLANT 



mushroom, leaving some of the earth adhering to 

 the mycelium. Cut oflf the lower end of the stipe 

 and place it with the mycelium in a watch-glass 

 of water. Carefully wash and pick away as 

 many as possible of the earthy particles, place 

 the preparation on the slide in a drop of water 

 or of dilute glycerine, and examine. ITotice 

 the white threads visible without the microscope. 

 Are these bands of hyphse or individual threads ? 

 Note the interlacing of the mycelial hyphse. 

 "What is the structure of these ? What do they 

 contain? Look for rod-like crystals. Are they 

 within or without the hyphse. Test these with 

 acetic acid. Do the crystals dissolve ? If so, they 

 consist of carbonate of lime. If the crystals do 

 not dissolve in acetic, test them with hydrochloric 

 acid. If they dissolve, they consist of oxalate of 

 lime. 



Endeavor to make out how the lower end of 

 the stipe is attached to the mycelium. Can you 

 trace mycelial hyphae running into the stipe? 

 Draw several portions of the mycelium to show its 

 structure and arrangement. 



h. The stipe. — Make a longitudinal section passing 

 through the middle of the stipe and the annulus. 

 Examine under a low power. Can you distin- 

 guish tissues in the stipe ? Is its centre more or 

 less dense than its margin ? From what part does 

 the annulus arise? Put on the high power. No- 

 tice that the stipe consists of rows of hyphs, each 

 hypha being divided into a number of cells by 

 cross walls or partitions, the septa. In what di- 

 rection do these rows run ? Do they interlace to 



