3 8o 



THE NON-VASCULAR PLANTS 



FIG. 175. Mucor. The bread mold, showing 

 hyphce below and sporophores above. 



The sporophores of toadstools and mushrooms are much 



more complex than those of the simpler and less conspic- 

 uous fungi. Usually, 

 especially in parasitic 

 fungi, the sporophore is 

 nothing more than a 

 single erect filament 

 which produces spores at 

 the end. (See Figure 

 775.) A toadstool is a 

 compound sporophore. 



The stem part of it is called the stipe. The cap part of 



it is called the pileus. On the under surface of the pileus 



you will notice the edges of the gills. (See Figures 176 



and 177.) It is on 



these gills that the 



spores are borne. 



If a ripe pileus is 



laid, gills down, on 



a piece of paper 



where the air is 



still, a spore print 



may be produced. 



The pileus and the 



paper must be left 



alone for a day or 



two. The ripe 



spores are usually 



dark colored. 



They fall on the 



paper and repro- 

 duce quite accu- 



FiG. 176. Lepiota. A common edible mushroom. 

 Note that the pileus in the youngest stages appears 

 to be merely a swelling at the top of the stipe. 

 Presently this swelling becomes ruptured at the base 

 and flattens out revealing the gills beneath. Note 

 the gills in the specimen which is tipped. 



