226 Mas see. — A Monograph of the Geoglosseae. 
mature stem the peripheral cells are bound together by 
a ground-work of mucilage derived from the gelatinization 
of the outer layer of the cell-walls. The axial cells of the 
stem, and also of the ascigerous portion, usually become 
completely resolved into mucilage, which remains in the 
cavity thus produced. In dry weather the plant is fairly 
rigid, owing to the persistent hyphae of the ‘ cortical ’ or 
peripheral portion being cemented together by the indurated 
mucilage, whereas in rainy weather the entire fungus is lax 
and slimy, the dissolved mucilage dripping away in some 
species. The velvety or squamulose surface of the stem 
present in some species is due to the outgrowth of the free 
ends of the ascending peripheral hyphae (Fig. 86). 
The hyphae of the stem pass without any modification to 
form the terminal club-shaped or pileate ascigerous portion, 
which is more or less hollow or spongy towards the centre, 
the hyphae branching and forming a densely interwoven 
peripheral layer or hypothecium, the numerous free ends 
of which either grow out into asci containing the spores, or 
continue as vegetative hyphae known as paraphyses. The 
component cells of the hypothecium show protoplasmic 
continuity very distinctly (Fig. 53). The asci and paraphyses, 
closely packed side by side, form the superficial layer or 
hymenium, which covers the entire surface of the fertile 
portion of the ascophore. In Geoglossum hirsutum and its 
several varieties, there are present in the hymenium, in addition 
to the asci and paraphyses, numerous black, pointed, rigid 
hyphae which resemble porcupine-quills when seen under the 
microscope ; these spines project beyond the general level 
of the asci, and are also present on the stem, giving the 
entire fungus a minutely velvety appearance. When quite 
young these spines are hyaline and sparsely transversely 
septate ; as growth proceeds the cell-wall becomes black, 
opaque, and rigid (Figs. 10 and 31 a). 
These spines are morphologically identical and homologous 
with the bodies called meiuloids by Cooke 1 , that are met 
1 Grevillea, VIII, 20, 1879. 
