216 LIFE STORIES OF PLANTS 
underside, and a cover. The handle is the stem, the 
ring is called a ring or collar, the rays are called the gills 
of the mushroom, and 
the cover is the cap. 
The spores. Cut off 
the stem of the common 
mushroom, a specimen 
Just expanded. Lay the 
cap, gills down, on white 
paper for several hours 
or overnight. The paper 
underneath the cap be- 
comes covered with a 

very fine dark brown 
Fig. 262. A spore print of the common 
mushroom, powder. These are 
spores, not seeds, 
for the mushroom 
has no seeds. The 
spores take the 
place of seed. 
They can start 
new points of 

growth for the 
Fig. 263. Spawn and young buttons of the mushroom. 
mushroom. 
Spawn of mushrooms. Where the common mush- 
room is growing in the field, dig some up with a trowel 
and search in the soil for delicate white cords. If a 
