Sub-Class Basidiomycetes
Cohort Gastromycetes. Gr — Gasteron, a Sac, etc.
1.
A. Exterior skin, bark, rind, cortex, scurf, warts, spines, bristles—peridium. Plants with long spines—echinate.
B. Inner rind or true peridium. [A.B.—peridia (plural of peridium).]
C. Columella—those filaments springing from the base and rising, which do not unite freely with those issuing from the inner peridium. This mass of threads is usually conical, but sometimes globose.
D. Capillitium—a soft mass of cottony threads interspersed with minute dust-like spores; the space occupied is called the gleba.
E. Coarse empty, sterile cells. The space they occupy is called the subgleba.
F. Echinate spores magnified.
G. Spines (magnified) which fall off and leave the inner peridium exposed.
2.
A. Lycoperdon echinatum.
B. Spines (magnified) which fall off and leave tesselated inner peridium exposed. (After Morgan.)
As has been stated, the two Cohorts in which a hymenium or spore-bearing surface is present are called Hymenomycetes and Gastromycetes. In the first the hymenium is exposed, as in the common mushroom. In the second—Gastromycetes—the hymenium is at first enclosed in a sac or peridium, as in the common puff-ball.
The botanical description of Gastromycetes, given by M.C. Cooke, is: “Hymenium more or less permanently concealed, consisting in most cases of closely-packed cells, of which the fertile ones bear naked spores on distinct spicules, exposed only by the rupture or decay of the insisting coat or peridium.’
The Gastromycetes are usually large, ground-growing fungi. A few grow upon wood. The peridium is of dense structure, usually globose and of considerable thickness. It commonly consists of two layers. These form the sac holding the spore-bearing structure, which is called the gleba. The gleba consists of innumerable chambers or cells, curved and branched, and only to be distinguished by magnifying. The primary structure is retained in some species throughout the life of the plants, excepting changes due to growth and maturing, or in others these cells or chambers are large and few, and form distinct peridiola, which contain the spores.
The maturing of the plant and the consequent changes in the gleba is accompanied by various transformations of the peridium.”
It is impossible within the scope of this book to even name all the genera of Gastromycetes. Professor Morgan’s table of the families and table of the genera of Lycoperdaceæ are here given. The orders are defined as are some of the genera, and the edible species are described.
TABLE OF FAMILIES OF GASTROMYCETES.
A. Terrestrial.
(a) Peridium double.
I.—Phalloi´deæ. Page 570.
Peridium becoming transformed into a receptacle of various shape, with a volva at its base. Gleba becoming dissolved into a dark green mass of jelly.
II.—Lycoperda´ceæ. Page 577.
Peridium sessile, usually with a more or less thickened base or sometimes stipitate, at maturity filled with a dusty mass of mingled threads and spores.
(b) Peridium single.
III.—Scleroderma´ceæ. Page 615.
Peridium discrete from the gleba, often with a columella; cells of the gleba subpersistent.
IV.—Hymenogastra´ceæ.
Peridium concrete with the gleba, indehiscent; cells of the gleba persistent. (No edible species reported. C. McIlvaine.)
B. Epiphytal.
V.—Nidularia´ceæ.
Peridium cyathiform, open at the top, containing one or more distinct peridiola. Morgan.
(Small. No species reported edible. C. McIlvaine.)
A. Terrestrial.
(a) Peridium double.
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