GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

Figure 51. A fully mature basidium. Note germ pores at open ends of spores.
chromosomes. Immediately thereafter, meiosis
or reduction division occurs, resulting in four
haploid nuclei.The haploid nuclei are elastic in
fonn, squeezing up the sterigmata to be deposited
in their continually swelling tips. Once
residing in the newly forming spore cavity, the
spore casing enlarges. Each spore is attached to
the end of each sterigma by a nipple-like protuberance,
called the sterigmal appendage.
With many species, the opposite end of the
spore is dimpled with a germ pore. (See Figure
51).
The four spores of the basidia emerge diametrically
opposite one another. This
arrangement assures that the highly viscous
spores do not touch. Should a young spore
come into contact with another before their
outer shells harden, they fuse and development
is arrested. The spores become pigmented at
maturity and are released in sets of paired op-
THE MUSHROOM LIFE CYCLE 71
Figure 52. Two spored basidium. Comparatively few
mushrooms have two spored basidia; most are four
spored.
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