wo is a thick layer of gelatinous substance, so that
the wall of the volva is often 3--6 mm. in thickness, and is very soft.
The outline of the volva can be seen in Fig. 215, which shows sections
of three eggs in different stages. Inside of the volva is the short stem
(_receptacle_) which is in the middle portion, and covering the upper
portion and sides of this short stem is the pileus; the fruit-bearing
portion, which is divided into small chambers, lies on the outside of
the pileus. In the figure there can be seen cross lines extending
through this part from the pileus to the wall of the volva. These
represent ridges or crests which anastomose over the pileus, forming
reticulations. The stem or receptacle is hollow through the center, and
this hollow opens out at the end so that there is a rounded perforation
through the upper portion of the pileus.

The spores are borne on club-shaped basidia within the chambers of the
fruit-bearing portion (_gleba_), and at maturity of the spores the stem
or receptacle begins to elongate. This pushes the gleba and the upper
part of the receptacle through the apex of the volva, leaving this as a
cup-shaped body at the base, much as in certain species of _Amanita_,
while the gleba is borne aloft on the much elongated stem. During this
elongation of the receptacle a large part of the substance of the gleba
dissolves into a thick liquid containing the spores. This runs off and
is washed off by the rains, leaving the inner surface of the gleba
exposed, and showing certain characters peculiar to the various genera.

Among the stink-horns are a number of genera which are very interesting
from the peculiarities of development; and some of which are very
beautiful and curious objects, although they do possess offensive odors.
In some of the genera, the upper part of the plant expands into
leaf-like--or petal-like, bodies, which are highly colored and resemble
flowers. They are sometimes called "fungus flowers."

DICTYOPHORA Desvaux.

=Dictyophora= means "net bearer," and as one can see from Fig. 212 it is
not an inappropriate name. The stem or receptacle, as one can see from
the illustrations of the two species treated of here, possesses a very
coarse mesh, so that not only the surface but the substance within is
reticulated, pitted and irregularly perforated. In the genus
_Dictyophora_ an outer layer of the receptacle or stem is separated as
it elongates, breaks away from the lower pa