188 The vegetative body of Agaricus is a myce fiw. 1 is produced by the germination ofa masidionrer if consists of slender hyaline branched septate hyphae. \ cells are wimacteare. This uninucleate mycelium is called primary media ICis seen just below the soil surface ‘The uninucteate mycelium very soon becomes & bie eucteate mycelium. This is called secondary mycelium. MW is farmed by the fusion of do uninucleate hyphae of + and mycelia, Therefore, the two nucle in the cells are AeferoAaryotic, The secondary mycelium is profusely branched, long, hyaline and short-celled, The septum, be- ‘ven the cells has a central pore through which adjacent sells communicate with each other, The secondary myce- tium grows by cell division by clamp connections. The secondary mycelium is ong-lived. [lives in the soil for about 400 or more years and produces fructification in every season, Many hyphae of the mycelium interwoven compactly with some twists to form a rope-like structure called rhizomorph. Uhe thizomorphs and mycelium break up while the soil is disturbed. Fruit bodies arise from such thizomorphs. In some cases many hyphae develop from the thizomorph and grow in all directions. Among them, some are larger because of the hyphal fusion,Sexual! reproduc! mt I. Vegetative Reproduction Perenating secondar lium breaks up compressed new mycelium to the spawn germination 2. Asexual ReproductionHikuyon Hikaryatie myeeun Monokaryotle hypha Shain Strain Pig 102 Agaricus Formation of dikaryotte myc The ehizomorph hidden in the soll develops a swelle ay. Wis the rudiment of basidiocarp, Wis made up of dense growth of fungal dikaryotic hyphae, Ag it enlarges in size it becomes spherical and emerges out ofthe soil, This is known as button stage. A constriction develops in the middle of the button so that two swollen parts are formed, The and Egice will develop into pileus and the lo the stipe. A ring of cavity develop two bulbous portions. This is called ripheral part of the gill chamber is © roof of the gill chamber a radiatiny and grow into gills, Because of fu tion becomes a stipe or $ cnlaress aa a1% ad ee Zo Py Cy a fr SX Upper ovo ¥ ow porn o, G Op} on aaa) OF Y 0, ~ | ehaxen / pI _ hows pe159 the basidiophore fuse together to form a diploid nucleus(2N). The diploid nucleus undergoes meiosis to form a four hap- doid muctei(N). Then four small projections called sterig- wata develop from the tip of the basidiophore. The tip of the sterigma swells up and receives one nucleus from the dasidiophore. Then the tip cuts offto become a basidiospore. Haploid nuclei Basidiospores after, meiosis Diploid | Sterigmata Dikaryon Mucleus | called cap or pileus. The stipe is white in colour. It is slightly swolle: wally attached to the pileus. It has velum just above the middle of the st ming is called annulus.he 160 The gills bear numerous Club-shaped structures called basidia, Each by asidium has 1-4 Projections called Sterig- mata, Each steri gmata by Cars a round thin-walled spore called basidiospore. (Fig.14.1). The fructification is differentiated Into two regions. They are- 1. Stipe 2. Pileus Stipe is the stalk of the basidiocarp. It consists of longitudinally running hyphae of dikaryotic mycelium. At the peripheral part of the stipe the ranged and it i 'atous. It is called cortex, The central p; art of the stipe is made up o! f loosely interwo- ven hyphae. It is known as medulla, z Pileus is the umbrell tiated into an upper cort of the stipe extend and lower surface of the pi plates called gills. la-shaped Portion. Itis differen. fex and lower medulla.' 161 The vertical section of @ gill sl hows the following fe- } gions: i I. Trama 2. Sub-hymenium F 3. Hymenium Velum is the central part of the gill. It fies in nvo sub-hymenial layers. It is the hyphal extension of the pileus. It is made up of compactly arranged parallel hyphae. Some of its hyphae are irregularly interwoven. F Sub-hymenium is a compact mass of hyphae that Jooks like a pseudoparenchymatous tissue. It is present on either side of the trama. It is formed by hyphal extension of the trama. The sub-hymenium is also called hypothecium. Hymenium is the fertile portion of the fruit body. It lies on either side of the subhymenium, It is also called thecium. It is formed by the hyphal extension of the sub- _ hymenium. The hyphae are short and bear struc- | tures called basidia at their tips. The tip of each idium has 1-4 small projections called sterigmata. Each sterigma bears a round thin-walled spore called basidiospore. Thus a gill may bear millions of basidiospores. The: 4 is often called spawn. ‘i Y + dey betw an ee eele2 AS De Dandiospores “ mature, the basidi Od @ gelammous fluid This uid drops. through the sterigmata Out. These fluid drops along SOSDOLES get ascumulated on the lower surface of and wells up The spore wall ruptures so cs germ mabe procs Oo. ‘The germ tube grows us has distinct kaploid phase, dikaryotic phase 3 diploid phase in the life cycle. The haploid phase is the primary mycelium and basidiospores. The ondary mycelium and basidiocarp represent the dikaryotic phase us he diploid phase (2N) is restricted to a small dura- diploid nucleus occurs in the basidium. These sitemene regularly to complete the life cycle. The life excle, therefore, is said to be an alternation of genei an163 Economic Importance of Agaricus 1. Agaricus bisporus, Agaricus campestris, Agari cus bitorquis and Agaricus arvensis are cultivated for their edible basidiocarps (Fruit bodies). 2. Cultivation of these mushrooms helps the farmers to get additional income. This helps the people suffering protein under nutrition. 3. Agaricus xanthodermis yields some bacteriostatic substances inhibiting the growth of bacteria. 4. Agaricus silvicota is a poisonous mushroom. Life Cycle of Agaricus . Agaricus is a saprophytic fungus. \t is included in the family Agaricaceae of the class Basidiomycetes. This genus also called Psalliota. The common name of Agaricus is gill fungus. Agaricus includes about 25 species. They are found in shady localities rich in decomposing organic matter. They also grow in meadows, damp woods, humus and cattle dung. * -The vegetative body of Agaricus is a mycelium. The mycelium that arises directly from the basidiospore (spawn) is called primary mycelium. \t consists of slender hyaline branched septate uninucleate hyphae. It is seen just below the soil surface. Two hyphae of opposite strains of primary mycelia _ come in contact with each other and fuse together to form: secondary mycelium. The cells of this mycelium dikaryotic, ie. binucleate. The two nuclei are ete otic, ie. genetically different. The secondary myceliun profusely branched, long, slender and septate. The secondary mycelium is long-lived. It st for about 400 or more years in thé soil and produce fruit bodies in every rainy season. Many hyphae of th ondary mycelium get compactly arranged to like structure called rhizomorph. Fruit bodies arise164 In Agaricus. although reproduces asexually, sexual reproduction 4s cycle. Ithas no definite sex organs. \t takes place by fo- Primary mycelia. The fructifications ary mycelium The karyogamy is very much delayed. It takes lace in the basidia of the fruit body just before the formation of basidiospores. T herefore, the nuclei of both Of the strains of mycelia exist in the cells of the secondary mycelium. Azari- cus may be heterothallic or homothallic depending upon the speci vegetal Predominant i arise from the second. The basidiocarp arises as a small swelling on the thizomorph hidden in the soil. It consists of 2 dense growth of the dikaryotic mycelium. As it grows, it becomes sphere cal and emerges out of the soil, This is called button stage ‘This button later grows into an umbrella-shaped fruit The mature basidiocarp consists of a fleshy stalk a large circular umbrella-like cap ox piles. The stalkis known as stipe. It is Pinkish white Itis slightly swollen at the : the pileus. It has a ring off the middle of the stipe. This lus, The cap is 8-10.q The upper surface of th lower surface, many Tun in radiating rows. § lamellae.— TT 165 ; The two nuclei in the basidium fuse together and form _ a diploid nucleus. This represents the diploid phase (2™) , the life cycle. The diploid nucleus divides meioticall four haploid nuclei. \n the meantime, 1-4 small pro- ions called sterigmata arise on the basidium. The tip of Sterigma swells up and one nucleus enters into the swell- - Finally the tip cuts off to form a round spore called idiospore. The basidiospore is haploid. Y— Nuclei ri Ms ~ Clampys Germination fi f connection Be \\ Secondary Suaii i ‘ mycelium Basidi Primary mycelia ay oe Strain +Strain A hypha \, hypha j Basidiospore Sterigma B } Basidium ®)