Hymenium

In this article about Hymenium, we will explore different aspects related to this topic that is so relevant today. Throughout the next few lines, we will analyze its origins, its evolution over time and its impact on society. We will also examine the different perspectives and opinions on Hymenium, as well as its relevance in the present and future. This article seeks to provide an overview and complete overview of Hymenium, with the aim of giving readers a deeper understanding of this topic and its implications in various areas.

Hymenium
A spore-bearing layer of tissue in fungi (kingdom Fungi) found in the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota.
Pronunciationhy·men·ium
SpecialtyMycology

The hymenium is the tissue layer on the hymenophore of a fungal fruiting body where the cells develop into basidia or asci, which produce spores. In some species all of the cells of the hymenium develop into basidia or asci, while in others some cells develop into sterile cells called cystidia (basidiomycetes) or paraphyses (ascomycetes). Cystidia are often important for microscopic identification. The subhymenium consists of the supportive hyphae from which the cells of the hymenium grow, beneath which is the hymenophoral trama, the hyphae that make up the mass of the hymenophore.

The position of the hymenium is traditionally the first characteristic used in the classification and identification of mushrooms. Below are some examples of the diverse types which exist among the macroscopic Basidiomycota and Ascomycota.

  • In agarics, the hymenium is on the vertical faces of the gills.
  • In boletes and polypores, it is in a spongy mass of downward-pointing tubes.
  • In puffballs, it is internal.
  • In stinkhorns, it develops internally and then is exposed in the form of a foul-smelling gel.
  • In cup fungi, it is on the concave surface of the cup.
  • In teeth fungi, it grows on the outside of tooth-like spines.

References

  • Régis Courtecuisse, Bernard Duhem : Guide des champignons de France et d'Europe (Delachaux & Niestlé, 1994–2000). ISBN 2-603-00953-2