STUDIES ON THE STRUCTURE AND NATURE OF SCLEROTIA OF GRIFOLA UMBELLATA

Structure and development of sclerotia of Grifola umbellata were stu- died With light and electron microscope.In comparing the hyphae from plate culture and liquid fermentation with the hyphae consisting of the sclerotia of G.umbellata,the latter showed multi-branched hyphae,higher rate of mycelium fusion and irregular morphology of hyphae etc. The sclerotia of G.umbellata showed high differentiation in structure,and could be divided into several layers from outside to inside,epiderm,hypodermal layer,the layer of loose hy- phae and structural hyphae.The structural hyphae consisted of the main parts of sclerotia, the layer of loose hyphae resemble the medulla of sclerotia of other fungi,but it changed in size and position.Several bundles of hypae broke epiderm of parent sclerotia to produce a new sclerotia.We obserfed systematically on the process of the cell division and structure change of sclerotia of G.umbellata.