hymenium

American  

[hahy-mee-nee-uhm] / haɪˈmi ni əm /

noun

Mycology.

hymenia plural

1. the sporogenous layer in a fungus, composed of asci or basidia often interspersed with various sterile structures, as paraphyses.

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hymenium British  

/ haɪˈmiːnɪəm /

noun

1. (in basidiomycetous and ascomycetous fungi) a layer of cells some of which produce the spores

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hymenium Scientific  

/ hī-mē′nē-əm /

hymenia plural

1. The spore-bearing layer of the fruiting body of certain fungi, containing asci or basidia.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subhymenium
  noun
• subhymenial
  adjective
• hymenial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• hymenia
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hymenium

From New Latin, dating back to 1820–30; see origin at hymen, -ium

Example Sentences

The shroom has fine, fuzzy hairs that feel like velvet and even has teeth-like structures of its own, also known as hymenium, which are spore-bearing surfaces of a mushroom, typically gills.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2023

Montagne and Berkeley are credited with being the first to show the true structure of the hymenium in the puff-balls, as well as to demonstrate the presence of basidia.

From Student's Hand-book of Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous by Taylor, Thomas

These classes are again subdivided, according to the disposition of the spores and of the spore bearing surface, called the hymenium, into various families.

From Student's Hand-book of Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous by Taylor, Thomas

The hymenium itself consists of elongated fertile cells, or asci, mixed with linear thread-like barren cells, called paraphyses, which are regarded by some authors as barren asci.

From Fungi: Their Nature and Uses by Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt)

They have no hymenium and no true basidia, and are non-sexual in their reproduction.

From Student's Hand-book of Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous by Taylor, Thomas