Universal Veil (Noun)
Meaning
Membrane initially completely investing the young sporophore of various mushrooms that is ruptured by growth; represented in the mature mushroom by a volva around lower part of stem and scales on upper surface of the cap.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The universal veil covers the young mushroom to protect it during the early stages of development, and breaks as the cap begins to expand.
- When a mushroom's universal veil is intact, it forms a membrane around the stem and cap that holds the delicate tissues in place.
- After rupturing the universal veil, some species of mushrooms display a distinctive pattern of warts or scales on their cap that once connected the membrane.
- Remnants of the universal veil may be found as scales, patches, or fragments around the stem base, cap edge, or scattered over the surface.
- Fungi in the Amanita genus, often found with brightly colored caps, commonly exhibit fragments of their universal veil, called a volva, which has usually fallen away as they mature.