A lamella, or gill, is a papery hymenophore

Hymenophore

A hymenophore refers to the hymenium-bearing structure of a fungal fruiting body. Hymenophores can be smooth surfaces, lamellae, folds, tubes, or teeth....

 rib under the cap of some mushroom

Mushroom

A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...

 species, most often but not always agaric

Agaric

An agaric is a type of fungal fruiting body characterized by the presence of a pileus that is clearly differentiated from the stipe , with lamellae on the underside of the pileus. "Agaric" can also refer to a basidiomycete species characterized by an agaric-type fruiting body...

s. The gills are used by the mushrooms as a means of spore dispersal, and are important for species identification. The attachment of the gills to the stem

Stipe (mycology)

thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...

 is classified based on the shape of the gills when viewed from the side, while color, crowding and the shape of individual gills can also be important features. Additionally, gills can have distinctive microscopic or macroscopic features. For instance, Lactarius

Lactarius

Lactarius is a genus of mushroom-producing fungi. The genus, collectively known commonly as milk-caps, are characterized by the fact that they exude a milky fluid if cut or damaged...

species typically seep latex

Latex

Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...

 from their gills.

It was originally believed that all gilled fungi were Agaricales

Agaricales

The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms , or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13000 described species, along with five extinct genera known only from the fossil record...

, but as fungi were studied in more detail, some gilled species were demonstrated not to be. It is now clear that this is a case of convergent evolution

Convergent evolution

Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...

 (i.e. gill-like structures evolved separately) rather than being an anatomic feature that evolved only once. The apparent reason that various basidiomycetes have evolved gills is that it is the most effective means of increasing the ratio of surface area to mass, which increases the potential for spore production and dispersal.

Other groups of fungi to bear gills include:

• The genera Russula
  Russula
  Around 750 worldwide species of mycorrhizal mushrooms compose the genus Russula. They are typically common, fairly large, and brightly colored - making them one of the most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushroom collectors...
  
  and Lactarius
  Lactarius
  Lactarius is a genus of mushroom-producing fungi. The genus, collectively known commonly as milk-caps, are characterized by the fact that they exude a milky fluid if cut or damaged...
  
  of the Russulales
  Russulales
  The Russulales are an order of the Agaricomycetes,...
  
  .
• Several genera in the Boletales
  Boletales
  The Boletales are an order of Agaricomycetes, containing over 1300 species with a diverse array of fruiting body types. The boletes are the best known members of this group, and until recently, the Boletales were thought to only contain boletes...
  
  , including Gomphidius
  Gomphidius
  Gomphidius is a genus of mushrooms, commonly known as spike-caps, that are members of the Boletales , or pored fungi. They appear to have gill-like structures which resemble those of agarics, however the similarity is superficial only. The best-known member is the slimy spike-cap...
  
  and Chroogomphus
  Chroogomphus
  Chroogomphus is a genus of mushrooms commonly known as pine-spikes or spike-caps based on their shape and the fact that they are always found growing in association with pine trees...
  
  as well as Tapinella atrotomentosa
  Tapinella atrotomentosa
  Tapinella atrotomentosa, commonly known as the velvet roll-rim or velvet-footed pax, is a species of fungus in the Tapinellaceae family of the Agaricales, or gilled mushrooms. It was originally described as Paxillus atrotomentosus by German naturalist August Batsch, and given its current name by...
  
  (which has been traditionally named Paxillus atrotomentosus) and other species in that genus, the False chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
  Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca
  Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, commonly known as the False Chanterelle, is an orange funnel-shaped mushroom which has been confused at times with the true chanterelles, however recent work shows its affinity lies with the Boletes in the order Boletales.-Description:The False chanterelle has an orange...
  
  ).
• Such polypore-like fungi such as Daedalea quercina
  Daedalea quercina
  Daedalea quercina is a species of mushroom in the Polyporales order. It is the type species of the genus Daedalea. Commonly known as the oak mazegill or maze-gill fungus, the specific epithet refers to the oak genus Quercus, upon which it frequently grows, causing a brown rot. It is found in...
  
  , Daedaleopsis confragosa
  Daedaleopsis confragosa
  Daedaleopsis confragosa is a plant pathogen, causing a white rot of various dead hardwoods and conifers. It is commonly known as the thin walled maze polypore, or the blushing bracket. It is found all year and is common in the United Kingdom.- External links :* * * by Robert Sasata,...
  
  , Lenzites betulina
  Lenzites betulina
  Lenzites betulina is a plant pathogen. Although a member of the Polyporales order, it has gills instead of pores, which makes it distinguishable from the superficially similar Trametes versicolor or Trametes hirsutum...
  
  and Gloeophyllum sepiarium
  Gloeophyllum sepiarium
  Gloeophyllum sepiarium is a wood decay fungus that causes a brown rot. Gloeophyllum sepiarium grow in thin, dark brown/green brackets on coniferous trees. Fruiting bodies can be seen throughout the year, but it sporulates in late summer to autumn...
  
  .

Classification

Morphologically, gills are classified according to their attachment to the stem

Stipe (mycology)

thumb|150px|right|Diagram of a [[basidiomycete]] stipe with an [[annulus |annulus]] and [[volva |volva]]In mycology a stipe refers to the stem or stalk-like feature supporting the cap of a mushroom. Like all tissues of the mushroom other than the hymenium, the stipe is composed of sterile hyphal...

:

External links

• IMA Mycological Glossary: Gill