noun
- Plural of hymenium; the spore-bearing surface in fungi, typically found on the underside of mushroom caps.
Usage: technical; mycology
Examples
- The hymenia of the mushroom were lined with tiny gills that released spores.
- Under the microscope, the hymenia showed the characteristic structure of the fungal species.
- Mycologists examine the hymenia to identify different types of mushrooms.
- The hymenia in this specimen were densely packed with basidia.