A
lamella, or
gill, is a papery
hymenophore rib under the cap of some
mushroom species, most often but not always
agarics. 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 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 species typically seep
latex from their gills.