Chapter 11

A.Pileus Dry.

Proceri(L. procera). Page35.

Ringmovable. The plant is at first entirely enclosed in a universal veil, which splits around at the base, the lower part disappearing on the bulb, the upper part attached to the pileus breaking up into scales.Stemencircled at the top with a cartilaginous collar to which the free, remote gills are attached.

Clypeolarii(L. clypeolaria). Page 39.

Ring fixed, attached to the upper portion of the universal veil whichsheaths the stemfrom the base upward, making it downy or scaly below the ring. The remainder of the veil united with the pileus breaking up and becoming downy or scaly. Collar at the apex of stem not so large as in Proceri, hence the gills are not usually so remote. Taste and smell unpleasant, resembling that of radishes.

Annulosi(annulus, a ring). Page44.

Ringfixed, somewhat persistent, universal veil closely attached to the pileus. Collar absent or similar in texture to the stem.Stem,not sheathed.

Granulosi(L. granulosa). Page49.

Pileusgranular or warty. Universal veil sheathing the stem, at first continuous from the stem to the pileus, finally rupturing, forming a ring nearer the base. Stem not so distinctly different from the pileus as in other sections.

Mesomorphi(L. mesomorpha).

Small, slender, stem hollow. Pileussmooth, dry.

B.Pileus Viscid. Neither Scaly Nor Warty.

Photographed by Dr. J.R. Weist.Plate XIII.LEPIOTA PROCERA.

A.Pileus Dry.

L. proce´raScop.—procerus, tall. (PlateXIII, p. 34.) Tall Lepiota, Parasol Mushroom, in some localities Pasture Mushroom (a misleading title).

TheFleshnot very thick, soft, permanently white.Pileusat first ovate, finally expanded, cuticle soon breaking up into brown scales, excepting upon the umbo, umbo smooth, dark-brown, distinct. The caps vary in shades of brown, sometimes they have a faint tinge of lavender.Gillswhitish, crowded, narrowing toward the stem, and very remote from it.Stemvariable in length, often very long, tubular, at first stuffed with light fibrils, quite bulbous at base, generally spotted or scaly with peculiar snake-like markings below the ring, which is thick, firm and readily movable. When the stem is removed from pileus it leaves a deep cavity extending nearly to the cuticle.

Pileus3–6 in. broad.Stem5–12 in. high, about ½ in. thick.

White spores elliptical, 14–18×9–11µPeck; 12–15×8–9µMassee; 14×10µLloyd.

Readily known by its extremely tall stem, shaggy cap, distinct umbo and the channel between the gills and stem. Resembles no poisonous species.

Before cooking the scurf should be rubbed from the caps, which alone should be eaten, as the stem is tough. Though the flesh is thin, the gills are meaty and have a pleasant, nutty flavor. Fried in butter it has few equals. It makes a superior catsup.

L. racho´desVitt.Gr.—a ragged, tattered garment.Pileusvery fleshy, but very soft when full grown, globose then flattened or depressed, not umbonate, at first incrusted with athick, rigid, even, very smooth, bay-brown, wholly continuouscuticle, which remains entire at the disk but otherwisesoon becomes elegantly reticulated with cracks; these veryreadily separateintopersistent, polygonal, concentricscales, which are revolute at the margin and attached to the surface with beautifully radiating fibers, the surface remaining coarsely fibrillose-downy.Fleshwhite,immediately becoming saffron-redwhen broken, easily separating from the apex of the distinct stem, which is encircled with a prominent collar.Stemstout, at the first bulbous with a distinct margin upon the bulb, conical when young, then elongated, attenuated upward, as much as a span long, very robust, 1 in. thick, and more at the base, always even, andwithout a trace of scalesor even of fibrils although the appearance is obsoletely silky, wholly whitish, hollow within, stuffed with spider-web threads, the walls remarkably and coarsely fibrous.Ringmovable, adhering longer to the margin of the pileus than to the apex of the stem, hence rayed with fibers at the circumference, clothed beneath with one or two zones of scales.Gillsvery remote, tapering toward each end or broadest at the middle, crowded, whitish, sometimes reddening.Stevenson.

Veil remarkable in its development and thick margin.

Spores6×8µW.G.S.

Fort Edward,Howe; Westfield, N.Y.,Miss L.M. Patchen; Pennsylvania, New Jersey,McIlvaine.

A heavier species than L. procera, of which by some writers it has been considered a variety, but it differs in the absence of umbo and flesh becoming tinged with red.

Stem is decidedly swollen downward. Veil heavy, apparently double, thickest at margin of cap to which it remains attached in heavy fragments. It tears from the stem, leaving no mark of ring.

Var.puella´risFr.—puella, a girl. Smaller than typical form, shining white, pileus with downy scales. Not yet reported in America.

Edible qualities similar to those of L. procera. It is sold indiscriminately with it in London markets.

L. excoria´taSchaeff.—stripped of its skin.Fleshspongy, rather thick, white, unchangeable.Pileusat first globose, then flat, hardly umbonate, pale-fawn or whitish, disk dark; cuticle thin, silky or scaly, sometimes areolate, more or less peeled toward margin, hence its name.Gillsventricose, white, free, somewhat remote.Stemattenuated, hollow or stuffed, short, scarcely bulbous, smooth, white, not spotted, very distinct from flesh of pileus.Ringmovable but not so freely as that of L. procera.

Stem1½-2½ high, less than ½ in. thick.Pileus2–3 in. broad.

Spores14–15×8–9µMassee.

In pastures or grassy lawns. May to September.

North Carolina, edible,Curtis; Massachusetts,Frost; California,H. and M.; Ohio,Morgan; Minnesota,Johnson.

Distinguished from the preceding by its smaller size and short stem which is scarcely bulbous.

Esculent qualities good.

L. mastoi´deaFr.Gr.—breast-shaped.Pileusrather thin, ovate, bell-shaped, then flattened, with a conspicuous acute umbo, cuticle thin, brownish, breaking up in minute scattered scales; the pileus appears whitish beneath.Stemhollow, smooth, tough, flexible, attenuated from the bulbous base to the apex.Ringentire, movable.Gillsvery remote, crowded, broad, tapering at both ends, white.

Pileus1–2 in. broad.Stem2–3 in. long, 3–4 lines thick at base, 1½-2 lines at apex.

North Carolina, edible,Curtis. It is generally eaten in Europe. In woods, especially about old stumps. October.

The entire plant is whitish and is well marked by the prominent umbo, which generally has a depression around it. It has the least substance of any in this section, and consequently not much value as food.

L. gracilen´taKrombh.—gracilis, slender.Pileusrather fleshy, thickest at the disk, ovate then bell-shaped, finally flattened, obscurely umbonate; at first brownish from the adnate cuticle, which, breaking up into broad adpressed scales, allows the whitish pileus to be seen beneath them.Gillsremote, very broad, crowded, pallid.Stemwhitish, obscurely scaly, hollow or containing slight fibrils, slightly bulbous.Ringthin, floccose, vanishing.

Stem5–6 in. long, 3–5 lines thick. In pastures, also in woods.

Spores11×8µW.G.S.

Almost as tall as L. procera, but slighter in stem and pileus; the ring, instead of being firm and persistent, is thin and fugacious, and the stem is hardly bulbous.

Edible, but not of the first quality.

Photographed by Dr. J.R. Weist.Plate XIV.LEPIOTA MORGANI.

L. Mor´ganiPk.—in honor of Professor Morgan. (PlateXIV.)Pileusfleshy, soft, at first subglobose, then expanded or even depressed, white, the brownish or yellowish cuticle breaking up into scales excepton the disk.Gillsclose, lanceolate, remote, white, then green.Stemfirm, equal or tapering upward, subbulbous, smooth, webby-stuffed, whitish, tinged with brown.Ringrather large, movable.Fleshboth of the pileus and stem white, changing to reddish and then to yellowish when cut or bruised.Sporesovate or subelliptical, mostly uninucleate, sordid green, 10–13×7–8µ.

Plant6–8 in. high.Pileus5–9 in. broad.Stem6–12 lines thick.Peckin Bot. Gaz., March, 1879.

Open dry grassy places. Dayton, Ohio.A.P. Morgan.

This species is remarkable because of the peculiar color of the spores. No green-spored Agaric, so far as I am aware, has before been discovered, and no one of the five series, in which the very numerous species of the genus have been arranged, is characterized in such a way as to receive this species.

It seems a little hasty to found a series (Viridispori) on the strength of a single species. Until other species of such a supposed series shall be discovered it seems best to regard this as an aberrant member of the white-spored series. The same course has been taken with those Agarics which have sordid or yellowish or lilac-tinted spores.

It gives me great pleasure to dedicate this fine species to its discoverer Mr. Morgan.Peck.

Commonly 6–8 in. high, 5–9 in. diameter, though larger specimens are sometimes found. It is the most conspicuous Agaric in the meadows and pastures of the Miami valley; it appears to flourish from spring to autumn whenever there is abundance of rain.

It is heavier and stouter than L. procera and I am disposed to claim that it is the largest Agaric in the world.Spores10–12×7–8µ. In immature specimens they are greenish-yellow.Morgan.

Kansas,Bartholomew(Peck, Rep. 50); Kansas,Cragin; Alabama,U. and E.; Georgia,Benson; Louisiana,Rev. A.B. Langlois; Michigan,C.F. Wheeler(Lloyd, Myc. Notes); Texas,Prof. W.S. Carter; Indiana,H.I. Miller.

L. Morgani is one of the largest, handsomest of the genus. It is very abundant in the western and southwestern states. Mr. H.I. Miller, Terre Haute, Ind., writes August 18, 1898: “I have recently measured several which were more than twelve inches across. At the present time this mushroom is growing in more abundance throughout Indiana than any other. It grows luxuriantly in the pastures, generallyin grand fairy rings, five, ten, fifteen feet in diameter. We find it also in the woods. It is beautifully white and majestic, and these rings can be seen in meadows where the grass has been eaten close, for half a mile or more. The gills are white until the cap is almost opened, by which time the green spores begin to cause the gills to change to green. The meat is fine and is usually more free from worms than other mushrooms. Six families, here, have eaten heartily of them. The experience is that one or two members of each family are made sick, though in two families, who have several times eaten them, no one was made sick. I enjoy them immensely, and never feel any the worse for eating them. I doubt if we have a finer-flavored fungus. The meat is simply delicious. One fairy ring yields a bushel.”

Prof. W.S. Carter, University of Texas, Galveston, reported to me (and sent specimens of L. Morganii) the poisoning of three laboring men from eating this fungus. They were seriously sick, but recovered.

The conclusion is inevitable that this green-spored Lepiota contains a poison which violently attacks some persons, yet is harmless upon others.

I have not had opportunity to test it. It should be tested with great caution.

L. Frie´siiLasch.—in honor of Fries.Pileusfleshy, soft, lacerated into appressed tomentose scales.Stemhollow, with a webby pith, subbulbous, scaly.Ringsuperior, pendulous, equal.Gillssubremote, linear, crowded, branched.Fries.

Pileusfleshy but rather thin, convex or nearly plane, clothed with a soft, tawny or brownish-tawny down, which breaks up into appressed, often subconfluent scales, the disk rough with small acute, erect scales.Fleshsoft, white.Gillsnarrow, crowded, free, white, some of them forked.Stemequal or slightly tapering upward, subbulbous, hollow, colored like the pileus below the ring, and there clothed with tomentose fibrils which sometimes form floccose or tomentose scales, white and powdered above.Ringwell developed, flabby, white above, tawny and floccose-scaly below.Spores7–8×3–4µ.

Plant2–5 in. high.Pileus1–4 in. broad.Stem2–5 lines thick.

Catskill mountains and East Worcester. July to September.

I have quoted the description of this species as it is found in Epicrisis,because the American plant which I have referred to it does not in all respects agree with this description, but comes so near it that it can scarcely be specifically distinct. In the American plant, so far as I have seen it, erect, acute scales are always present, especially on the disk, and the down of the pileus does not always break up into distinct areas or scales. Neither is the stem usually scaly, but rather clothed with soft tomentose or almost silky fibrils. The gills are crowded and some of them are forked. At the furcations there are slight depressions which interrupt the general level of the edges, and give them the appearance of having been eaten by insects. The plant has a slight odor, especially when cut or bruised.Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Remarks under L. acutesquamosa apply to L. Friesii, which Fries himself doubts being distinct from the first. The plants vary greatly in size, color and habitat. The name—acutesquamosa—carries a descriptive meaning with it that L. Friesii does not.

It does not appear to have been reported except by Professor Peck, but probably appears as L. acutesquamosa in other lists.

The edible qualities are excellent.

L. acutesquamo´saWein.—acutus, sharp;squama, a scale.Pileusfleshy, obtuse, at first hairy-floccose, then bristly with erect, acute, rough scales.Stemsomewhat stuffed, stout, bulbous, powdered above the moderate-sized ring.Gillsapproximate, lanceolate, simple.Fries.

Pileusconvex or nearly plane, obtuse or broadly subumbonate, clothed with a soft tawny or brownish-tawny tomentum, which usually breaks up into imperfect areas or squamæ, rough with erect, acute scales, which are generally larger and more numerous on the disk.Gillsclose, free, white or yellowish.Stemequal, hollow or stuffed with webby filaments, subbulbous.Sporesabout 7×3–4µ.

Woods and conservatories. Buffalo,G.W. Clinton; Albany,A.F. Chatfield; Adirondack mountains and Brewertown,Peck.

The form found in the hot-houses seems to have the tomentum of the pileus less dense and the erect scales more numerous than in the form growing in woods. The annulus is frequently lacerated. In the specimens of the woods the erect scales are sometimes blackish in color, and they then contrast quite conspicuously with the tawny or brownish-tawny tomentum beneath them. They vary in size and shape. Some resemble pointed papillæ, others, being more elongated, are almostspine-like. These are sometimes curved. They are generally larger and more numerous on the disk than elsewhere, and often they are wholly wanting on the margin.Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Philadelphia, 1897, on lawn and growing from trunk of a maple tree; Mt. Gretna, Pa., mixed woods.McIlvaine.

I first saw specimens of L. acutesquamosa when sent to me by Miss Lydia M. Patchen, President Westfield Toadstool Club. It was later found by myself and tested. Specimens were sent to Professor Peck and identified as L. acutesquamosa.

Caps and stems brownish-purple. The pointed squamules or tufts have dark-brown points, shaded to a delicate purple at base. Gills light, faint flesh-color. Veil is silky, transparent, beautiful, quite tenacious—stretching until cap is well expanded, persistent, though at times fugacious. Smell like stewed mushrooms. The caps are of excellent substance and flavor.

L. his´pidaLasch.—rough.Pileus2–3 in. across.Fleshthin, white, unchangeable; hemispherical then expanded, umbonate, tomentose or downy at first from the remains of the universal veil; during expansion the down becomes broken up into small, spreading, scaly points, which eventually disappear, umber-brown, sometimes with a tawny tinge.Gillsfree but near to the stem, the collar of the pileus prominent and sheathing the stem, crowded, ventricose, simple, white.Stemabout 3–5 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, attenuated upward, densely squamosely-woolly up to the superior, membranaceous, reflexed ring, dingy-brown, stem tubular, but fibrillosely stuffed.Spores6–7×4µMassee.

In margins of and in open mixed woods, under pine trees, Haddonfield, N.J., July to September, 1892. Quite plentiful year after year in the same places. The American plant is taller than the English species, the stem reaching five inches, and the color of the cap a delicate tawny-brown. Smell slight, but pungent like radishes.

The whole fungus is tender and delicious. It is one of the few Lepiotæ that stews well.

L. feli´naPers.—belonging to a cat.Pileusthin, bell-shaped or convex, subumbonate, adorned with numerous subtomentose or floccose blackish-brown scales.Gillsclose, free, white.Stemslender, ratherlong, equal or slightly tapering upward, hollow, clothed with soft, loose, floccose filaments, brown.Ringslight, evanescent.Sporeselliptical, 6–8×4–5µ.

Plant2–3.5 in. high.Pileus.5–1.5 in. broad.Stem1–2 lines thick.

Woods. Adirondack Mountains. August and September.

It is easily distinguished from A. rubrotincta by the darker color of the scales of the pileus, by the loose floccose filaments that clothe the brown stem, by the fugacious ring and the smaller spores.Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

The caps compare favorably with other Lepiotæ in substance and flavor.

L. crista´taA. and S.—crista, a tuft, crest.Pileusthin, bell-shaped or convex, then nearly plane, obtuse, at first with an even reddish or reddish-brown surface, then white adorned with reddish or reddish-brown scales formed by the breaking up of the cuticle, the central part or disk colored like the scales.Gillsclose, free, white.Stemslender, hollow, equal, smooth or silky-fibrillose below the ring, whitish.Ringsmall, white.Sporesoblong or narrowly subelliptical, 5–7×3–4µ.

Plant1–2 in. high.Pileus.5–1.5 in. broad.Stem1–2 lines thick.

Grassy places and borders of woods. June to September.

This species is easily known by its small size and the crested appearance of the white pileus, an appearance produced by the orbicular unruptured portion of the cuticle that remains like a colored spot on the disk. The fragments or scales are more close near this central part and more distant from each other toward the margin, where they are often wholly wanting. The scales are sometimes very small and almost granular. In very wet weather the margin of the pileus in this and some other species becomes upturned or reflexed.Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found in Woodland Cemetery, Philadelphia. June to September, 1897.McIlvaine.

Scales were appressed and slightly tinged with brown, often very small. Caps of same, upturned and bare near margin. Taste sweet, slightly like new meal. Odor strong.

Cooked it is of good consistency and pleasing to taste.

L. alluvi´naPk.—alluvies, the over-flowing of a river.Pileusthin, convex or plane, reflexed on the margin, white, adorned with minute pale-yellow hairy or fibrillose scales.Gillsthin, close, free, white or yellowish.Stemslender, fibrillose, whitish or pallid, slightly thickened at the base.Ringslight, subpersistent, often near the middle of the stem.Sporeselliptical, 6–7×4–5µ.

Plant1–2 in. high.Pileus.5–1 in. broad.Stem1–1.5 lines thick. Alluvial soil, among weeds. Albany. July.

In the fresh plant the scales are of a pale yellow or lemon color, but in drying they and the whole pileus take a deeper rich yellow hue. The ring is generally remote from the pileus, sometimes even below the middle of the stem.Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

In 1897, I found it growing among weeds on lot near University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Seemingly it is a city resident.

The taste and smell are pleasant. Cooked it is tender and savory. Both stems and caps are good.

L. metulæ´sporaB. and Br.—metula, an obelisk.Pileusthin, bell-shaped or convex, subumbonate, at first with a uniform pallid or brownish surface, which soon breaks up into small brownish scales, the margin more or less striate, often appendiculate with fragments of the veil.Gillsclose, free, white.Stemslender, equal or slightly tapering upward, hollow, adorned with soft floccose scales or filaments, pallid.Ringslight, evanescent.Sporeslong, subfusiform.

Plant2–3.5 in. high.Pileus.5–1.5 in. broad.Stem1–2 lines thick.

Woods. Adirondack mountains. August and September.

This species occurs with us in the same localities as L. felina, which it very much resembles in size, shape and general characters, differing only in color, the striate margin of the pileus and the character of the spores.

The species has a wide range, having been found in Ceylon, England, Alabama and Kentucky.Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

This has not been elsewhere noted in the United States, probably from neglect of the spore characters, being reported as L. clypeolaria.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania.McIlvaine.

L. holoseri´ceaFr.Gr.—entire, silken.Pileus3 in. and more broad, whitish or clay-white,fleshy, soft,convex then expanded, rather plane, obtuse,floccoso-silky, somewhat fibrillose,becoming even, fragile, disk by no means gibbous; and wholly of the same color; margin involute when young.Fleshsoft, white.Stem2½-4 in. long, ½ in. and more thick,solid, bulbous and not rooted at the base, soft, fragile, silky-fibrillose, whitish.Ringsuperior, membranaceous, large, soft, pendulous, the margin again ascending.Gillswholly free, broad, ventricose, crowded, becoming pale-white.Fries.

A species well marked from all others. Inodorous.

On soil in flower beds.

Sporeselliptical, 7–8×5µMassee; 6×9µW.G.S.

Wisconsin,Bundy; Minnesota,Johnson.

Considered esculent in Europe.

L. Vittadi´niFr.—in honor of the Italian mycologist.Pileus3–4 in. across.Flesh4–6 lines thick at the disk, becoming very thin at the margin, white; convex then plane, obtuse or gibbous, densely covered with small, erect, wart-like scales, altogether whitish.Gillsfree but rather close to the stem, 3–4 lines broad, rounded in front, thickish, ventricose, with a greenish tinge.Stem2½-3½ in. long, up to ⅔ in. thick, cylindrical, with numerous concentric rings of squarrose scales, up to the superior, large ring; whitish, or the edges of the scales often tipped with red, solid.Fries.

In pastures, etc.

Intermediate between Lepiota and Amanita.

Noted by Fries as poisonous. It may or may not be, but as a matter of precaution it is described. A large species, pure white, extremely beautiful.

Massachusetts,Farlow.

Photographed by Dr. J.R. Weist.Plate XV.LEPIOTA NAUCINOIDES.

L. nauci´naFr. No translation applicable.Pileus1–1½ in. broad, white, the disk of the same color, fleshy, soft, gibbous or obtusely umbonate when flattened, even,the thin cuticle splitting up into granules.Stem1½-3 in. long, stuffed, at lengthsomewhat hollow, but without a definite tube,attenuated upwardfrom the thickened base, fibrillose,unspotted, white.Ringsuperior, tender, but persistent,adhering to the stem, at length reflexed.Gillsfree, approximate, crowded, ventricose, soft, white.

There is a prominent collar, as in the Clypeolarii, embracing the stem. Stature and appearance of L. excoriata, but commonly smaller, the superior ring adfixed, etc.Fries.

Sporessubglobose, 6–7µMassee.

L. naucinaFr. is the European species which has its American counterpart in L. naucinoides Pk. The variations in the American species are noted under L. naucinoides.

As Amanita phalloides—in its white form—the poisonous white Amanita, resembles L. naucina or L. naucinoides in some stages of its growth and may be confounded with it, careful note should be taken of their external differences. In L. naucinoides the bulb and stem are continuous, each passing into the other imperceptibly; in A. phalloides the junction of stem and bulb is abrupt and remains so, and the bulb is more or less enwrapped in the volva. The ring is also larger than in L. naucinoides and is pendulous, and the gills are permanently white. A certain means of distinguishing between them is by the application of heat as in cooking. On toasting both it will be found that the gills of the Amanitaremain white, but those of the Lepiotaturn quickly brown.

L. naucinoi´desPk. No translation applicable. (Plates PlateXV,XIIfig. 2, p. 32.)Pileussoft, smooth, white or snowy-white.Gillsfree, white, slowly changing with age to a dirty pinkish-brown or smoky-brown color.Stemringed, slightly thickened at the base, colored like the pileus.Sporessubelliptical, uninucleate, white, 8–10 long×5–8µ broad.Peck, 48th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Kansas,Cragin; Wisconsin,Bundy; New Jersey,Ellis; Iowa,Macbride; New York,Peck, 23d, 29th, 35th Rep.; Indiana,H.I. Miller,Dr. J.R. Weist.

L. naucinoides Pk. is the American counterpart of L. naucina Fr., a European species, excepting that the spores of the latter are described as globose. The caps are ovate when young and usually from 1½-3 in. across when expanded, but occasionally reach 4 in., smooth, but frequently rough or minutely cracked in the center, white or varying shades of white deepening in color at the summit. In a rare form var. squamo´sa, large, thick scales occur which are caused by the breakingup of the cap surface. When young the gills are white or faintly yellow, becoming pinkish or dull brown in age. The pinkish hue is not always apparent. The outer edge of the veil or ring is thickest; usually it is firmly attached to the stem, but movable rings are frequently noticed. When the plant ages the ring is often missing, but traces of it are always discernible. Stem rarely equal, often it is distinctly bulbous, generally tapering upward from a more or less enlarged base, hollow when fully grown, until then containing cottony fibers within the cavity or appearing solid, 2–3 in. long, ¼-½ in. thick.

Its habitat is similar to that of the common mushroom—lawns, pastures, grassy places—though unlike the latter it is found in woods. Until thoroughly acquainted with it, specimens found in woods and supposed to be L. naucinoides should not be eaten. An Amanita might be mistaken for it. It is readily distinguishable from the common mushroom and its allies by the color of the gills and spores which are white, and differences in stem and veil.

It is found from July until after hard frosts. It was first reported edible by Professor Peck in 1875, under the name of Agaricus naucinus.

The L. naucinoides is rewarding the favor with which it has been received as an esculent, it being equal to the common mushroom and quite free from insects. Large crops of it are reported from all over the country, and from many sections it is told of as a stranger. During 1897–98 the author has found it in plenty upon ground familiar to him for years, upon which it had not previously shown itself. The common mushroom must look to its laurels.

Its cultivation as a marketable crop is possible and probable.

L. cepæsti´pesSow.—cepa, an onion;stipes, stem. (PlateXII, fig. 3, p. 32.)Pileusthin, at first ovate, then bell-shaped or expanded, umbonate, soon adorned with numerousminute brownish scales, which are oftengranular or mealy, folded into lineson the margin, white or yellow, the umbo darker.Gillsthin, close, free, white, becoming dingy with age or in drying.Stemrather long, tapering toward the apex, generallyenlarged in the middle or near the base, hollow.Ringthin, subpersistent.Sporessubelliptical, with a single nucleus, 8–10×5–8µ.

Plantoften cespitose, 2–4 in. high.Pileus1–2 in. broad.Stem2–3 lines thick.

Rich ground and decomposing vegetable matter. Also in graperies and conservatories. Buffalo,G.W. Clinton; Albany,A.F. Chatfield.Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Sporeselliptical, 7–8×4µMassee; 8×4µW.G.S.; 8–10×5–8µPeck.

Haddonfield, N.J., Pennsylvania,McIlvaine; New York,Mrs. E. C. Anthony; Indiana,H.I. Miller. July to October.

Whoever has seen the seed-stalks of an onion knows the shape from which this fungus takes its name. The dense clusters are graceful, dainty, and contain many individuals of all ages—from the very young with egg-shaped heads, like pigmy C. comatus, to the fluff-capped eldest, willowy and fair to look upon. The out-door kind soon droops when matured; the young plants of a cluster will remain fresh for several days after taken from their habitat. Stems in these tufts are often quill-shaped, and the striations on the cap margins are shorter than those on their indoor cousins. These grow in hot-houses and stables. One of the two forms has a yellow cap, the other is white and fair.

These forms have often come to my table as a pleasant winter surprise. Children in the hot-houses of Haddonfield, N.J., watched for its appearance among the bedded plants, sure of a present when they brought me a meal of it. Both the white and yellow varieties were equally enjoyed.

The entire fungus is tender and delicious cooked in any way.

L. farino´saPk.—farina, meal.Pileusthin, rather tough, flexible, at first globose or ovate, then bell-shaped or convex, covered with a soft, dense, white veil of mealy down, which soon ruptures, forming irregular, easily-detersible scales, more persistent and sometimes brownish on the disk.Fleshwhite, unchangeable.Gillsclose, free, white, minutely downy on the edge.Stemequal or slightly tapering upward, somewhat thickened at the base, slightly mealy, often becoming glabrous, hollow or with a cottony pith above, solid at the base, white, pallid or straw-colored, the ring lacerated, somewhat appendiculate on the margin of the pileus, evanescent.Sporessubovate, 10–13×8µ.

Pileus1.5–2.5 in. broad.Stem2–3 in. long, 2–4 lines thick.

Mushroom beds in a conservatory, Boston, Mass. March. Communicated byE.J. Forster.

This species is related to L. cepæstipes, from which it may be distinguishedby its pileus, which is not folded on the margin, and by its larger spores. It is edible. It is very distinct from Amanita farinosa.Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Ohio,Lloyd,Prof. William Miller(Lloyd Myc. Notes).

L. America´naPk. (PlateXII, fig. 1, p.32. PlateXVa.)Pileusat first ovate, then convex or expanded, umbonate, scaly, white, the umbo and scales reddish or reddish-brown.Gillsclose, free, white.Stemsomewhat thickened at or a little above the base, hollow, bearing a ring, white.Sporessubelliptical, uninucleate, 8–10×5–8µ.

The American lepiota belongs to the same genus as the parasol mushroom and the Smooth lepiota. It has one character in which it differs from all other species of Lepiota. The whole plant when fresh is white, except the umbo and the scales of the cap, but in drying it assumes a dull reddish or smoky-red color. By this character it is easily recognized.

In the very young plant the cap is somewhat egg-shaped and nearly covered by the thin reddish-brown cuticle, but as the plant enlarges the cuticle separates and forms the scales that adorn the cap. On the central prominence or umbo, however, it usually remains entire. The margin of the cap is thin and is generally marked with short radiating lines or striations. The gills do not quite reach the stem and are, therefore, free from it. Sometimes they are connected with each other at or near their inner extremity by transverse branches. They are a little broader near the margin of the cap than at their inner extremity. The stem affords a peculiar feature. It is often enlarged towards the base and then abruptly narrowed below the enlargement, as in the Onion-stemmed lepiota. In some instances, however, the enlargement is not contracted below and then the stem gradually tapers from the base upward. The stem is hollow and usually furnished with a collar, but sometimes this is thin and may disappear with advancing age. Wounds or bruises are apt to assume brownish-red hues.

The caps vary in width from 1–4 in.; the stems are from 3–5 in. long, and 2–5 lines thick. Sometimes plants attain even larger dimensions than these. The plants grow singly or in tufts in grassy ground or on old stumps. They may be found from July to October.

Photographed by Dr. J.R. Weist.Plate XVa.LEPIOTA AMERICANA.

In flavor this species is not much inferior to the parasol mushroom, but when cooked in milk or cream it imparts its own reddish color tothe material in which it is cooked. It is, however, a fine addition to our list of esculent species.Peck, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

I found several on a decaying willow trunk, and on the ground beside it, in Philadelphia. In July, 1898, large quantities, often clustered, grew under the great, open auditorium of the Pennsylvania Chautauqua, at Mt. Gretna, Pa., from ground covered with crushed limestone.

The caps are meaty and excellent in flavor. They should be broiled or fried.

L. granulo´saBatsch.—granosus, full of grains.Pileusthin, convex or nearly plane, sometimes almost umbonate, rough, with numerous granular or branny scales, often radiately wrinkled, rusty-yellow or reddish-yellow, often growing paler with age.Fleshwhite or reddish-tinged.Gillsclose, rounded behind and usually slightly adnexed, white.Stemequal or slightly thickened at the base, stuffed or hollow, white above the ring, colored and adorned like the pileus below it.Ringslight, evanescent.Sporeselliptical 4–5×3–4µ.

Plant1–2.5 in. high.Pileus1–2.5 in. broad.Stem1–3 lines thick. Woods, copses and waste places. Common. August to October.

This is a small species with a short stem and granular reddish-yellow pileus, and gills slightly attached to the stem, a character by which it differs from all the preceding. The ring is very small and fugacious, being little more than the abrupt termination to the coating of the stem.Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Spores5–6×3µB.; 3×4µW.G.S.; elliptical, 4–5×3–4µPeck.

Var.rufes´censB. and Br. Pure white at first, then partially turning red and in drying acquiring everywhere a reddish tint.

Var.al´bidaPk. Persistently white.

Though small many plants grow neighboring. Being fleshy for their size, and of pleasing quality, they well repay gathering. Remove stems.

Open woods, Angora, West Philadelphia; Haddonfield, New Jersey,McIlvaine.

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