Chapter 15

III.—Infundibulfor´mes.

*Pileus colored or becoming pale, etc., surface innately flocculose orsilky; not moist.

*Pileus colored or becoming pale, etc., surface innately flocculose or

silky; not moist.

C. gigante´aSow.—giganteus, of gigantic size.Pileus6–10 in. across.Fleshrather thin in proportion to the size of the fungus, white, or tinged with tan, glabrous when moist, slightly flocculose when dry; margin involute then spreading, glabrous, rather coarsely grooved.Gillsslightly decurrent, broad, very much crowded, branched and connectedby veins, whitish then pale tan-color, not separating spontaneously from the hymenophore.Stem1–2 in. long and nearly the same in thickness, equal, pallid, solid.Sporeswhite, 5×3µ.

In woods, etc.

A very distinct species, very showy, large, subcespitose, entirely whitish tan-color; without close affinities. Stem solid, compact, and firm inside and outside, 2½ in. long, ½ in. thick, equal, even, glabrous. Pileus depressed from the first, then broadly,i. e., plano-infundibuliform, thin but equally fleshy, soft, not flaccid, but easily splitting from the margin toward the center (almost papery and involute when old), upward of a foot broad, often excentric and generally sinuately lobed, moist and adpressedly downy when growing, slightly flocculose and cracked into scales when dry; margin at first very thin, involute, pubescent, soon spreading, glabrous, at length revolute, coarsely furrowed or radiately wrinkled. Gills slightly decurrent, closely crowded, almost 3 lines broad (2–3 times as broad as thickness of flesh of pileus), connected by veins, thin, fragile, straight, but sometimes varying to crisped and anastomosing, whitish then yellowish or tinged with rufous, smell weak.Fries.

This species was placed in Clitocybe in Syst. Myc. and Epicrisis, but in Hym. Europ. Fries removed it to Paxillus in which he is followed by Stevenson. Cooke and Massee continue it in Clitocybe. Dr. Somers found one measuring over 15 inches in diameter.R.K.M.

North Carolina,Schweinitz. Edible,Curtis; Wisconsin,Bundy; California,H. and M.; Nova Scotia,Dr. Somers.

Large quantities of Clitocybe gigantea grow in the West Virginia mountains, and in woods around Philadelphia. July to November.

Its substance is coarse, but of good flavor. It should be chopped fine.

C. max´imaGärtn and Meyer. (Fl. Wett.)—greatest. (PlateXXIV, fig. 5, page 82.)Pileusas much as 1 foot broad, becoming pale-tan or whitish,fleshy, compact at the disk, otherwise thin,somewhat flaccid(not capable of being split), broadly funnel-shaped, gibbouswith a central umbo, always very dry, the surfacebecoming silky-evenor squamulose; margin involute, pubescent, alwayseven.Fleshwhite, at length soft.Stemas much as 4 in. long, 1 in. thick, solid, compact, but internally spongy,elastic, attenuated upward, fibrillosestriate,whitish.Gillsdeeply decurrent, pointed at both ends, somewhat crowded, soft, simple,whitish, not changeable.

The pileus is always very dry because the surface absorbs moisture. Odor weak, pleasant, almost that of A. infundibuliformis. On account of its gigantic stature and color, it has often been interchanged with A. gigantea Sow.; it is in no wise, however, allied to that species, but is so closely allied to A. infundibuliformis that it might be taken for a very luxuriant form of it.Stevenson.

Spores6×4µMassee; 5×3µ,W.G.S.

New England,Frost; California,H. and M.

Common in the West Virginia mountains, mixed woods in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. June to November.McIlvaine.

It is coarse, dry, hard, but chopped fine and cooked in various ways, either by itself or with meats, it is a good food.

C. infundibulifor´misSchaeff.—infundibulum, a funnel;forma, form. (PlateXXIV, fig. 11, p. 82.) The Funnel-form clitocybe, Clitocybe infundibuliformis, is a neat and pretty species easily recognized by the funnel shape of its mature cap and by its pale red color. When very young the cap is slightly convex and often adorned with a slight umbo in its center. As it matures the margin becomes elevated so that the cap assumes a shape somewhat resembling that of a wine glass. The margin is sometimes wavy. The flesh is thin and white. The gills are close, thin, white or whitish and decurrent. The stem is smooth, colored like or a little paler than the cap and mostly tapering from the base upward.

The cap is 2–3 in. broad, the stem 1½-3 in. long and ¼-½ in. thick.

The funnel-shaped mushroom grows in woods or copses in summer and autumn, especially in wet seasons. It is somewhat variable in color, but is usually a pale-red, tinged with buff, and sometimes becoming more pale with age. It delights to grow among fallen leaves, and often there is an abundant white cottony mycelium at the base of the stem. When it grows in clusters the caps are apt to be irregular because of mutual pressure. “Mushrooms and Their Use.”Peck.

Spores5–6×3–4µB.

Very common and in plenty after rains, when large patches of it may be found. I have usually found the light pinkish-buff color to abound,and the stem thinner than described by Prof. Peck. Size of cap from 1–3 in.

It is a good, reliable food species. The stem should be removed, and the caps well cooked.

**Pileus colored or pallid, smooth, moist in wet weather.

C. subzonal´isPk.—sub, under;zonalis, pertaining to a zone.Pileusthin, centrally depressed or subinfundibuliform, marked with two or three obscure zones, with a slight appressed silkiness, pale yellow.Gillsclose, narrow, equally decurrent, some of them forked, pallid or yellowish.Stemequal, slightly fibrillose, stuffed, pale yellow.

Plant2 in. high.Pileus2–3 in. broad.Stem2–3 lines thick.

Ground in woods.Croghan.September.Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found in oak woods, Angora, West Philadelphia, growing singly. Specimens few. Edible; pleasant.

C. gil´vaPers.—gilvus, pale brownish-yellow.Pileus2–4 in. broad,pale yellowish, fleshy, compact, convex then depressed, very obtuse, even, smooth,dampish when fresh, polished andshiningwhen dry, here and there spotted as with drops, the margin remaining long involute.Fleshcompact, not laxly floccose, but at length fragile,somewhat of the same color as the pileus.Stem1–2 in. and more long, ½ in. and more thick,solid, fleshy, stout, not elastic, somewhat equal, smooth, paler than the pileus, villous at the base.Gillsdecurrent, thin,very much crowded, oftenbranched, arcuate, narrow,pallid then ochraceous.

Odor not remarkable. The stem has been noticed at length also hollow, perhaps eroded by larvæ. It corresponds with the Paxilli. The primary form, which is very different from all the rest, is curt, obese, robust, scarcely ever infundibuliform.Stevenson.

Spores4–5×5µK.; 4–5µMassee.

North Carolina,Schweinitz,Curtis; Pennsylvania,Schweinitz; New York,Peck, R. 51, under pines. July to September.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. July, 1898, ground, mixed woods.McIlvaine.

Pileus1–2½ in. across, depressed, almost infundibuliform, smooth.Colorvaried lemon to bright orange.Fleshlemon color throughout.Gillsvarying in color, usually same color as pileus.Stemall of onecolor, same as pileus, stuffed, sometimes short, and pointed, sometimes thickened at base. Taste and smell pleasant. Edible; good.

C. subinvolu´taBatsch.—turned under at the margin.Pileusbrick color, convex, depressed, smooth, margin closely involute.Fleshpallid.Stempaler, stout, straight, somewhat equal, veined on the lower part with oblique coalescing slightly elevated wrinkles, tomentose and inclining to flesh color above toward the gills, base obtuse.Gillsdecurrent, rather broad, of the same color as the pileus.

The stem is rough on the surface and destitute of luster. It resembles Paxillus involutus in size and habit, in the crenate and involute margin of the pileus, and in the stem being obsoletely veined at the base and tomentose toward the gills.Stevenson.

New England,Frost; New York,Peck, Rep. 22.

Edible,Cooke.

C. geo´tropaBull.Gr.—the earth;Gr.—to turn. From the turned down margin.Pileus2–5 in. across.Fleshthick, white convex, then plane and finally more or less depressed, obtusely umbonate, the prominence remaining after the pileus becomes depressed, very smooth, even, margin thin, incurved, downy, pale pinkish-tan or buff.Gillsdecurrent, crowded, narrow, simple, white, then colored like the pileus.Stem3–5 in. long, 1 in. or more thick at the base, slightly attenuated upward, compact, fibrillose, colored like the pileus or paler, solid.Sporeselliptical, 6–7×4–5µ.Massee.

In woods and on their borders. Often in rings or troops.

Differs from C. maxima in being firmer, glabrous, and color much more variable; from C. gilva in the thinner pileus, less crowded gills, and white flesh.

Spores5–7µW.G.S.

In England and on the continent it is considered excellent and superior to most edible fungi.

Found in West Virginia, 1881; Haddonfield, N J., 1891. Spring and autumn.McIlvaine.

Edible, coarse, dry. In stews and mixed to form croquettes or patties, it is a desirable species, owing to its plentifulness.

C. splen´densPers.—splendens, shining. Solitary.Pileus2–3 in. across, flesh rather thick, white, plane then depressed or funnel-shaped,glabrous, shining, yellowish.Gillsdeeply decurrent, narrow, crowded, simple, white.Stemabout 1 in. long, 3 lines thick, glabrous, colored like the pileus, solid, slightly thickened at the base or equal.Massee.

In woods, among pine leaves, etc.

Intermediate between C. gilva and C. flaccida. The typical form of C. gilva differs in the compact pileus, often with drop-like markings, the very much crowded, somewhat branched, pale ochraceous gills and flesh.Fries.

Sent to me from Trenton, N.J., by E.B. Sterling.

Edible; quality good, deficient in flavor.

C. inver´susScop.—inverto, inverted.Pileus2–3 in. across.Fleshthin, fragile; convex, soon funnel-shaped, margin involute, glabrous, even, reddish or dull brownish-orange.Gillsdecurrent, simple, pallid then reddish.Stemabout 1½ in. long, 2 lines thick, glabrous, rather rigid, paler than the pileus, stuffed, soon hollow.Sporessubglobose, 4µ diameter.Massee.

Among leaves, etc.

Gregarious, subcespitose, forming very large tufts, especially late in the autumn, deformed. Smell peculiar, slightly acid. Stem sometimes stuffed, usually hollow, hence compressed, rather rigid and corticated outside, not elastic, without a bulb, glabrous, whitish; the somewhat rooting base with white down, and often growing together in tufts, variously deformed, curved, ascending, etc.Fries.

Sporessubglobose, 4µMassee; 3µW.G.S.

Closely resembles C. infundibuliformis, but differs from it in the color of gills and flesh. The entire plant is dark in color. Solitary; in troops; cespitose.

Found in mixed woods. Haddonfield, N.J. Summer and autumn.

That part of the plant which readily breaks away from the stem is tender and of good flavor. The remainder is tough.

C. flac´cidaSow.—flaccidus, limp.Pileus2–3 in. across, flaccid, orbicular, umbilicate, umbo persistently absent, margin spreading, arched, glabrous, even, rarely cracking into minute squamules, tawny-rust colored, shining, not becoming pale.Fleshthin, pallid, rather fragile when fresh, but quite flaccid when dry.Gillsdeeply decurrent,arcuate, crowded, narrow, about 1 line broad, white, then tinged yellowish.Stemimperfectly hollow, elastic, tough, 1–2 in. long, 2–3 lines thick somewhat equal, polished, naked, reddish-rust color, base thickened, downy.Sporessubglobose, 4–5×3–4µ.

Among leaves, etc. Gregarious, stems often grown together at the base. Sometimes solitary and regular. Summer and autumn.Massee.

Sporessubglobose, 4–5×3–4µ.

Found in 1886 in West Philadelphia—oak woods. Since in New Jersey, North Carolina, and interior of Pennsylvania.

Edible. Well cooked it compares favorably with C. infundibuliformis and others of like texture.

***Pileus shining white.

C. cati´naFr.—catinus, a bowl.Pileus2 in. broad, at firstwhite, in no wise hygrophanous, then passing into pale flesh-color during rain, and into tan-color in dry weather,fleshy, moderately thin, plane then funnel-shaped, always obtuse, even,smooth.Fleshthin,flaccid, white.Stem3 in. long, 1½ in. thick,stuffed, internally spongy,elastic, tough, thickened and tomentose at the base.Gillsdecurrent,straight, descending, not horizontal, broad, not muchcrowded, persistently white.Fries.

Ray Brook, Adirondack mountains. August. The pileus is at first white, but in wet weather it becomes pallid or discolored with age. The plants were found growing among pieces of bark of arbor vitæ lying on the ground.Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Quite common in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Woods among dead leaves. August until frost.

Edible. Excellent in flavor and quality.

Series B.

IV.—Cyathifor´mes.

C. cyathifor´misBull.—cyathus, a cup;formis, form.Pileus1½-3 in. across, flesh thin, plano-depressed when young, then infundibuliform, even, glabrous, hygrophanous, rather slimy and usually dark brown when moist, becoming pale and opaque when dry, undulate inlarge specimens, the margin remains involute for a long time.Fleshwatery, similar in color to the pileus, splitting.Gillsadnate, becoming decurrent with the depression of the pileus, joined behind, distant, grayish-brown, sometimes branched.Stemspongy and stuffed inside, elastic, at length often hollow, 2–4 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, attenuated upward, brownish-fibrillose, fibrils forming an imperfect reticulation, colored like the pileus or a little paler, apex naked (not mealy), base villous.Massee.

On the ground in pastures and woods, rarely on rotten wood.

Usually blackish-umber, but varies to paler grayish-brown, pinky-tan, pale cinnamon or brownish; then dingy-ochraceous or tan-color. Margin expanded when old, and also indistinctly striate.Fries.

Var.cineras´censFr.Pileusup to 1 in. across, thin, infundibuliform, pale smoky-brown.Gillsdecurrent, yellowish-white.Stem1–2 in. long, 1½ line thick, grayish, reticulately fibrillose, hollow.

Spores8×5µW.G.S.; 10–12×5–6µ,B.; 9×6µMorgan.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. Among leaves in woods. September to October. Gregarious.McIlvaine.

Fair in quality.

C. bruma´lisFr.—bruma, winter. From its late appearance.Pileusabout 1 in. across.Fleshthin, expanded, umbilicate then infundibuliform and usually variously waved and lobed, glabrous, flaccid, hygrophanous, livid, whitish or yellowish when dry, disk often darker.Gillsdecurrent, about 1 line broad, crowded, pallid.Stemup to 2 in. long and about 2 lines thick, nearly equal, slightly curved, glabrous, whitish, often compressed, imperfectly hollow.Spores4–5×3–4µ.

In woods, etc.

Truly autumnal, being most abundant in November. There are two forms: (a) on pine leaves in pine woods; (b) among heather. (a) Stem rather firm, hollow, about 2 in. long, 2 lines thick, equal or slightly thickened at the apex, at length compressed, somewhat incurved, glabrous, naked, becoming livid, white when dry, base white and downy. Flesh of pileus membranaceous, at first convex, umbilicate, margin reflexed, about 1 in. across, then funnel-shaped, often irregular and undulate, up to 2 in. broad, glabrous, even, livid when moist, whitish then becoming yellowish when dry, disk at first usually darker. Gills decurrent, at first arcuate, then descending, 1 line broad, crowded,distinct, livid then yellowish-white, smell weak, not unpleasant. (b) Entirely watery white; stem hollow, somewhat striate, base glabrous; pileus infundibuliform, margin deflexed, milky-white when dry. Gills less crowded, but rather broader, whitish.Fries.

Spores3µW.G.S.; 4–5×3–4µMassee.

Edible.Cooke.

C. morbi´feraPk.—morbus, disease;fero, to bear.Pileusthin, fragile, glabrous, convex, becoming plane or centrally depressed, slightly hygrophanous, grayish-brown when moist, whitish or cinereous when dry, sometimes slightly umbonate.Gillsnarrow, close, adnate or slightly decurrent, whitish or pallid.Stemshort, equal, hollow, colored like the pileus or a little paler.Sporesminute, broadly elliptical, 4µ long, almost as broad.

Pileus.5–1.5 in. broad.Stemabout 1 in. long, ⅙–¼ in. thick. Grassy ground and lawns. November. Washington, D.C.F.J. Braendle.

The species seems related to C. expallens, but the margin of the pileus is not striate as in that fungus. The taste is very disagreeable and remains in the mouth a long time. Two persons were made ill by eating it, but their sickness lasted only about three hours.Peck.

I have not seen this species. Its reputation is bad. Caution should be observed.

V.—Versifor´mes.

Pileus bright, of one color.

C. trullisa´taEllis.Pileusfleshy, plano-convex, at length depressed in the center, innate fibrous-scaly, becoming smoother on the disk, margin thin.Gillsunequal, not crowded, coarse and thick, adnate with a decurrent tooth, at length white pulverulent, purple-violet at first, becoming dark brick-red.Stemstuffed, fibrillose, with a long club-shaped base penetrating deeply into the sand.Sporeslarge, cylindric-oblong, 15–20µ.

In old sandy fields. September to October.

The interior of the stem in the young plant is like the gills, violet-purple, and the club-shaped base is covered with a tomentose coat, to which the sand adheres tenaciously.

Related to A. laccatus and A. ochropurpureus B.

Resembles the larger forms of A. laccatus, but it has a stouter habit, the pileus is more squamulose, the stem is bulbous or thickened at the base, the mycelium is violet-colored and the spores are oblong. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, November, 1874.

New Jersey,Ellis; New York,Peck, Rep. 33.

Haddonfield, Watertown, N.J. Sandy soil in pine woods.McIlvaine.

Densely cespitose. Caps and stems brown, glutinous and so incrusted with sand that it is almost impossible to clean them. Edible, but not desirable.

C. lacca´taScop.—made of lac. (PlateXXIV, fig. 10, p. 82.)Pileusthin, fleshy, convex, sometimes expanded, even or slightly umbilicate, smooth or minutely tomentose-scaly, hygrophanous when moist, dull reddish-yellow or reddish flesh-colored, sometimes striatulate when dry, pallid or pale dull ochraceous.Gillsbroad, rather thick and distant, attached, not decurrent, flesh-colored.Stemslender, firm, fibrous, stuffed, equal, concolorous.

Height1–6 in., breadth of pileus 6 lines to 2 in. Common. June to October.

An extremely variable and abundant species occurring almost everywhere throughout the season.Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Spores8–9µMassee; 8–10µB.

Var.pallidifo´liaPk.—pallidus, pale;foliumaf. Gills whitish or pallid, decurrent.

Var.stria´tulaPk.—stria, a furrow. Pileus moist, smooth, thin, showing shading radiating lines, extending from near the center to the margin. In wet or damp places.

A form occurs with a decidedly bulbous base. Gills appearing emarginate with a decurrent tooth.

Clitocybe laccata is made the type of a new genus by Berkeley and Broome. Massee accepts the genus but it is not generally accepted by the standard authors. It is a well defined genus, and a fitting place for C. laccata, C. amethystina, C. ochropurpurea, C. tortilis, which it puzzles anyone to identify as Clitocybe.

C. amethys´tinaBolt.—amethystinus, color of an amethyst. (PlateXXIV, fig. 8, p. 82.)Pileus1–2½ in. across, dark-purple, umbilicate, smooth, minutely tomentose, involute.Gillsdark-purple, decurrent, broad.Stem2–3 in. high, fibrillose, purple, streaked with white fibrils, equal, densely covered with white tomentum at base.

Also writtenClitocybe laccata amethystinaSacc.

“In my opinion it is a good species and should be kept distinct as Bolton gave it, and not be tacked on to C. laccata as a variety. I should write it Clitocybe amethystina Bolt.”Peck, letter September 17, 1897.

New York,Peck, Rep. 41; New Jersey,Sterling; Mt. Gretna, Pa., on wood soil, June to frost, 1897–1898,McIlvaine.

Generally included in C. laccata as a variety, and has therefore been reported under that name.

Great quantities of C. amethystina grew in troops on beds made up of wood earth about the cottages at Mt. Gretna, Pa. The woods over them is dense.

The caps are tough, but they cook readily and make a pleasing dish.

C. tor´tilisBolt.—tortilis, twisted.Pileusmembranaceous, convexo-plane then depressed, obscurely marked with radiating striæ.Stemhollow, twisted, fragile.Gillsadnate, thick, distant, fleshy-rose, cespitose, small, irregular, pileus and stem rusty in color.

Hard ground in an old road. Sandlake. August. A species closely allied to C. laccata and appearing like an irregular dwarf form of that species. Sometimes cespitose.Peck, 41st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Excepting that this fungus is frequently found with C. laccata, and might be taken for a new species if not here described, it would not be separated from C. laccata.

Its edible qualities are similar.

C. ochropurpu´reaBerk.—ochra, ocher;purpureus, purple. (PlateXXIV, figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, p.82.)Pileussubhemispherical, at length depressed, fleshy, compact, tough, pale yellow, slightly changing to purplish, cuticle easily separable; margin inflexed, at first tomentose.Stempaler, here and there becoming purplish, solid, swollen in the middle, occasionally equal.Gillsthick, purple, broader behind, decurrent.Sporeswhite or pale yellow.

Pileus2 in. broad.Stem2½ in. high, ¾ in. thick in the center.

August. On clayey soil in woodlands.

Its spores darken when shed in quantity, have a granulated and light-lilac appearance. It is a solitary grower, sometimes reaching the height of six inches. The upturned, wavy pileus, showing the purple gills in contrast with the pale Naples-yellow of the cap is markedly attractive. The stem is often rough with fibers, hard and tough. The caps are tough. It grows in grassy woods and open places. The novice, even the expert, will be puzzled to place it in its genus.

Specimens were sent to me by Miss Lydia M. Patchen, Westfield, N.Y., and E.B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J. I afterward found many at Mt. Gretna, Pa. I reported their edible qualities to Prof. Peck who wrote, September 3, 1897: “I have often wished it was edible, but it has such a disagreeable flavor when fresh that I have never ventured to eat it. I have known it to be mistaken for the common mushroom, but not eaten.”

Though tough it cooks tender and is excellent. Stew and put in patties or croquettes.

VI.—Orbifor´mes.

*Gills becoming ash-colored.

C. di´topaFr.Gr.—twofold;Gr.—a foot. Probably from stems growing two together.Pileusthin, submembranaceous, convex, rarely with a small umbo, smooth, hygrophanous, brown when young and moist, grayish-white when dry.Gillsgrayish, close, thin, attached, not decurrent.Stemslender, equal, smooth, hollow.

Height1–2 in., breadth of pileus 6–18 lines.Stem1–2 lines thick.

Pine woods. West Albany. October.

The plant has the odor and taste of new meal. I have seen no specimens with the pileus depressed.Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

C. meta´chroaFr.Gr.—changing color. Separated from C. ditopa by its thicker, depressed pileus, its thicker, less close gills, and the absence of odor.

Pine woods. West Albany. October.Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Moderately plentiful in New Jersey pines. September to October.

Edible, tough; when well stewed of good flavor.

**Gills whitish.

C. compres´sipesPk.—compressus, pressed together;pes, a foot.Pileusthin, convex or expanded, umbilicate, glabrous, hygrophanous, brownish when moist, whitish or pale yellow when dry, margin thin.Gillsclose, subarcuate or horizontal, adnate or subdecurrent, whitish.Stemfirm, hollow, generally compressed, slightly pruinose.Sporeselliptical, 5–6.5×4–4.5µ.Fleshwhite when dry, odor slight, farinaceous.

Plantgregarious, 1–1.5 in. high.Pileus6–16 lines broad.Stem1–2 lines thick.

Grassy places. Albany. July.

The moist pileus is sometimes obscurely zonate. The odor is not always perceptible unless the pileus is moist or broken. The stem is sometimes compressed at the top only, sometimes at the base only, and rarely it is wholly top-shaped.Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found on open lots in West Philadelphia. Though small it usually grows in troops which yield fair quantity. The caps are tender and of good flavor.

C. fra´gransSow.—fragrans, fragrant. Smell strong, spicy.Pileusabout 1 in. across.Fleshrather thick; convex, soon expanded and slightly depressed or umbilicate, even, glabrous, hygrophanous, uniform watery-white, disk not darker, whitish when dry.Gillsslightly decurrent, rather crowded, 1 line broad, distinct, whitish.Stemabout 2 in. long, equal, slightly curved, elastic, glabrous, whitish, stuffed then hollow.

In woods among moss, etc.

Distinguished from other species resembling it in color and size, by the fragrant smell resembling aniseed.Massee.

Spores6×4µ.W.G.S.

Found in West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. July to severe frosts.McIlvaine.

Edible. The strong taste of anise is not lost in cooking.

C. pino´phila—pine loving.Pileusthin, convex, umbilicate or centrally depressed, glabrous, moist, pale tan-color, paler or alutaceous when dry.Gillsmoderately close, subarcuate, adnate or slightly decurrent, whitish.Stemequal, stuffed or hollow, glabrous or subpruinose,colored like the pileus.Sporesnearly elliptical, 4–6µ long; odor and taste resembling that of fresh meal.

Plant1–2 in. high.Pileusabout 1 in. broad.Stem1–2 lines thick.

Ground under pine trees. Albany and Ticonderoga. July and August.Peck, 31st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Quite plentiful in pine woods of New Jersey. Edible; pleasant.

Gr.—a small coin.

Pileusfleshy, usually thin,margin incurvedat first, not corrugated.Stemdifferent in substance from the pileus, but confluent with it; hollow, with a cartilaginous bark, internally cartilaginous or soft, often rooting.Gillsfree or obtusely adnexed, membranaceous, soft.

Growing on the ground, wood, leaves and decaying fungi.

In Clitocybe and Tricholoma the substance of the stem and pileus is alike; they differ in the character of the stem. Tricholoma has no distinct bark-like coat, and in Clitocybe the stem is covered with minute fibers. In Mycena as in Collybia the stem is different in substance from the pileus, but is distinguished by the margin of the pileus being straight. It is most closely allied to Marasmius, which is characterized by its tough coriaceous substance, which when dried fully revives and expands on being moistened. The line between them can not always be closely drawn, and there are numerous species which it is difficult to place with certainty in either genus. This does not apply to the fleshy edible species of this genus as they are quite distinct from Marasmius.

Peck’s 49th Report contains a monograph of the New York species of Collybia, supplemented by one of those found in other states.

Several common, prolific, long-season, delicious fungi occur in this genus. They vary in size from “a small coin” to five inches across. They grow in woods, on wood, on ground, on leaves, on lawns and among moss and grass in shaded places. The writer has tested many species raw, and eaten small quantities cooked, which are not herein described for the reason that not enough of a species was found to test to full extent. So far as is reported and as his experience goes, there is not a poisonous species in Collybia. Many of them are strong in odor.

Photographed by Dr. J.R. Weist.Plate XXIX.COLLYBIA RADICATA.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

Series A.Gills White or Brightly Colored, Not Gray. Flesh White.

Striæpedes(striate-stemmed). Page113.

Stem stout, hollow or imperfectly filled with a spongy pith; grooved or striate with fibers.

*Gills broad, rather distant.

**Gills narrow, crowded.

Vestipedes(clothed-stemmed). Page118.

Stem thin, equal, hollow or with a pith, even, velvety, downy or covered with a bloom.

*Gills broad, rather distant.

**Gills very narrow, closely crowded.

Lævipedes(even-stemmed). Page120.

Stem thin, equal, hollow, naked, smooth—except the base—apparently not striate, but some species are minutely striate under a lens.

*Gills broad, lax, usually more or less distant.

**Gills narrow, crowded.

Series B.Gills Becoming Gray. Hygrophanous.

Tephrophanæ. Page —-.

Color brownish becoming gray. Allied to the last section of Tricholoma and Clitocybe, but distinguished from them by the cartilaginous stem.

Some are strong scented. None known to be edible.

Striæ´pedes.

*Gills broad, rather distant.

C. radica´taRelh.—radix, a root. (PlateXXIX, p. 112.)Pileus1½-4 in. across, from convex to nearly plane, broadly umbonate, frequently wrinkled toward and at the umbo, glutinous when moist. Color variable, usually brown in grayish shades, from dark to almost white.Fleshthin, white, elastic.Gillswhite, thick, tough, distant, ventricose, adnexed, rounded or notched behind like Tricholoma, sometimes with a decurrent tooth.Stem4–8 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, smooth, firm, same color as pileus, tapering upward, becoming vertically striate or grooved, often twisted, ending in a long, tapering, pointed root deeply planted in the earth.

Sporeselliptical, 14–15×8–9µMassee; 11×17µW.G.S.; 11×9µW.P.; 16–17×10–11µB.

Often sombre, but erect, neat and handsome. Growing solitary and in troops in woods, usually near stumps, if much decayed, sometimes on them, or on shaded lawns and grassy places. June to October.

Var.furfu´raceaPk.Stemfurfuraceous, less distinctly striate.

Var.pusil´laPk. Plant small.Pileusabout 1 in. broad, passing gradually into the typical form.Stemslender.

Professor Peck says: “The variety furfuracea is common and connects this species with C. longipes, which has a villose stem and dry velvety pileus.” 49th Rep.

Common to the United States. Edible.Curtis, according to Dr. F. Peyre Porcher of Charleston, S.C., was the first to declare this edible.

A very attractive species. The purity of its gills is especially noticeable. I began eating it in 1881, and it has continued to be a favorite. The caps should be broiled or fried. They are sweet, pleasing in texture, and delicately flavored.

C. platyphyl´laFr.Gr.—broad; a leaf. (PlateXXVIII, fig. 1, p. 114.)Pileus3–4 in. broad, dusky and gray then whitish, fleshy-membranaceous,thin, fragile, soon flattened, obtuse, watery when moist,streaked with fibrils.Stem3–4 in. long, ½ in. thick, stuffed, soft, equal, fibrilloso-striate, otherwise smooth, naked or obsoletely powdered at the apex, whitish, shortly and bluntly rooted at the base.Gillsobliquely cut off behind,slightlyadnexed, ½ in. and morebroad, distant, soft, white.

Odor not remarkable. It inclines toward the Tricholomata in thesomewhat membranaceous cuticle of the soft stem.Fries.Spores13×19µW.G.S.

Solitary, gregarious, rarely clustered. On rotten wood, roots, ground near stumps, among leaves, etc. June to October.

Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine.Plate XXVIII.Fig.Page.Fig.Page.1.Collybia platyphylla,1143.Collybia dryophila,1202.Collybia platyphylla (after rain),1144.Collybia fusipes,116

Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine.Plate XXVIII.

Distinguished by the very broad and deeply emarginate gills, which frequently slope up behind to near the cap then with a short turn downward connect with the stem which is either stuffed or hollow, and by the abundant, cord-like rooting mycelium. The gills are very broad. Professor Peck says: “The species is quite variable. The pileus is sometimes irregular and even eccentric, the thin margin may be slightly striate, is often split and in wet weather may be upturned or revolute. The lamellæ are sometimes ½ in. broad or more and transversely split. They may be obscurely striated transversely and even veiny above withvenose interspaces. Occasionally a slight anise-like odor is perceptible, but in decay the plants have a very disagreeable odor and disgusting appearance.” 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, 1880–1885; Haddonfield, N.J., 1896. Gregarious, and in large bunches. Mt. Gretna and Eagle’s Mere, Pa., 1897,McIlvaine.

When fresh, in good condition, the caps are good, but they are not nearly equal in substance or flavor to C. radicata and C. longipes. They are best broiled or fried.

Var.re´pensFr.Pileusmore fleshy, depressed.Stemhollow, compressed, pruinate at the apex, with acreeping, string-like mycelium.

It is best distinguished by its white, villous, anastomosing, very much branched mycelium which creeps a long distance in a rooting string-like manner. The so-called roots are quite different from the stem, not a prolongation of the stem itself.Fries.

Clearly a variety of C. platyphylla. C. platyphylla is quite variable, even puzzling. Edible qualities the same.

C. long´ipesBull.—longus, long;pes, a foot.Pileus1–2 in. across, conical then expanded, umbonate, dry, minutely, beautifully velvety.Colorfrom pale to date-brown, sometimes umber.Fleshwhite, thin, elastic.Gillswhite, broad, tough, thick, adnexed, distant, ventricose, rounded behind, emarginate.Stem4–6 in. long, 2–4 lines thick, tapering upward, usually densely and minutely velvety like the cap, nearly same color, with a long, tapering root.

On much decayed stumps and logs. July to October. Closely resembles C. radicata. It is readily distinguished by its velvety cap and stem. It is more glutinous.

Sporesspheroid, 12µQ.

California. Edible.H. and M.

West Virginia mountains, 1880–1885; Cheltenham, Pa., 1889.McIlvaine.

Excepting from California, C. longipes has not previously been reported as found in the United States. It is not plentiful in the forests of West Virginia, yet I often found it upon rotting stumps and logs, solitary, but up to a dozen in the same vicinity. It is unmistakable. Its rich yet dull velvety cap and stem and the purity of its gills hold the finder’s admiration.

The caps fried or broiled are delicious, resembling in every way those of C. radicata.

C. fu´sipesBull.—fusus, a spindle;pes, a foot. (PlateXXVIII, fig. 4, p. 112.)Pileus1–3 in. broad,reddish-brown, becoming pale and also dingy-tan, fleshy, convex then flattened, umbonate (the umbo at length vanishing), even, smooth, dry, here and there broken up in cracks when dry.Stem3 in. and more long, commonly ½ in., but here and there as much as 1 in. broad,fibrous-stuffed then hollow, remarkably cartilaginous externally,swollen, ventricose in the middle, attenuated at both ends, often twisted, longitudinallyfurrowed, red or reddish-brown,rooted in a spindle-shaped manner at the base.Gillsannulato-adnexed(joined into a ring), soon separating, free, broad, distant, firm, connected by veins, crisped, white then becoming somewhat of the same color as the pileus, often spotted.Stevenson.

Spores6×3µW.G.S.; 4–5×2–4µB.

Solitary, gregarious, usually densely clustered on decaying wood, roots, etc. August until after heavy frosts.

West Virginia, 1882,McIlvaine.

In the West Virginia mountains C. fusipes is frequent. Caps in the clusters rarely exceed 1½ in. across. They show an auburn or burgundy shade of brown in their color. When young they are smooth and appear to remain so unless rained upon or moistened, when they crack more or less finely in drying. At first the connection of the gills with the stem is peculiar—they join in a collar-like ring at the top of the stem. As the cap expands the gills part more or less and separate from the stem. The stem is markedly spindle-shaped, though variously flattened by compression in dense clusters; the outside often splitting, breaking and turning out from the stem.

The caps, alone, are good, the stem being hard and refractory. The caps are very fine, cooked in any way.

The caps dry well, and are a pleasant addition to gravies, soups and other dishes. They make a choice pickle.

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