Chapter IV: FRAGILIPEDES. Stem fragile, dry, juiceless. Pileus

hygrophanous. Gills often discoloured._

=atroalba=, Bolton. P. 2-3 cm. campan. obtuse, disc blackish or fuscous, whitish towards striate margin; g. free, crowded, glaucous; s. 6-10 cm. pallid, apex darker, base swollen, strigose; sp. ----.

=dissiliens=, Fr. Smell strong, very fragile, conico-camp. obtuse, greyish-brown then pale, grooved to middle; g. broadest in front, base tinged grey; s. 4-5 cm. subincurved, slightly striate, dusky grey, base strigose; sp. ----.

When compressed the stem splits into pieces which curl outwards elastically.

=atrocyanea=, Batsch. P. 1-1.5 cm. convex-camp. sulcate, dark brown then blue-grey, powdered with white meal, deformed umbo obtuse; g. adnexed, whitish; s. 3-4 cm. slender, glabrous, blackish-blue; sp. ----.

=pullata=, B. and Cke. Smell slightly nitrous. P. 1.5-2 cm. dark brown, disc blackish, obtusely umb. striate to middle; g. white; s. 5-6 cm. coloured like pileus, rooting; sp. 6 x 3.

_M. leucogala_ and _M. galopoda_ differ in white milk in stem.

_M. atrocyanea_ differs in dark blue tinge of p. and s.

[=cinerella=, Karst. Smell very strong of meal. P. campan. entirely striate, grey or greyish-pallid; g. broadly adnato-decur. greyish-white; s. greyish-white, base fibrillose, not rooting; sp. ----.

=psammicola=, B. and Br. Smell strong. P. 4-6 mm. hemispherical, brown, paler towards striate margin, sprinkled with minute particles; g. adnexed, sinuate; s. 1.5-2 cm. umber, paler upwards, everywhere pulverulent; sp. ----.

Differs from _M. paupercula_ in pulverulent stem and pileus.

=paupercula=, B. Smell strong. P. 2-4 mm. conical, exp. pale ochraceous, minutely fibrillose; g. free, whitish; s. 1-1.5 cm. slender, whitish, rooting; sp. ----.

=leptocephala=, Pers. Smell strong, solitary, entirely grey. P. 2-2.5 cm. umb. sulcate, pruinose, opaque; g. emarginate; s. 4-5 cm. slightly striate, opaque, dry; sp. ----.

=alcalina=, Fr. Smell strong. P. 1.5-2.5 cm. camp. obtuse, naked, deeply striate when moist, shining when dry, pallid or tinged yellowish-green; g. adnate; s. 4-7 cm. yellowish, viscid, glabrous, shining, base villose; sp. 8 x 5.

=ammoniaca=, Fr. Smell strong. P. 1.5-2 cm. conico-exp. umb. naked, discoid, opaque, dark brown or greyish, striate at paler margin; g. adnate; s. even, glabrous, rooting, pallid, 4-5 cm.; sp. ----.

_M. alcalina_ differs in tufted habit, viscid stem with yellow tinge of colour.

=metata=, Fr. Smell weak, alkaline, soft. P. obt. striate, hygr. grey--rarely yellowish or pinkish--even, opaque, and whitish when dry; g. adnate, not connected by veins, whitish; s. 4-7 cm. firm, even, glabrous, base fibrillose; sp. ----.

=cinerea=, Mass. and Crossl. Entirely grey, smell strong, like radishes. P. 1.5-2 cm. subgibbous, exp. pale, silky and even when dry; g. adnate; s. 5-7 cm. glabrous, downy and white at base; sp. 8 x 5; cystidia fusiform.

_M. leptocephala_ differs in sulcate p., and _M. metata_ in white gills. _M. plumbea_ has no smell.

=plicosa=, Fr. 1.5-2.5 cm. exp. plicato-sulcate, greyish brown, opaque when dry; g. thick, distant, veined, grey; s. 3-4 cm. polished, greyish; sp. globose, 4-5.

[=subplicosa=, Karst. P. campan. obtuse, with distant grooves, almost plicate, glabrous, grey then pallid; g. adnate, whitish; s. rigid, shining, hyaline or livid, base strigose not rooting; sp. 6-8 x 3-5.

=consimilis=, Cke. P. 1.5-2.5 cm. camp. grey, umbo darker, striate to middle, margin upturned and splitting; g. adnexed, grey; s. 2.5-3.5 cm. dry, smooth, paler than p.; sp. ----.

More or less resembling several species. _M. leptocephala_ and _M. metata_ differ in strong smell. _M. peltata_ in orbicular plane pileus. _M. rugosa_ differs in rugose pileus.

=peltata=, Fr. P. 1.5-2 cm. orbicular, soon plane, disc fleshy, blackish brown then grey, margin striate; g. with decurrent tooth, grey; s. 3-4 cm. even, glabrous, base downy; sp. ----.

Differs from _M. pelliculosa_ in absence of viscid pellicle.

=aetites=, Fr. P. 1.5-2 cm. camp.-convex, coarsely striate, hygr. broad obtuse umbo prominent, brownish; g. uncinate, thin, connected by veins; s. 4-5 cm. glabrous, shining subcompressed; sp. ----.

=stannea=, Fr. P. 2-3 cm. exp. hygr. grey, even, and tin colour with a silky sheen when dry; g. with decurrent tooth, connected by veins, greyish white; s. 5-7 cm. even, shining, often compressed; sp. ----.

Differs from _M. vitrea_ in decurrent tooth to gills.

=vitrea=, Fr. P. 1.5-2.5 cm. livid brown, finely striate all over, no trace of umbo or fleshy disc; g. adnate, not connected by veins; s. 6-9 cm. slightly striate, polished, pale, base fibrillose; sp. ----.

Differs from _M. aetites_ and _M. stanneus_ in gills not having a decurrent tooth and not connected by veins.

=tenuis=, Bolton. White, tufted. P. 1-1.5 cm. brittle, camp. obtuse, then exp. striate; g. adnate; s. 5-7 cm. thin, pellucid, glabrous; sp. ----.

_M. gypsea_ differs in decurrent tooth of gills, and strigose base of stem.