Chapter XII: Part 12

The genus Flammula is not represented in our territory by a large number of species. It is, nevertheless, not very sharply distinct from the allied genera, Pholiota, Hebeloma and Naucoria. From Pholiota it is especially separated by the slight development of the veil which is merely fibrillose or entirely wanting. It never forms a persistent membranous collar on the stem. From Hebeloma it may be distinguished by the absence of a sinus at or near the inner extremity of the gills, by the absence of white particles or mealiness from the upper part of the stem and by the brighter or more distinctly rusty or ochraceous color of the spores. From Naucoria the fleshy or fibrously fleshy stem affords the most available distinguishing character. The genus belongs to the Ochrosporæ or ochraceous-spored series, but the spores of its species vary in color from ochraceous or tawny-ochraceous to rust-color or brownish-rust color. The three things to be especially kept in mind in order to recognize the species are the color of the spores, the adnate or decurrent but not clearly sinuate gills and the fleshy or fibrously fleshy stem without a membranous ring.

Our species are mostly of medium size, none being very small and one only meriting the appellation large. They appear chiefly in late summer or in autumn and grow in woods or in wooded regions either on the ground or more often on decaying wood. Many are gregarious or cespitose in their mode of growth. Some have a bitterish or unpleasant flavor and none of our species has yet been classed as edible. Fries arranged the species in five groups, of which the names and more prominent characters are here given. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

The few species which the writer has found to be edible, and the two new species found by him, were tested after the publication of the above. Several of the species found are not mentioned herein for the reason that a sufficient quantity was not obtained to make certain their quality as a food. The bitterness, as far as observed, with which most of the species are tainted disappears in cooking.

GYMNO´TI. Veil absent, pileus dry, etc.

=F. alie´na= Pk. =Pileus= thin, flexible, broadly convex, umbilicate, dry, bare, slightly striate on the margin when old, grayish or pale grayish-brown. =Flesh= white, fibrous. =Gills= thin, subdistant, bow-shaped, decurrent, ochraceous-brown. =Stem= firm, fibrous-striate, solid, slightly tapering upward, colored like the pileus, covered at the base with a dense white tomentum. =Spores= rusty-brown, globose, 5µ broad.

=Pileus= 3–5 cm. broad. =Stem= 5 cm. long, 4–6 mm. thick.

Gregarious on partly burned anthracite coal, Mt. Gretna, Pa. September. _C. McIlvaine._

The species is peculiar in its color and habitat. In the dried specimen the gills have assumed a brown color with no ochraceous tint. Mr. McIlvaine remarks that it is an edible species, dries well, and is excellent when cooked. Its relationship is with F. anomala Pk., but it is a larger plant with darker color and a different habitat. _Peck_, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 26, F. 1899.

It grows on partly _burned_ anthracite coal, not _buried_, as printed in the Torrey Bulletin. The mycelium completely involves the pieces of coal, holding them tightly in its meshes. Patches of it were strictly limited to the size of the ash-pile containing the partly burned coal. Quite fifty were found.

As stated, it is edible, and it is of remarkably fine substance for a Flammula.

LU´BRICI. Pileus viscid, etc.

=F. edu´lis= Pk.—eatable. =Pileus= fleshy, convex, obtuse, glabrous, moist, brown, grayish-brown or yellowish-brown, sometimes rimose. =Flesh= whitish. =Lamellæ= rather broad, close, decurrent, bright tan color, becoming brownish-rusty. =Stems= cespitose, equal, stuffed or hollow, brown. =Spores= subelliptical, 13×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Grassy ground, along pavements, in gutters and by the side of wooden frames of hotbeds. Haddonfield, N.J. October. _C. McIlvaine._

The collector of this species informs me that the flavor of the fresh plant is slightly bitter, but that this disappears in cooking and the fungus furnishes a very good and tender article of food. Successive crops continued to appear for a month. In the dried specimens the stem is striate. _Peck_, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 24, No. 3.

This new species appears annually in the same place. I have not found it elsewhere. It is meaty and excellent.

UDI. Pileus smooth, not viscid; veil fragmentary, etc.

(Plate LXXVI_b_.

FLAMMULA ALNICOLA.
Two-thirds natural size.
]

=F. alni´cola= Fr.—_alnus_, alder; _colo_, to inhabit. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, _yellow_, at length becoming rust-color and sometimes green, fleshy, convex then flattened, obtuse, slimy when moist, but not truly viscous, at the first superficially fibrillose toward the margin. =Flesh= not very compact, of the same color as the pileus. =Stem= 2–3 in. and more long, ½ in. thick, _stuffed then hollow_, attenuato-rooted, commonly curved-flexuous, _fibrillose_, at first yellow, then becoming rust-color. =Veil= _manifest_, sometimes fibrillose, sometimes woven into a spider-web veil. =Gills= somewhat adnate, broad, plane, at first _dingy-pallid_ or yellowish-pallid, at length together with the plentiful spores rust-colored.

The gills vary decurrent and rounded according to situation. Odor and taste bitter. There are two forms: _a._ Pileus irregular, fibrillose round the margin; gills at first dingy-pallid. _b._ Salicicola, pileus somewhat convex, smooth, rarely at the first downy-scaly; gills at first yellowish-pallid. _Fries._

=Spores= subelliptical, 8×5µ _K._; 8–10×5–6µ _Peck_.

New York, swampy woods about base of alders, October, _Peck_, Rep. 35; at base of alders, with adnate gills, and on birch stumps, with the gills rounded behind, Rep. 39. Mt. Gretna, Pa., New Jersey, mixed woods, August to November, 1898, _McIlvaine_.

Gregarious and in loose tufts, not plentiful. It is a pretty plant, usually of a bright yellow, sometimes darker at the center of cap. Traces of an evanescent fibrillose ring are occasionally found or the fibrils adorn the margin of the cap. The gills next to the stem are either rounded, attached or slightly decurrent.

Raw the taste is slightly bitter. This disappears in long cooking.

=F. fla´vida= Schaeff. (Pers.)—_flavidus_, light yellow. =Pileus= fleshy, thin, broadly convex or nearly plane, glabrous, moist, pale yellow. =Flesh= whitish or pale yellow, taste bitter. =Lamellæ= moderately close, adnate, pale or yellowish becoming rust-color. =Stem= equal, often more or less curved, hollow, fibrillose, whitish or pale yellow, with a white mycelium at the base. =Spores= 8×5µ.

=Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 1–3 lines thick.

Decaying wood of various trees. Commonly in wooded or mountainous districts. Summer and autumn.

Our specimens were found on wood of both coniferous and deciduous trees. The plants are sometimes cespitose. The pileus becomes more highly colored in drying. The spores are pale rust-colored approaching ochraceous. In Sylloge the spores of this species are described as pale yellowish. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= broadly elliptical, 6–8×5µ _Massee_.

New York, decaying wood, _Peck_, Rep. 32, 50; _Mrs. E.C. Anthony_, August. West Virginia, 1881–1885; Mt. Gretna, Pa. August to October. _McIlvaine._

F. flavida is a frequent species, gregarious and tufted on decaying wood, either standing, fallen, or as roots in the ground. The texture and substance are good. The slight bitter when raw disappears in cooking. The caps, only, are tender.

SAPIN´EI. Gills and spores yellowish, etc.

=F. hy´brida= Fr.—_hybrida_, a hybrid. =Pileus= about 2 in. broad, at first tawny-cinnamon, then tawny-orange, fleshy, hemispherical with the margin involute, then expanded, obtuse, regular and well formed, even, _smooth, moist_. =Flesh= moderately compact, pallid. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 4–5 lines thick, at first _stuffed_ with a soft pith, then hollow, _attenuated_ (almost conico-attenuated) _upward_, whitish with adpressed silky-hairy down (becoming tawny when the down is rubbed off) slightly striate, with white hairs at the base, and somewhat mealy at the apex. =Veil= _manifest in the form of an annular zone at the apex of the stem_, white or at length colored with the spores. =Gills= adnate, somewhat crowded, _light yellow then tawny, not spotted_. _Fries._

=Spores= elliptical, tawny-ochraceous, 7–8×4–5µ _Massee_; 6×4µ _W.P._

Mt. Gretna, Pa., August, September, 1898. On ground under pine trees. Gregarious. _W.H. Rorer._ Not elsewhere reported.

This is a handsome plant, quite prolific in the large pine groves at Mt. Gretna, Pa. The caps are of good flavor.

=F. mag´na= Pk.—_magnus_, large. =Pileus= fleshy, broadly convex, soft, dry, fibrillose and somewhat streaked, pale yellow or buff, the margin commonly becoming revolute with age. =Flesh= whitish or yellowish. =Gills= close, adnate or slightly decurrent, often crisped or wavy toward the stem, about three lines wide, ochraceous. =Stem= equal or thickened toward the base, fleshy-fibrous, solid, elastic, fibrillose, colored like the pileus, brighter yellow within. =Spores= subelliptical, ochraceous, 10×6µ.

Cespitose. =Pileus= 4–6 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 8–12 lines thick.

About the base of trees. Westchester county. October.

This is a large and showy species. The stems are sometimes united at the base into a solid mass. The young gills are probably yellow, but I have seen only mature specimens. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

New Jersey, Trenton, ground in clearing, in pairs and singly. November, _E.B. Sterling_; Mt. Gretna, Pa. Mixed thin woods. October to November. Near trees. Cespitose, _McIlvaine_.

Individuals of all ages were found and eaten. The young gills are very light yellow, darkening to a deep, rich yellow.

The caps are of good substance and flavor. When very young the stems are edible.

=TUBA´RIA= W.G.S.

_Tuba_, a trumpet.

(Plate LXXVII.)

TUBARIA FURFURACEA.
Natural size.
]

=Stem= _somewhat cartilaginous, fistulose_. =Pileus= somewhat membranaceous, often clothed with the universal floccose veil. =Gills= _somewhat decurrent_. =Spores= rust-color or (in Phæoti) brownish-rust color.

The species referred to this subgenus were taken from Naucoria and Galera because they correspond with Omphalia and Eccilia. The pileus is, however, distinctly umbilicate or depressed in only a few of them; the others are placed here on account of their somewhat decurrent gills, which are broadest behind and triangular. _Fries._

Small and unimportant.

=NAUCO´RIA= Fr.

_Naucum_, a nut-shell.

(Plate LXXVIII.)

NAUCORIA SEMI-ORBICULARIS.
Natural size.
]

=Pileus= more or less fleshy, conical or convex, then expanded, _margin at first incurved_. =Gills= free or adnate, not decurrent. =Veil= fugacious or absent, sometimes attached in minute flakes to the edge of the young pileus. =Stem= cartilaginous, hollow or with a spongy stuffing. Growing on wood or on the ground, sometimes rooted. =Spores= various shades of brown, dull or bright.

Naucoria corresponds with Collybia, Leptonia and Psilocybe; from the latter it is distinguished by the spore colors and from Galera in the brown-spored series by the margin of the pileus being at first incurved.

“The spores are rust-color, or brownish rust-color. The color of the pileus is some shade of yellow. The stem is not distinctly ringed, but sometimes a slight spore-stained band marks the place of the obsolete ring.” _Peck_, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

The members of this genus are with two or three exceptions very common, and common over the land. The greater number grow on the ground among grass; a few grow upon decaying wood. The stems are not of the same texture as the cap and frequently will not cook tender. The caps, however, are, of all species tested, tender and of good flavor. Species of the genus are among the first to appear in spring, and well reward the enterprising mycophagist for his early tramps.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

GYMNOTI (_Gr_—naked). Page 295.

Pileus smooth. Veil absent. Spores rust-color, not becoming dusky-rust-color.

PHÆOTI (_Gr_—dusky). Page 296.

Pileus smooth. Gills and spores dusky rust-color. Veil rarely manifest.

LEPIDOTI (_lepis_, a scale).

Pileus flocculose or squamulose. Veil manifest.

None known to be edible.

I.—GYMNO´TI.

=N. hama´dryas= Fr.—_Gr_, a nymph attached to her tree. =Pileus= 1½-2 in. broad, _bay-brown-ferruginous_ when young and moist, pale yellowish when old and becoming pale, slightly fleshy, convex then expanded, gibbous, even, smooth. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3 lines thick, _somewhat fragile, hollow_, equal, naked, smooth, _pallid_. =Gills= _attenuato-adnexed_, somewhat free, slightly ventricose, almost 2 lines broad, crowded, rust-color, opaque. =Veil= none. Widely removed from neighboring species. Pileus _somewhat separate_ as in Plutei. _Fries._

=Spores= elliptical, rust-color, 13–14×7µ _Massee_.

Haddonfield, N.J. Frequent. Solitary. On ground along pavements, under trees, in woods. Spring to autumn. _McIlvaine._

Massee gives it as hygrophanous. I have not found it so. It is moist after rain and dew.

The caps and upper part of the stem are tender, easily cooked and of good flavor.

=N. cero´des= Fr. _Gr_—wax. =Pileus= ½-1 in. broad, watery cinnamon when moist, tan-color _when dry_, somewhat membranaceous, _convex bell-shape_ and flattened, at length depressed, _obtuse_, when moist smooth, pellucid-striate at the circumference, _when dry_ even, _slightly silky-atomate_. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 1–2 lines thick, slightly firm, tubed, equal, somewhat flexuous, fibrilloso-striate under a lens, _becoming dingy bay-brown_ sometimes for the most part, sometimes only at the base, pallid upward, mealy at the apex. =Gills= adnate, separating, _very broad behind_, hence almost triangular, _somewhat distant_, broad, plane, soft, distinct, pallid then cinnamon very finely fimbriated at the edge under a lens. _Fries._

The typical form, growing among damp mosses, is quite early, gregarious, with the colors almost those of Galera hypnorum, but otherwise very different. _b._ Another form occurs on naked, commonly burnt soil, in late autumn, with almost the habit of N. pediades, but with a different color of gills and spores; this form is firmer. =Stem= 1 in. long, tense and straight, and color more ochraceous. _Stevenson._

=Spores= 9µ _B. and Br._; smooth, 6×3µ _Massee_.

West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, in grass and moss, along damp wood margins. August to October. _McIlvaine._

N. cerodes is not plentiful where I have found it. Enough has been collected at a time to prove it esculent. It is tender, but has not much flavor.

(Plate LXXVIII_a_.)

=N. stri´apes= Cke.—_stria_, a line; _pes_, a foot. =Pileus= 1–1½ in. broad, ochraceous, bell-shaped, obtuse, then expanded, smooth, even. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 2 lines thick, hollow, equal, erect or flexuous, white, _longitudinally striate_. =Gills= slightly adnate behind, rather distant, tawny rust-color.

_Cespitose_ or gregarious. Among grass on lawn. _Stevenson._

=Spores= narrowly elliptical, 10–12×4µ _Massee_.

New Jersey, Trenton. Growing among leaves near dump. May to November. _E.B. Sterling._

The few specimens tested were delicate and of slight flavor.

II.—PHÆ´OTI.

=N. pedi´ades= Fr.—_Gr_, a plain. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, _yellow_ or pale yellowish-ochraceous then becoming pale, slightly fleshy, convex then plane, obtuse, even, dry, smooth, at length crookedly cracked, but always without striæ. =Flesh= white. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 1–2 lines thick, _stuffed with a pith, somewhat flexuous_, tough, equal, but with a small bulb at the base, _slightly silky becoming even, yellowish_. =Gills= adnexed, 2 lines broad, at first crowded, at length somewhat distant, _somewhat dingy-brown, then dingy cinnamon_.

=Spores= brownish-rust-color. The small bulb at the base is formed by the mycelium being rolled together. Stature variable. _Fries._

=Spores= dingy rust-color, elliptical, 10–12×4–5µ _Massee_.

West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, in grassy places, pastures and along pavements. Common. May to November. _McIlvaine._

In 1897 Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, abounded with N. pediades, which were collected and eaten by many. The caps are tender and of a mushroom flavor.

=N. semi-orbicula´ris= Bull.—_semi_, half; _orbicularis_, round. (Plate LXXVIII, p. 294.) =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, _tawny rust-color_ then ochraceous, slightly fleshy, convexo-expanded, obtuse, dry, even, smooth, corrugated when dry. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, scarcely beyond 1 line thick, cartilaginous, tough, slender, tense and straight, equal, even, smooth, becoming pallid _rust-color_, shining, often darker at the base, _internally containing a separate narrow tube_ which is easily broken up into fibrils. =Gills= adnate, rarely sinuate behind, almost 3 lines _broad_, and many times broader than the flesh of the pileus, crowded, _pallid then rust-color_.

The pileus is slightly viscid when fresh and moist. Easily distinguished from S. semi-globatus, with which it has been confounded, by the stem. _Stevenson._

=Spores= 14×8µ _W.G.S._; 10×5–6µ _Massee_.

Allied to N. pediades, distinguished by its viscid cap when moist, and dark stem.

Common over the states. Washington, D.C., _Mrs. Mary Fuller_.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Jersey. Solitary, sometimes cespitose, very common on lawns, rich pastures, etc. April until frost. _McIlvaine._

This is one of our first appearing toadstools, coming up when the grass shows its full spring hue. It is found after rains until the coming of frost. Its hemispherical caps, precise, neat, dark gills and brown spores readily distinguish it. While usually small, patience and picking will soon gather quarts. The caps cook easily and are of excellent flavor.

=N. platysper´ma= Pk.—_platys_, broad; _sperma_, seed. =Pileus= convex, becoming nearly plane, glabrous, slightly tinged with ochraceous or reddish-yellow when young, soon whitish, the margin at first adorned with vestiges of a white flocculent veil. =Flesh= white. =Lamellæ= moderately close, slightly rounded behind, pallid, becoming brownish. =Stem= equal, stuffed with a white pith, slightly flocculent or furfuraceous above when young, whitish, the mycelium sometimes forming white thread-like strands. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 15µ long, 12.5µ broad.

=Pileus= 1–1.5 in. broad. =Stem= 3–5.5 in. long, 1.5–2 in. thick.

On the ground. Compton, Cal. _Prof. A.J. McClatchie._

This species differs from N. pediades and N. semi-orbicularis, to which it is related, by its larger, broader spores and paler color. _Peck_, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 25, No. 6.

This new species reported from California is so closely allied to N. semi-orbicularis and N. pediades, both of which are edible, that it is here given, that it may be recognized by students on the Pacific coast or wherever it occurs.

=GALE´RA= Fr.

_Galerus_, a cap.

=Pileus= more or less membranaceous, conical or oval, then expanded, striate, margin at the first straight, then adpressed to the stem. =Gills= not decurrent. =Stem= somewhat cartilaginous, continuous with the pileus, but differing in texture, tubular. =Veil= none or fibrillose. =Spores= tawny-ochraceous.

Slender, fragile, generally growing on the ground.

Galera corresponds with Mycena, Nolanea, Psathyra and Psathyrella, which are distinguished by their spore colors. In the brown-spored series Naucoria is separated by the margin of the pileus being at first incurved, and Tubaria by the decurrent gills.

The genus is composed of small species, but many grow in clusters, and are of a consistency which decreases but little in quick cooking. Those tested are delicate in texture and flavor.

=G. lateri´tia= Fr.—_later_, a brick. =Pileus= 1 in. high, _pale yellowish when moist_, ochraceous when dry, hygrophanous, membranaceous, _acorn-shaped then bell-shaped_, obtuse, even, smooth, slightly and densely striate at the margin when moist. =Stem= 3 in. and more long, 1 line thick, tubular, attenuated upward, tense and straight, even, but _white-pruinose, whitish_. =Gills= _adnexed_ in the top of the cone, hence appearing as if free, ascending, very narrow, _crowded, cinnamon_.

=Gills= almost adpressed to the stem, almost pendulous. Remarkably analogous with A. ovalis, but easily distinguished by the _linear gills_ and the absence of a veil; very fragile. _Fries._

=Spores= 11×5µ _W.P._; 11–12×5–6µ _Massee_.

West Virginia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania. On dung and rich pastures. June to frost. _McIlvaine._

The narrow conical cap, distinctly striate, distinguishes this species from G. tenera. In quality there is no difference. It is a well-flavored, delicate species.

(Plate LXXIX.)

GALERA TENERA.
Two-thirds natural size.
]

=G. te´nera= Schaeff.—_tener_, tender. =Pileus= ½ in. and more high, _of one color, pallid rust-color when damp_, becoming pale when dry, hygrophanous, somewhat membranaceous, _conico-bell-shaped_, commonly smooth, slightly striate when moist, wholly even when dry, opaque, somewhat atomate. =Stem= commonly 3–4 in. long, 1 line thick, tubular, fragile, equal or when larger thickened downward, _tense and straight, somewhat shining_, striate upward, of the same color as the pileus when moist, and like it becoming pale when dry. =Gills= _adnate in the top of the cone_, appearing _as if free_, ascending, somewhat crowded, _linear, cinnamon_.

Pastures and grassy places in woods. Common. May to November. _Stevenson._

=Spores= ellipsoid, 14–21×8–12µ _K._; 14–8µ _W.G.S._; 14×7µ _W.P._; 12–13×7µ _Massee_; elliptical, dark rust-color, almost rubiginous, 13–16.5×8–10µ _Peck_.

Var. _pilosella_ (Agaricus pilosellus Pers.), has both pileus and stem clothed with a minute erect pubescence when moist. A form is sometimes found in which the center of the pileus is brown or blackish-brown. _Peck_, 46th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Var. _obscu´rior_ Pk. A notable form of this species was found growing in an old stable of an abandoned lumber camp. The plants were large, the pileus in some being more than an inch broad, the stems were 3–6 in. long and the color was rust-colored as in G. ovalis, to which the plants might be referred but for the large spores. Essex county. July. I have labeled the specimens variety _obscurior_. _Peck_, 50th Rep.

Haddonfield, N.J.; Chester county; West Philadelphia, Pa.; West Virginia. In rich pastures, on lawns, dung in woods. Common. June to October. _McIlvaine._

Very variable in size and in color when wet and dry. The color of gills and spores readily distinguishes it in its habitats. From spring to frost it can usually be gathered in quantity. It is small, tender, shrivels in cooking, but makes a savory, excellent dish.

Var. obscurior found cespitose on very old manure at a ruined stable, Mt. Gretna, Pa., August. _McIlvaine._

=G. fla´va= Pk.—_flavus_, yellow. =Pileus= membranous, ovate or bell shaped, moist or subhygrophanous, obtuse, plicate striate on the margin, yellow. =Lamellæ= thin, narrow, crowded, adnate, at first whitish, then yellowish-cinnamon. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, hollow, slightly striate at the top, sprinkled with white mealy particles, white or yellowish. =Spores= ovate or subelliptical, brownish-rust-color, 13×8µ.

=Pileus= 6–12 lines broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 1–1.5 lines thick.

Damp vegetable mold in woods. Tompkins county. July.

This species is well marked by the pale-yellow color of the pileus and its plicate striations which are very distinct even in the dried specimens. They extend half way to the disk or more. When dry the pileus is seen to be sprinkled with shining atoms as in some other species of the same genus. Occasionally the yellow cuticle cracks into squamules or small scales. _Peck_, 46th Rep.

Trenton, N.J., _Sterling_; Haddonfield, N.J.; Pennsylvania. Among chips in woods and on woods ground. _McIlvaine._

This species is frequent, and when plentiful well worth gathering. It has a more woody flavor than other Galera, but is tasty.

=G. vittæfor´mis= Fr.—_vitta_, a chaplet; _forma_, form. =Pileus= ½-1 in. broad, _date-brown_ when moist, membranaceous, conical then hemispherical, obtuse, _even at the disk_, striate toward the margin, smooth. =Stem= 1½-3 in. long, ½-1 line thick, tubular, equal, _somewhat straight_, but not tense and straight, smooth or sometimes pubescent, slightly striate under a lens, _opaque, rust-color_. =Veil= scarcely conspicuous. =Gills= adnate, broader at the middle, in the form of a segment when larger, somewhat ascending, somewhat distant, at first _watery-cinnamon_, at length rust-color. _Fries._

=Spores= elliptical, 12×6µ _Massee_.

Haddonfield, N.J.; Mt. Gretna, Pa. On pastures, lawns, etc. June to September. _McIlvaine._

Not previously reported.

Though small it makes up in quantity when found. The stems are not as tender as the caps. Quality good.

=BOLBITIUS= Fr.

_Gr_—cow’s dung.

=Pileus= membranaceous. =Gills= adnexed or free, membranaceous, soft, salmon-color or rusty, dissolving (not dripping as in Coprinus), powdered with the rusty spores. =Stem= central; universal veil absent, partial veil often obsolete.

Very delicate and fragile, remarkable among the Ochrosporæ for the gills dissolving into mucus, and in this respect analogous with Coprinus among the Melanosporæ, and Hiatula amongst the Leucosporæ. Growing on dung or amongst grass where dung abounds.

A small but very natural genus, with the vegetative portion like Coprinus and the fructification resembling Cortinarius, hence occupying an intermediate position between these two genera. _Fries._

=B. Bol´toni= Fr.—after Bolton. =Pileus= rather fleshy, viscid, at first even, then with the membranaceous margin sulcate, disk darker, subdepressed. =Stem= attenuated, yellowish, at first floccose from the remains of the fugacious veil. =Gills= subadnate, yellow then livid-brown. _Fries._

Haddonfield, N.J., cespitose among manure on sawdust.

Of small substance but good consistency and flavor.

(Plate LXXX.)

BOLBITIUS FRAGILIS.
Two-thirds natural size.
]

=B. fra´gilis= Fr. =Pileus= 2 in. broad, _light yellow_, then becoming pale, somewhat membranaceous, almost pellucid, conical then expanded, somewhat umbonate, smooth, viscous, _striate round the margin_ (which is often crenulated). =Stem= 3 in. long, 1 line or little more thick, fistulose, attenuated upward, _naked, smooth_ (and without a manifest veil), yellow. =Gills= attenuato-adnexed, almost free, ventricose, _yellow then pale cinnamon_. =Spores= rust-colored. _Fries._

Thinner than B. Boltoni, etc., very fragile, rapidly withering.

On dung. Common. June to October. _Stevenson._

=Spores= subspheroid-ellipsoid, elliptical, 7×3–5µ _Massee_.

West Virginia; Pennsylvania. June to frost. On rich grass and dung.

Pileus usually not over 1.5 in. across. Often in plenty. Its substance does not cook away as with C. micaceus. It amply repays gathering, being highly flavored.

(Plate LXXX_a_.)

BOLBITIUS NOBILIS.
About two-thirds natural size.
]

=B. no´bilis= Pk.—noble. =Pileus= thin, fleshy on the disk, ovate then bell-shaped, smooth, plicate-striate, pale-yellow, the disk tinged with red, the margin at length recurved and splitting. =Gills= subdistant, tapering outwardly, attached, the alternate ones more narrow, pale-yellow with a darker edge. =Stem= long, equal, smooth, striate at the top, hollow, white.

=Plant= cespitose, 3–5 in. high. =Pileus= 1 in. broad. =Stem= 1 line thick. Ground in woods. Greig. September.

A fine large species, but probably rare. _Peck_, 24th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

I have not seen this species. Figure after Professor Peck.

=CREPIDO´TUS= Fr.

_Gr_—a slipper.

(Plate LXXXI.)

CREPIDOTUS MOLLIS.
Natural size.
]

=Veil= wanting or not manifest. =Pileus= eccentric, lateral or resupinate. =Spores= rust-color.

The Crepidoti correspond in shape and habit to the smaller Pleuroti and the Claudopodes, but they are distinguished from both by the rust-color of their spores. These are globose in several species, in others they are elliptical. In some there is a depression on one side which gives them a naviculoid character and causes the spore to appear slightly curved when viewed in a certain position. In consequence of the similarity of several of our species, the character of the spores is of much importance in their identification, and it is unfortunate that European mycologists have so generally neglected to give the spore characters in their descriptions of these fungi. In most of the species the pileus is at first resupinate, but it generally becomes reflexed as it enlarges. It is generally sessile or attached by a mass of white fibrils or tomentum. For this reason it is usually somewhat tomentose or villose about the point of attachment, even in species that are otherwise glabrous. In several species the pileus is moist or hygrophanous and then the thin margin is commonly striatulate. This character is attributed to but one of the dozen or more European species. Their mode of growth is usually gregarious or somewhat loosely imbricated, in consequence of which the pileus, which in most species is white or yellowish, is often stained by the spores, and then it has a rusty, stained or squalid appearance. The species occur especially on old stumps, prostrate trunks and soft much decayed wood in damp, shaded places. _Peck_, 39th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=C. ful´vo-tomento´sus= Pk.—tawny-tomentose. =Pileus= ¾-2 in. broad, scattered or gregarious, suborbicular, kidney-shaped or dimidiate, sessile or attached by a short, white-villose tubercle or rudimentary stem, hygrophanous, watery-brown and sometimes striatulate on the margin when moist, whitish, yellowish or pale ochraceous when dry, _adorned with small, tawny, hairy or tomentose scales_. =Lamellæ= broad, subventricose, moderately close, rounded behind, radiating from a lateral or eccentric white villose spot, whitish becoming brownish-ferruginous. =Spores= _elliptical_ often uninucleate, 8–10×5–6µ.

Decaying wood of poplar, maple, etc. Common. June to October.

A pretty species, corresponding in some respects to the European C. calolepis, but much larger and with tawny, instead of reddish scales. The cuticle is separable and is tenacious, though it has a hyaline gelatinous appearance. The pileus is subpersistent, and specimens dried in their place of growth are not rare. _Peck_, 39th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Haddonfield, N.J.; Angora, West Philadelphia. On decaying hickory. _McIlvaine._

Substance fair. Taste strong but pleasant.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1. CORTINARIUS 318 4. CORTINARIUS TURMALIS, 309
SQUAMULOSUS,

2. CORTINARIUS VIOLACEUS, 314 5. CORTINARIUS 323
ARMILLATUS,

3. CORTINARIUS OCHRACEUS, 319

=CORTINA´RIUS= Fr.

_Cortina_, a veil or curtain.

=Veil= resembling the consistency of a cob-web, superficial, distinct from the cuticle of the pileus. =Flesh= of pileus and stem continuous. =Gills= persistent, dry, changing color, powdered with the spores. =Trama= fibrillose. =Spores= globose or oblong, somewhat ochraceous on white paper. _Fries._

This genus is not easily confounded with any other, the cob-webby veil stretched from stem to pileus in the young plant not being found in other fungi. This must be looked for only in youth, as from its tender character it soon breaks and often appears only as a very indistinct collar on the stem, colored from catching the falling spores. The colors are generally pronounced and often extremely bright, there being very few prettier toadstools than those inclined to the blue or purple shades, which are not uncommon in the immature form. The color of the spores is also a marked feature, being rusty or brownish-ochraceous, turning the gills to the same color at maturity. On account of this change it is generally necessary to have specimens at both stages of growth to accurately determine the species. The gills are thin, attached to the stem in various manners, rarely slightly decurrent.

Cortinarius is distinguished from Flammula by growing on the ground and by the bright ferruginous color of its spores.

Cortinarius is a sturdy, hardy genus preferring northern latitudes and autumnal months, though several of its species grow as far south as Alabama, and one, a new species described by Professor Peck, is found on the Helderberg mountains in May. The genus contains many species, most of which produce in great numbers, yet being woods-growing, and coming as they do when leaves are falling, they are often missed because of their similarity to their surroundings.

Heretofore, less than a dozen species have been reported as eaten. This number is now doubled. While several species are bitter and others equally unpleasant, not one has been accused of harm. It is highly probable that other varieties than those herein given will prove equally acceptable as food. I have tested all I have found in sufficient quantity to warrant passing judgment upon them.

The genus does not contain as many species of superior excellence as other fleshy genera of like numbers. The flesh is frequently dry and of a strong woody or musky flavor, which it does not lose in cooking. The stems are seldom cookable. All can be fried in butter, but cut in small pieces and well stewed, or stewed and served in patties, or made into croquettes are certain ways of keeping them in palate memory.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

PHLEGMACIUM (_Gr_—shiny or clammy moisture). Page 308.

Pileus viscid. Stem firm, dry. Veil partial, cobweb-like.

_A._ CLIDUCHII (_Gr_—holding the keys—the typical subdivision). Page
308.

Partial veil as a ring on the upper part of the stem which is equal or slightly expanded above. Not distinctly bulbous.

* Gills pallid then clay-colored.

** Gills purplish then clay-colored.

_B._ SCAURI (_Gr_—club-footed). Page 310.

Bulbous. Bulb depressed or top-shaped, with a distinct margin caused by the pressure of the pileus before expansion. Veil generally ascending from the margin of the bulb. Gills somewhat sinuate.

* Gills whitish then cinnamon.

** Gills blue then cinnamon.

*** Gills brownish-white then cinnamon.

MYXACIUM (_Gr_—mucus). Page 313.

Universal veil glutinous. Pileus and stem viscid. Stem slightly bulbous. Gills adnate.

INOLOMA (_Gr_—a fibrous fringe). Page 314.

Pileus dry, not hygrophanous or viscid, covered at first with innate silky scales or fibrils, becoming smooth. Veil simple. Pileus and stem fleshy, rather bulbous.

* Gills violaceous, then cinnamon.

** Gills pinkish-brown, then cinnamon.

*** Gills yellow, then cinnamon.

DERMOCYBE. Page 320.

Pileus thin, equally fleshy, at first silky with a fine down, becoming smooth when adult. Not hygrophanous, but flesh watery when moist or colored. Stem equal or larger above, externally rigid, elastic or brittle, internally stuffed or hollow. Veil single, thread-like.

TELAMONIA. Page 323.

Pileus moist, hygrophanous, at first smooth or sprinkled with the whitish superficial evanescent fibrils of the veil. Flesh thin, or when thick it becomes abruptly thin toward the margin, scissile. Stem ringed below or coated from the universal veil, slightly veiled at the apex, hence with almost a double veil.

HYGROCYBE. Page 325.

Pileus hygrophanous, smooth or covered with superficial white fibrils, not viscid, moist when fresh, becoming discolored when dry. Flesh very thin or scissile, rarely more compact at the center. Stem rather rigid, bare. Veil thin, rarely collapsing and forming an irregular ring on the stem.

PHLEGMA´CIUM. (_Gr_—clammy moisture.)

_A._ CLIDUCHII.

* _Gills pallid, then clay-colored._

=C. seba´ceus= Fr.—_sebum_, tallow. =Pileus= 2½-5 in. broad, unicolorous, _pale_, of the color of tallow, equally fleshy, convex then rather plane, commonly very repand, viscid, smooth, but at the first _covered over with a whitish pruinose luster_. =Flesh= white. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, ½-1 in. thick, solid, stout, compact, never bulbous, often twisted and compressed, slightly fibrillose, pale white. =Cortina= delicate, fugacious, adhering only to the margin of the pileus. =Gills= emarginate, _not crowded_, connected by veins, 4 lines broad, clay-color or pallid-cinnamon, paler at the sides. _Fries._

The flesh of the pileus is not compact at the disk and abruptly thin at the circumference, but equally attenuated toward the margin. The flesh of the stem is white. The gills never turn bluish-gray. Taste mild. _Stevenson._

=Spores= pip-shaped, 9×7µ _Cooke_.

A very common and prolific species in West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina. _McIlvaine._

Pushing from the earth in great clusters it raises the mat of leaves above it into hut-like mounds through which it seldom bursts. Yet side openings to its huts show its coziness, and reveal the ground thickly dusted with its spores. Detecting these mounds is part of the woodcraft of a toad-stool hunter.

Where clusters are not dense, or the fungus is solitary, the stem is frequently swollen at the base, even bulbous.

Both caps and stems are edible, but the stems are not equal to the caps. It is a valuable food species, because of its lateness and quantity. It is not of best quality.

=C. tur´malis= Fr.—_turma_, a troop. (Plate LXXXII, fig. 4, p. 306.) =Pileus= yellow-tan, most frequently darker at the disk, not changeable, compact, convex then plane, very obtuse, even, smooth (sometimes obsoletely piloso-virgate), when young veiled with pruinate but very fugacious villous down, soon naked, viscid. =Flesh= white. =Stem= sometimes 3 in., sometimes 6 in. long, 1 in. thick, solid, very hard, rigid, _cylindrical_, here and there attenuated at the base, shining white when dry, _when young sheathed with a white woolly veil_, naked when full grown. Cortina entirely fibrillose, superior and persistent in the form of a ring, at length ferruginous with the spores. =Gills= variously adnexed, rounded or emarginate, even decurrent with a tooth, crowded, _serrated_, white then clay-color. _Fries._

I find it edible and of great value, being plentiful in pine woods, Maryland. I have collected a bushel in less than an hour in October. Under pine needles forming mounds. _Taylor._

The localities and the habit of C. turmalis are very like that of C. sebaceus. The leaf mat broods the clusters.

C. turmalis is on a par with C. sebaceus. Personally I prefer the latter.

** _Gills purplish, then clay-colored._

=C. va´rius= (Schaeff.) Fr.—_varius_, changeable. =Pileus= 2 in. and more broad, bright _ferruginous-tawny_, compact, hemispherico-flattened, very obtuse, regular, slightly viscid, even, smooth, the thin margin at first incurved, appendiculate with the cortina. =Flesh= firm, white. =Stem= curt, 1½-2½ in. long, 1 in. and more thick, _bulbous_, absolutely immarginate, compact, _shining white_, adpressedly flocculose, the superior veil pendulous. =Gills= emarginate, thin, somewhat crowded, _at first_ narrow, _violaceous-purplish_, then broader and ochraceous-cinnamon, always quite entire.

Variable in stature, but the habit and colors are always unchangeable. It varies with the stem taller and somewhat equal, the pileus yellow-tawny, and the gills dark blue. _Fries._

In woods. Uncommon. September to November. _Stevenson._

Minnesota; Ohio.

Edible. _Cooke_, 1891.

_B._ SCAU´RI.

* _Gills whitish then cinnamon._

=C. intru´sus= Pk. =Pileus= fleshy, rather thin, convex, then expanded, glabrous, somewhat viscid when moist, even or radiately wrinkled on the margin, yellowish or buff, sometimes with a reddish tint. =Flesh= white. =Lamellæ= thin, close, rounded behind, at first whitish or creamy-white, then cinnamon, often uneven on the edge. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering either upward or downward, stuffed or hollow, sometimes beautifully striate at the top only or nearly to the base, minutely floccose when young, soon glabrous, white. =Spores= broadly elliptical, brownish-cinnamon, 6–8×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 1–2.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Mushroom beds, manured soil in conservatories or in plant pots. Boston, Mass. _R.K. Macadam._ Haddonfield, N.J. _C. McIlvaine._

This interesting species is closely allied to Cortinarius multiformis and belongs to the Section Phlegmacium. It has a slight odor of radishes and is pronounced edible by Mr. McIlvaine. Its habitat is peculiar, but it possibly finds its way into conservatories and mushroom beds through the introduction of manure or soil, or leaf mold from the woods. It seems strange, however, that it has not yet been detected growing in the woods or fields. Hebeloma fastibile is said sometimes to invade mushroom beds, and our plant resembles it in so many particulars that it is with some hesitation I separate it. The chief differences are in the stem and spores. The former, in Hebeloma fastibile, is described as solid and fibrous-squamose and the latter as 10×6 micromillimeters in size. The brighter color of the smaller spores and the stuffed or hollow smooth stem of our plant will separate it from this species. _Peck_, Bull. of the Torrey Bot. Club, October, 1896.

Cortinarius intrusus was a happy find. Several pints of it were collected by the author in February—usually a famine month for the mycophagist. They grew on the ground, in beds among plants, and with potted plants in a hot-house in Haddonfield, N.J. The crop continued well into the spring. The species is delicate, savory, and a most accommodating renegade from its kind. I have never found it elsewhere.

** _Gills blue, then cinnamon._

=C. cærules´cens= Fr. =Pileus= 2–3 in. across, equally fleshy, convex then plane, obtuse, regular, even, almost glabrous, but often fibrilloso-streaked; viscid, when dry shining or opaque, dingy yellow, almost tan-colored, varying to yellowish-brown, etc. =Gills= slightly rounded behind, adnexed, thin, closely crowded, 2 lines broad, at first clear intense blue then becoming purplish, at length dingy cinnamon. =Stem= about 2 in. long, ½ in. thick (bulb more than an inch), firm, equally attenuated upward, at first fibrillose, bright violet, then becoming pale and whitish, naked, bulb often disappearing with age; veil fibrillose, fugacious. =Spores= elliptical, 9–10×5µ.

Amongst moss in woods, etc.

Neither the gills nor the flesh change color when broken, a point which distinguishes the present from C. purpurascens. When young every part is generally blue. Smell scarcely any. _Fries._

=Spores= 10–12×5µ _Cooke_.

Haddonfield; West Virginia; Mt. Gretna, Pa. In woods September to frost. _McIlvaine._

The American species seldom entirely loses the bluish-purple color of its cap. The beautiful color fades somewhat or becomes splotched with yellow. Neither does the bulb ordinarily disappear with age. It is common. Taste of cap is mild, somewhat woody. They require long, slow stewing, and are better made into patties and croquettes.

=C. purpuras´cens= Fr.—gills becoming purple when bruised. =Pileus= 4–5 in. across, fleshy, disk compact, obtuse, wavy, variable, covered with a dense layer of gluten, but opaque when dry, bay or reddish then tawny-olivaceous, spotted; often depressed round the margin, which is at first incurved then wavy, marked with a raised brown line. =Flesh= entirely clear blue. =Gills= broadly emarginate, 3 lines and more broad, crowded, bluish-tan, then cinnamon, violet-purple when bruised. =Stem= about 3 in. long, ⅔ in. and more thick, solid, bulbous, everywhere fibrillose, intensely pallid clear blue, very compact, juicy, becoming purplish-blue when touched, bulb submarginate. =Spores= elliptical, 10–12×5–6µ _Fries_.

Var. _subpurpuras´cens_. Massachusetts. _Frost._

Plentiful in West Virginia mountains in mixed woods, 1882. On South Valley Hill, near Downington, Pa., October, 1887. Haddonfield, N.J., 1892. In woods. September to frost. _McIlvaine._

Both stems and caps are juicy when young and of agreeable flavor. It is among the best edible species of Cortinarius.

*** _Gills brownish-white, then ferruginous._

=C. turbina´tus= Fr.—_turbo_, a top. =Pileus= _unicolorous_, dingy-yellow or green, _becoming pale_, hygrophanous, opaque when dry, fleshy, convex then flattened, obtuse, at length depressed, orbicular, even, _smooth_, viscid. =Flesh= soft, _white_. =Stem= commonly curt, 2 in., but varying elongated, yellowish, springing from a globoso-depressed distinctly marginate bulb, otherwise equal, cylindrical, _stuffed then hollow_. =Gills= attenuato-adnate, thin, crowded, broad, _quite entire_, at first pallid light-yellowish, at length somewhat ferruginous.

The typical form is _regular_, distinct from its allies in the _hygrophanous pileus, in the gills being isabelline-ferruginous and quite entire, and in being without any dark-purple or purple color_. Easily distinguished by its turbinate bulb. _Fries._

In woods. Uncommon. _Stevenson._

=Spores= rough, 14–16×7µ; rough, _Cooke_.

=Cap= 2–4 in. across. =Stem= commonly about 2 in. long, sometimes longer. _Massee._

North Carolina, _Schweinitz_; Pennsylvania, _Schweinitz_; Massachusetts, _Frost_; Minnesota; Nova Scotia.

Edible. _Cooke._

MYXA´CIUM. (_Gr_—mucus.)

(Plate LXXXIII.)

CORTINARIUS COLLINITUS.
About natural size.
]

=C. collin´itus= Fr.—_collino_, to besmear. =Pileus= convex, obtuse, glabrous, glutinous when moist, shining when dry. =Gills= rather broad, dingy-white or grayish when young. =Stem= cylindrical, solid, viscid or glutinous when moist, transversely cracking when dry, whitish or paler than the pileus. =Spores= subelliptical, 13–15µ.

The Smeared cortinarius is much more common than the Violet cortinarius and has a much wider range. Both the cap and stem are covered with a viscid substance or gluten which makes it unpleasant to handle. The cap varies in color from yellow to golden or tawny-yellow and when the gluten on it has dried it is very smooth and shining. The flesh is white or whitish. The young gills have a peculiar bluish-white or dingy-white color which might be called grayish or clay color, but when mature they assume the color of the spores. They are sometimes minutely uneven on the edge.

The stem is straight, solid, cylindrical and usually paler than the cap. When the gluten on it dries it cracks transversely, giving to the stem a peculiar scaly appearance.

The cap is 1½-3 in. broad, and the stem 2–4 in. long, and ¼-½ in. thick.

The plant grows in thin woods, copses and partly cleared lands and may be found from August to September.

It is well to peel the caps before cooking, since the gluten causes dirt and rubbish to adhere tenaciously to them. _Peck_, 48th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

In 41st Rep. N.Y. State Mus. Nat. Hist., p. 71, Professor Peck describes a closely allied species, C. muscigenus, n. sp., “separated by its more highly-colored pileus, striate margin and even, not diffracted-squamose stem.”

Prof. L.B. Mendel gives the following analysis: “Young specimens gathered in New Haven early in November, 1897, gave:

Water 91.13%

Total solids 8.87

Total nitrogen of dry 3.63”
substance

Edible. _Cooke._

In appearance the Smeared cortinarius does not appeal to be eaten. Neither does an eel. But peeled both are inviting. Raw, the caps of this fungus have a strong woody smell and taste. This is somewhat subdued by cooking.

I have found the plant in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, often among the leaves in mixed woods, but it prefers a goodly supply of light and the freedom of open places. It is often gregarious, sometimes tufted.

=C. io´des= B. and C. =Pileus= 1½-2 in., convex, at length plane, viscid, firm, violet-purple. =Flesh= white, thick. =Veil= fugacious, spider-web. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 1½ in. thick, solid, thickened below. =Gills= violet, at length cinnamon, ventricose, adnate, sub-emarginate, irregular, sometimes forked. _B. and C._

This is a small but beautiful species, the pileus, lamellæ and stem being of a bright-violet or purplish-violet hue. The spores are subelliptical, generally uninucleate, 10×6µ. _Peck_, 32d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

The pileus in this species is sometimes spotted with white. The bulbous white stem is adorned with lilac-colored fibrils. _Peck_, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Sparingly found among roots at Mt. Gretna, Pa., September, 1897–1898.

The caps are fairly good.

INOLO´MA. (_Gr_—fiber; _Gr_—a fringe.)

* _Gills violaceous then cinnamon._

=C. viola´ceus= Fr. (Plate LXXXII, fig. 2, page 306.) One of our most plentiful and beautiful autumnal fungi. As the American plant differs somewhat from the European, Professor Peck’s description is given.

=Pileus= convex, becoming nearly plane, dry, adorned with numerous persistent hairy tufts or scales, dark violet. =Lamellæ= rather thick, distant, rounded or deeply notched at the inner extremity, colored like the pileus in the young plant, brownish-cinnamon in the mature plant. =Stem= solid, fibrillose, bulbous, colored like the pileus. =Spores= subelliptical, 12.5µ long.

The Violet cortinarius is a very beautiful mushroom and one easy of recognition. At first the whole plant is uniformly colored, but with age the gills assume a dingy ochraceous or brownish-cinnamon hue. The cap is generally well formed and regular and is beautifully adorned with little hairy scales or tufts. These are rarely shown in figures of the European plant, but they are quite noticeable in the American plant and should not be overlooked. The flesh is more or less tinged with violet.

The gills when young are colored like the cap. They are rather broad, notched at the inner extremity and narrowed toward the margin of the cap. When mature they become dusted with the spores whose color they take.

The stem also is colored like the cap. It is swollen into a bulb at the base and sometimes a faint ochraceous band may be seen near the top. This is due to the falling spores which lodge on the webby filaments of the veil remaining attached to the stem.

=Cap= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, about ½ in. thick. _Peck_, 48th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Minerva, Essex county. A form of this species occurs here, having the pileus merely downy or punctate-hairy under a lens, no squamules being distinguishable by the naked eye. July. _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 12–14×10µ _Cooke_.

The spider web veil is exquisitely displayed in this species. This, with its strongly bulbous base and violet tinge throughout, easily mark it. Though usually solitary great numbers of it are found in its settlements. The mixed woods of central New Jersey abound with it in July, August and September. Throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia it is common, and is reported from several other states. In Redman’s woods, near Haddonfield, N.J., a densely clustered form of singular beauty occurs. A dozen individuals of various forms and sizes with swollen stems form a compact mass, rich in color, and cutting crisp and juicy as an apple. They are far better than other Cortinarii I have eaten. I have not seen it elsewhere.

C. violaceus is everywhere eaten, and is in my opinion the best of its genus. The American plant is not inodorous, but has a decided mushroom smell and taste.

(Plate LXXXIV.)

CORTINARIUS ALBO-VIOLACEUS.
One-half natural size.
]

=C. albo-viola´ceus= Pers. =Pileus= fleshy, rather thin, convex, then expanded, sometimes broadly subumbonate, smooth, silky, whitish, tinged with lilac or pale violet. =Lamellæ= generally serrulate, whitish-violet, then cinnamon-color. =Stem= equal or a little tapering upward, solid, silky, white, stained with violet, especially at the top, slightly bulbous, the bulb gradually tapering into the stipe.

Height, 3–4 in.; breadth of pileus, 2–3 in.; stipe, 3–6 lines thick.

Ground in thin woods, more frequently under poplars. Center. October.

The stem is sometimes subannulate, and being violet above and white below the obscure ring, it appears as if sheathed with a silky-white covering. Inodorous. Sometimes the stem gradually tapers from the base to the top, so that it can scarcely be called bulbous. _Peck_, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 12×5–6µ _Cooke_; 6–9×4–5µ _K._; pruniform, 10µ _Q._

An allied species C. (Inoloma) lilacinus, _Peck_, with the stem and bulbous part much broader than the cap, is not as common, but of far better flavor.

Common in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, in mixed woods. September to frost. _McIlvaine._

A mushroom flavor develops in cooking. The consistency of the flesh is good. It is of medium grade.

=C. lilaci´nus= Pk. =Pileus= firm, hemispherical, then convex, minutely silky, lilac-color. =Lamellæ= close, lilac, then cinnamon. =Stem= stout, bulbous, silky-fibrillose, solid, whitish, tinged with lilac. =Spores= nucleate, 10×6µ.

=Plant= 4–5 in. high. =Pileus= 3 in. broad. =Stem= 4–6 lines thick. Low mossy ground in woods. Croghan. September. This is a rare but beautiful plant, allied to C. alboviolaceus, from which it may be distinguished by its stouter habit, deeper color and bulbous stem. In the young plant the bulb is much broader than the undeveloped pileus that surmounts it. _Peck_, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Massachusetts, _Frost_; Minnesota, Nova Scotia.

I have found a few specimens in several places: West Virginia, Redman’s woods, Haddonfield, N.J., in which place it is more plentiful than in any locality I have noted. Near lake at Eagle’s Mere, Pa., August, and at Springton, Pa. Excellent.

(Plate LXXXV.)

CORTINARIUS ASPER.
About two-thirds natural size.
]

=C. as´per= Pk.—rough. =Pileus= fleshy, firm, hemispherical, then convex, rough with minute, erect, brown scales, ochraceous. =Gills= close, rounded behind and slightly emarginate, dull violaceous, then pale cinnamon. =Stem= equal, bulbous, solid, fibrillose-scaly, colored like the pileus but smooth and violaceous at the top, the bulb white with an abundant mycelium. =Spores= broadly elliptical, with a pellucid nucleus, 8µ long.

=Plant= 3–4 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 3–5 lines thick. Ground in cleared places. Greig. September.

A fine species. The flesh of the stem is violaceous. _Peck_, 24th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

This plant sometimes grows in tufts or clusters and bears a very close resemblance to Armillaria mellea, both in color and in the character of the scales of the pileus. _Peck_, 27th Rep.

In thin woods and clearings, West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. The whole fungus is edible when young, and ranks high in Cortinarii. When full grown the stem is hard. Cut in thin, transverse slices it cooks tender, but does not equal the cap. Like most of the Cortinarii it is found in the autumn until frost kills it.

** _Gills pinkish-brown then cinnamon._

(Plate LXXXVI.)

=C. squamulo´sus= Pk. (Plate LXXXII, fig. 1, p. 306). =Pileus= thick, fleshy, convex, densely fibrillose-squamulose, cinnamon-brown, the scales darker. =Lamellæ= not crowded, deeply emarginate, pale pinkish-brown, then cinnamon-colored. =Stipe= thick, solid, shreddy, subsquamulose, concolorous, swollen at the base into a very large tapering or subventricose bulb.

Height 4–6 in., breadth of pileus 2–4 in., stipe 6–9 lines thick at the top, 12–18 lines at the bottom.

Borders of swamps in woods. Sandlake. August.

Related to C. pholideus and C. arenatus, but distinct by the deep emargination of the lamellæ. It gives out a strong odor while drying. The color of the flesh is pinkish-white. _Peck_, 23d Rep. N.Y.

This species was discovered in 1869, and had not since been observed by the writer until the past season. It is manifestly a species of rare occurrence. _Peck_, 28th Rep.

Massachusetts, _Frost_; Wisconsin, Minnesota. Ranges from New England to Kentucky unchanged. _Morgan._

Specimens from E.B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J., September, 1897. Asylum grounds. Several found at Mt. Gretna, August and September, 1897. Solitary in oak woods, gravelly soil. _McIlvaine._ Sent to Professor Peck and identified. Specimens were much darker than Professor Peck’s plates.

C. squamulosus is not attractive in appearance. The caps, only, are edible. Their consistency is very pleasant and flavor fairly good.

(Plate LXXXVI_a_.)

=C. autumna´lis= Pk. =Pileus= fleshy, convex or expanded, dull rusty-yellow, variegated or streaked with innate rust-colored fibrils. =Gills= rather broad, with a wide shallow emargination. =Stem= equal, solid, firm, bulbous, a little paler than the pileus.

=Height= 3–4 in., breadth of pileus 2–4 in. =Stem= 6 lines thick.

Pine woods. Bethlehem. November. The plant is sometimes cespitose. The flesh is white. _Peck_, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1899. _McIlvaine._

Quality fair. Caps meaty.

=C. ochra´ceus= Pk. (Plate LXXXII, fig. 3, p. 306.) =Pileus= fleshy, convex, at length broadly subumbonate or gibbous, smooth, even or obscurely wrinkled, pale ochraceous. =Stem= solid, fibrillose, ochraceous at the top, white below, gradually enlarged into a thick bulbous base.

=Height= 2–4 in., breadth of pileus 2–3 in. =Stem= 4–6 lines thick at the top, 12–18 lines at the base.

Under balsam trees in open places. Catskill mountains. October.

The stem appears as if sheathed. In some specimens the stem is short and rapidly tapers from the base to the top. _Peck_, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Many of the species were found by the writer in mixed woods among leaves at Mt. Gretna, Pa., September, 1898. Specimens were identified by Professor Peck.

The gills are bright yellow when young. Cap smooth, innately fibrillose, not viscid. =Spores= light brown.

Tasteless; smell faint. Good consistency. A fair flavor develops in cooking.

*** _Gills yellow._

(Plate LXXXVI_b_.)

CORTINARIUS ANNULATUS.
Natural size.
]

=C. (Inoloma) annula´tus= Pk. =Pileus= broadly convex, dry, villose-squamulose, yellow. =Flesh= yellowish. =Lamellæ= rather broad, subdistant, adnexed, yellow. =Stem= solid, bulbous, somewhat peronate by the yellow fibrillose annular-terminated veil. =Spores= broadly elliptical or subglobose, 8µ long.

=Pileus= 1–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Thin woods. Whitehall. August.

The whole plant is yellow inclining to ochraceous. It has the odor of radishes. The squamules of the pileus are pointed and erect on the disk, and often darker-colored there. The species is allied to C. tophaceus and C. callisteus, from which it is separated by its persistently annulate stem and more yellow color. _Peck_, 43d Rep.

Specimens received from E.B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J., September 5, 1897. Identified by Professor Peck. Mixed woods Kingsessing, near Bartram’s Garden, Philadelphia, September, 1897.

Solitary among grass and leaves. The permanent marking of the veil is conspicuous. Eight specimens were found and eaten. The caps cook tender, and have a decided but not unpleasant flavor.

DERMO´CYBE. (_Gr_—skin; _Gr_—a head.)