4. AMANITOPSIS STRANGULATA, 30

=A. vagina´ta= Roze—_vagina_, a sheath. (Plate X, figs. 1, 2, p: 28.) =Pileus= thin, fragile, glossy, smooth except in rare instances where a few fragments of the volva adhere to it for a time, deeply and distinctly striate on the margin, sometimes umbonate. =Flesh= white, in the dark forms grayish under the skin. =Stem= ringless, sometimes smooth, but generally mealy or floccose, hollow or stuffed with a cottony pith, _not bulbous_. =Volva= long, thin, fragile, closely sheathing yet free from the stem, except in the lower part, easily detachable and frequently remaining in the ground when the plant is pulled. =Color= variable, generally mouse-gray, sometimes livid, tawny-yellow or white, in one variety a rich date-brown. =Spores= globose, 8–10µ broad _Peck_; elliptical 10×7–8µ _Massee_. Var. _liv´ida_ Pers.—livid. Leaden brown, gills dingy. (Plate X, fig. 2, p. 28.) Var. _ful´va_ Schæff.—yellowish. Tawny-yellow or pale ochraceous. This plant is widely dispersed, having been reported from many localities in the United States, also from Nova Scotia and Greenland. On ground in woods and on margins of woods, under trees, in shaded grassy places. Sometimes in open stubble and pastures. June to frost. Mt. Gretna, September, 1899, found a cluster on decayed chestnut stump. Various colors abound—hazel, brown, gray, yellow, whitish. The caps and stems are tender as asparagus tips, but without much distinct flavor when cooked. Great care must be taken to distinguish these forms from Amanita spreta Pk. which is poisonous. See heading of genus—Amanitopsis. =A. niva´lis= Grev.—snowy. (Plate X, fig. 3, p. 28.) =Pileus= at first ovate, then convex or plane, smooth, _striate on the thin margin, white_, sometimes tinged with yellow or ochraceous on the disk. =Flesh= white. =Gills= subdistant, white, free. =Stem= equal, rather tall, nearly smooth, _bulbous_, stuffed, white; the volva very fragile, _soon breaking up into fragments or sometimes persisting in the form of a collar-like ring at the upper part of the bulb_. =Spores= globose, 7.5–10µ in diameter. =Plant= 4–6 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 lines thick. July to October. It approaches in some respects A. Frostiana, but its larger size, smooth pileus, lighter color and the absence of an annulus will easily distinguish it from that species. _Peck_, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Specimens have been repeatedly found by the writer in open oak woods near Philadelphia. A strong, unpleasant bitter, which appears to develop while cooking, renders it unpalatable. It is harmless, but its use is not advised. =A. velo´sa= Pk.—_velosus_, fleecy. =Pileus= at first subglobose, then bell-shaped or nearly plane, generally bearing patches of the remains of the whitish felty or tomentose volva, elsewhere glabrous, becoming sulcate-striate on the margin, buff or orange-buff. =Flesh= compact, white. =Gills= close, reaching the stem, subventricose, pale cream color. =Stem= firm, at first attenuated and tomentose at the top, then nearly equal, stuffed, white or whitish, closely sheathed at the base by the thick volva. =Spores= globose, 10–13µ. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 3–4 lines thick. Under oak trees. Pasadena, California. April. _A.J. McClatchie._ This fungus is closely related to A. vaginata, from which it may be separated by the more adherent remains of the thicker volva which sometimes cover the whole surface of the pileus, and by the thicker gills which are somewhat adnate to the stem and terminate with a decurrent tooth. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 22, No. 12. As it is probable this species will be found elsewhere than California, and from its close relation to A. vaginata likely to be edible, its description is here given. =A. strangula´ta= (Fr.) Roze—choked, from the stuffed stem. (Plate X, fig. 4, p. 28.) =Pileus= at first ovate or subelliptical, then bell-shaped, convex or _plane, warty_, slightly viscid when moist, _deeply and distinctly striate on the margin_, grayish-brown. =Gills= free, close, white. =Stem= equal or tapering upward, stuffed or hollow, nearly smooth, white or whitish, _the volva soon breaking up into scales or subannular fragments_. =Spores= globose, 10–13µ. =Plant= 4–6 in. high. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 3–6 lines thick. _Peck_, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot. _A. Ceciliæ_ B. and Br. is a synonym. Not distinct in color and general appearance from A. vaginata, but distinctly separated by its warty pileus and evanescent mouse-colored volva which does not sheath the stem. =Pileus= striate when young, then sulcate. =Stem= mealy, especially on the upper part. Woods, open grassy places, wheat stubble, etc. June to September. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, _McIlvaine_. In the latitude of Philadelphia the plant is found in great abundance. Its rather early appearance, staying quality, delicate consistency and flavor make it valuable as a food supply. Pearl color, bluish-gray and gray are the prevailing cap-coloring. =A. adna´ta= (W.G.S.) Roze—_adnatus_, adnate, of the gills. =Pileus= about 3 in. across. =Flesh= thick, whitish, firm, convex, then expanded, rather moist, pale yellowish-buff, often furnished with irregular, woolly patches of volva; margin even, extending beyond the gills. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, ½ in. thick, cylindrical, rough, fibrillose, pale buff, flesh distinct from that of the pileus, stuffed, then hollow; base slightly swollen. =Volva= adnate, white, downy, margin free and lax, sometimes almost obsolete. =Gills= truly adnate, crowded, with many intermediate shorter ones, white. =Spores= subglobose, with an oblique point, 7–8µ _Massee_. Tender, good flavor, yielding more substance when cooked than any other Amanitopsis. =A. volva´ta= Pk.—possessing a volva. =Pileus= convex, then nearly plane, slightly striate on the margin, hairy or floccose-scaly, white or whitish, the disk sometimes brownish. =Gills= close, free, white. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, stuffed, minutely floccose-scaly, whitish, inserted at the base in a large, firm, cup-shaped, persistent volva. =Spores= elliptical, 10×8µ. =Plant= 2–3 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 broad. =Stem= 3–4 lines thick. _Peck_, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot. The plant is easily recognized by its large, cup-shaped volva and cap, which is not smooth, as is usual in a species with a persistent membranous volva, more or less scaly with minute tufts of fibrils or tomentose hairs. The gills are white in the fresh plant. Professor Peck notes the species as quite rare. Numerous specimens occur in the sandy oak woods of New Jersey, and in oak woods near Angora, Philadelphia. July to October. Care must be taken to determine the absence of an annulus or any trace of one. Tender, delicate, without pronounced flavor. Equal to Amanitopsis vaginata. =A. farino´sa= Schw.—covered with _farina_, meal. =Pileus= nearly plane, thin, _flocculent-pulverulent, widely and deeply striate on the margin_, grayish-brown or livid-brown. =Gills= free, whitish. =Stem= whitish or pallid, equal, stuffed or hollow, mealy, _sub-bulbous_, the volva _flocculent-pulverulent_, evanescent. =Spores= variable, _elliptical ovate or subglobose_, 6–8µ long. =Plant= about 2 in. high. =Pileus= 1 in. to 15 lines broad. =Stem= 1–3 lines thick. July to September. This is our smallest Amanita (now Amanitopsis). It is neither very common nor very abundant when it does occur. It is described by Schweinitz as “solid,” but I have always found it stuffed or hollow. _Peck_, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot. =A. pusil´la= Pk.—small. =Pileus= thin, broadly convex or nearly plane, subglabrous, slightly umbonate, even on the margin, pale brown. =Gills= narrow, thin, close, free, becoming brownish. =Stem= short, hollow, bulbous, the bulb margined by the remains of the membranous volva. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 5–6×4µ. =Pileus= about 1 in. broad. =Stem= 8–12 lines long, 1–2 lines thick. Grassy ground. Gouverneur, St. Lawrence county. September. _Mrs. Anthony._ _Peck_, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Edibility not tested. =A. pubes´cens= Schw.—downy. =Pileus= yellow, covered with a thin pubescence, margin involute. =Stem= short, about 1 in. in length, at first white becoming yellowish, bulbous, bulb thick. =Volva= evanescent. =Gills= white. In grassy grounds. Rare. North Carolina, _Schweinitz_, _Curtis_. =A. agglutina´ta= B. and C.—viscid. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, white, hemispheric then plane, viscid, areolate-scaly from the remains of the volva, margin thin, sulcate. =Stem= .5–1.5 in. long, 2 lines thick, short, solid, bulbous. =Volva= with a free margin. =Gills= broad, ventricose, rotundate-free. =Spores= elliptic. In pine woods. North Carolina, _Curtis_. Resembling some of the dwarf forms of A. vaginata but at once distinguished by its solid stem and decidedly viscid, areolate-squamose pileus. Am. Jour. Sci. and Arts, 1848. [Illustration: Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine. PLATE XII.] FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.