4. TRICHOLOMA TERREUM, 71

SPONGIOSA (_spongia_, a sponge). Page 78. Pileus compact, then spongy, obtuse, even, smooth, moist but not hygrophanous; firm, growing in troops late in the autumn. Stem stout, base usually thickened, spongy fibrous. Gills at length decurrent but sinuate, by which character they are distinguished from Clitocybe. * Gills not discolored. ** Gills discolored. HYGROPHANA (_Gr._, wet; to appear). Page 80. Pileus thin, somewhat umbonate; flesh at length soft, watery. Stem rootless, containing a pith, entirely fibrous. Flesh not exceeding in depth the width of the not broad, thin gills; thinnest toward the margin, hence somewhat umbonate. Color of the pileus either moist or dry, very variable in the same species. Pileus sometimes pulverulent from the persistence of the veil in dry weather. * Gills whitish, not spotted. ** Gills more or less violet, gray or smoky. Not represented. _Series A._ PILEUS VISCID OR FIBRILLOSE, DOWNY OR SCALY. I.—LIMA´CINA. Viscous when moist. * _Gills not becoming discolored, nor becoming reddish._ =T. eques´tre= Linn.—_equestre_, belonging to a horseman or knight, from distinguished appearance. =Pileus= fleshy, compact, convex becoming expanded, obtuse, pale-yellowish, more or less reddish tinged, the disk and central scales often darker, the margin naked, often wavy. =Flesh= white or tinged with yellow. =Gills= rounded behind, close, nearly free, _sulphur-yellow_. =Stem= stout, solid, pale-yellow or white, white within. =Spores= 6.5–8×4–5µ. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 6–10 lines thick. Pine woods, especially in sandy soil. Albany county. September to November. This is a noble species but not plentiful in our state (N.Y.). The pileus is said to become greenish very late in the season. The stem, in the typical form, is described as sulphur-yellow in color, but with us it is more often white. The scales of the disk are sometimes wanting. In our plant the taste is slightly farinaceous at first, but it is soon unpleasant. Var. _pinastreti_ A. and S. is a slender form having a thin, even pileus, thinner and more narrow gills and a more slender stem. A. crassus Scop., A. aureus Schaeff., and A. flavovirens Pers. are recorded as synonyms of this species. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Professor Peck later says in “Mushrooms and Their Use,” p. 52: “I confidently add it to the list of edible species.” New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In pine forests and groves. September to frost. _McIlvaine._ I have eaten it since 1883. All disagreeable odor about T. equestre (which I have seldom noticed) disappears upon cooking. The substance is rather tough, but good. =T. coryphæ´um= Fr.—chief, leader. From its distinguished appearance. =Pileus= very fleshy but not compact, convex then plane, obtuse, viscid, yellowish, streaked with small brownish scales. =Stem= solid, attenuated upward. =Gills= emarginate, crowded, white, edge yellow. Large and of striking appearance. In shady beech woods. Pronounced a good edible by the Boston Myc. Club. The color of the plants is given as greenish-yellow. Bull. Boston Myc. Club, 1896. =T. ustale= Fr.—_uro_, to burn. =Pileus= fleshy, convex, then plane, obtuse, even, smooth, viscid, bay-brownish. =Stem= stuffed, equal, dry, rufo-fibrillose, apex naked, silky, nearly smooth. =Gills= emarginate, crowded, white, at length with reddish spots. _Cooke._ Chiefly in pine woods. =Pileus= 3 in. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, about ½ in. thick. =Spores= 5×8µ _W.G.S._; 7–8×5µ _Massee_. North Carolina, _Curtis_, pine woods, _Schweinitz_; Kansas, _Cragin_. Massachusetts. Edible. Boston Myc. Club, Bull. No. 5. =T. resplen´dens= Fr.—shining brightly. =Pileus= fleshy, convex then nearly plane, even, bare, _viscid, white_, sometimes hyaline-spotted or yellowish on the disk, shining when dry, the _margin straight_. =Flesh= white, taste mild, odor pleasant. =Gills= nearly free when young, then emarginate, somewhat crowded, rather thick, entire, white. =Stem= _solid_, bare, subbulbous, even, dry, white. =Spores= 8×4µ. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 4–8 lines thick. Thin woods. Catskill mountains. September. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Mt. Gretna, Pa., in mixed woods. October and November. _McIlvaine._ It is of excellent flavor, consistency and food value. =T. transmu´tans= Pk.—changing. =Pileus= convex, _nearly bare_, viscid when moist, brownish, reddish-brown or tawny-red, usually paler on the margin. =Flesh= white, taste and odor farinaceous. =Gills= narrow, close, sometimes branched, whitish or pale yellowish, becoming dingy or reddish-spotted when old. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, _bare_ or slightly silky-fibrillose, stuffed or hollow, whitish, often marked with reddish stains or becoming reddish-brown toward the base, white within. =Spores= subglobose, 5µ. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 3–6 lines thick. Woods. The plants are often cespitose. I suspect that Agaricus frumentaceus of Curtis’s catalogue belongs to this species. Both the pileus and stem, as well as the gills, are apt to assume darker hues with age or in drying, and this character suggested the specific name. The species is classed as edible. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Curtis catalogues T. frumentaceum as edible. T. transmutans is reported from many states. It has a mealy taste and odor. Wherever it is found it is a valuable food species. =T. sejunc´tum= Sow.—separated; from the peculiar manner in which the gills separate from the stem. =Pileus= fleshy, convex then expanded, umbonate, slightly viscid, _streaked with innate brown or blackish fibrils_, whitish or yellowish, sometimes greenish-yellow. =Flesh= white, fragile. =Gills= _broad, subdistant_, rounded behind or emarginate, white. =Stem= solid, stout, often irregular, white. =Spores= subglobose, 6.5µ. =Pileus= 1–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 4–8 lines thick. Mixed woods. Suffolk county, N.Y. September. The plants referred to this species are not uncommon on Long Island, growing on sandy soil in woods of oak and pine. They are usually more or less irregular and the pileus becomes fragile. It is quite variable in color, sometimes approaching a smoky-brown hue, again being nearly white. The taste of the typical form is said to be bitter, but the flavor of our plant is scarcely bitter. In other respects, however, it agrees well with the description of the species. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. =Spores= 6µ. _W.G.S._ Flesh is tender. Cooked, of good body and peculiar but pleasant flavor. A valuable species, baked, scalloped, fried. =T. terri´ferum= Pk.—_terra_, earth; _fero_, to bear. =Pileus= broadly convex or nearly plane, irregular, often wavy on the margin, glabrous, viscid, _pale-yellow_, generally soiled with adhering particles of earth carried up in its growth. =Flesh= white, with no decided odor. =Gills= thin, crowded, slightly adnexed, white, not spotted or changeable. =Stem= equal, short, solid, white, _floccose-squamulose at the apex_. =Spores= minute, subglobose, 3µ. =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. long, 6–8 lines thick. Woods. Catskill mountains. September. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Found in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. August to frost. _McIlvaine._ Not inviting, hard to clean, nevertheless edible and good. =T. portento´sum= Fr.—_portentosus_, strange, monstrous. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, _sooty_, livid, sometimes violaceous, fleshy, but thin in comparison with the stoutness of the stem, convexo-plane, somewhat umbonate, unequal and turned up, viscid, _streaked with black lines_ (innate fibrils), but otherwise even and smooth, the very thin margin naked. =Flesh= not compact, white, fragile. =Stem= commonly 3 in. often 4–6 in. long, 1 in. thick, stout, _solid_, the whole remarkably fibrous-fleshy, somewhat equal, _naked_, but _fibrilloso-striate_, white; the base, which is occasionally attenuato-rooted, villous. =Gills= rounded, almost free, 3–4 lines to as much as 1 in. broad, _distant, white_, but varying, becoming pale-gray or yellow. _Fries._ =Spores= 4–5×4µ _K._; 5×4µ _W.G.S_ West Virginia, 1882; New Jersey, Pennsylvania, in woods and open places. May to November. _McIlvaine._ It is one of the first toadstools I experimented upon. I have been constant to it. Its caps fried in butter are unsurpassed. ** _Gills discolored, usually spotted with reddish-brown._ =T. fla´vo-brun´neum= Fr.—_flavus_, yellow; _brunneus_, brown. =Pileus= fleshy, conical, then convex, at length expanded, subumbonate, viscid, _clothed with streak-like scales_. =Stem= _hollow, somewhat ventricose_, fibrillose, _at first viscid, yellowish within_, tip naked. =Gills= emarginate, _decurrent_, crowded, yellowish, then reddish. _Fries._ Odor that of new meal. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, ½ in. thick, dull-reddish or brownish. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad, disk darker, dingy dull-red or reddish-brown. North Carolina, _Curtis_; damp woods, A. fulvus, _Schweinitz_. Edible, _Cooke_, 1891. =T. rus´sula= Schaeff.—reddish. (Plate XVIII, fig. 3, p. 60.) =Pileus= fleshy, convex, becoming plane or centrally depressed, obtuse, viscid, even or dotted with granular squamules on the disk, _red or incarnate_, the margin usually paler, involute and minutely downy in the young plant. =Flesh= white, sometimes tinged with red, taste mild. =Gills= sub-distant, rounded behind or subdecurrent, white, often becoming red-spotted with age. =Stem= solid, firm, whitish or rose-red, squamulose at the apex. =Spores= elliptical, 7×4µ. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 6–8 lines thick. Mixed woods. Albany. Cattaraugus and Steuben counties. September and October. According to the description the typical plant has the pileus incarnate and the stem rosy-red, but in the American plant the pileus is generally more clearly red and the stem white, though this is often varied by reddish stains. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Mixed woods. August until after frost. At Mt. Gretna, Pa. 1897–1898 the patches were large, generous yielders. Edible, _Cooke_; edible, _Cordier_, _Roques_. T. russula is a dressy fungus and has a fashion of its own. The mottlings upon its cap, gill and stem, in shades of red, subdued though they be, give it a handsome personality distinct from any other. The species is a variable one in its minor markings. When moisture is prevalent the caps of all are viscid. Both young and old are often cracked. Stems frequently not squamulose at apex, frequently rosy when young, often flattened. The fibrous interior of the stem and its fibrous connection with the flesh of the cap are very marked. Gills emarginate in youth as well as in age. It is solitary, gregarious, occasionally bunched. An excellent fungus, a free late grower, meaty, easily cooked, and of fine flavor. =T. frumenta´ceum= Bull.—_frumentum_, made of corn. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, whitish or clay-color and variegated dull red, truly fleshy, convex then plane, obtuse, viscous, dry in fine weather, _even, smooth_. =Flesh= white. =Stem= 3 in. long, ½ in. thick, _solid, equal, fibrillose_ when dry, whitish. =Gills= _rounded_, somewhat crowded, rather broad, white, at length spotted-red. Wholly _becoming pale white_, but the stem and pileus are alike _marked-red_, and the gills are at length reddish, wherefore, as well as for the _strong smell of new meal_, it is undoubtedly nearest to A. pessundatus. When full grown it has all the appearance of Entoloma. On the ground. _Stevenson._ =Spores= 6µ _W.G.S._ North Carolina, _Curtis_. Edible. Porcher says Dr. Curtis was the first to declare it edible. =T. pessunda´tum= Fr.—_pessum dare_, bent downward. =Pileus= fleshy, compact, convex, very obtuse, repand, viscid, _granulose or spotted_. =Stem= solid, firm, at first ovato-bulbous, _everywhere villose with whitish scales_. =Gills= emarginate, nearly free, crowded, white, at length spotted with red. In pine woods. Odor and taste mealy. =Pileus= bay, reddish, paler at the margin. Stature of Ag. equestris. _Fries._ =Spores= 5×2.5µ Massee; very minute, globose, 2–3µ _C.B.P._ Reckoned edible, but very rare. _Stevenson._ California, _H. and M._ II.—GENUI´NA. Cuticle of pileus torn into downy or fibrillose scales. * _Gills not changing color nor becoming spotted._ (Plate XX.) [Illustration: TRICHOLOMA DECOROSUM. Two-thirds natural size. ] =T. decoro´sum= Pk.—_decorus_, decorous. =Pileus= firm, at first hemispherical, then convex or nearly plane, adorned with numerous _brownish sub-squarrose tomentose scales_, dull ochraceous or tawny. =Flesh= white. =Gills= close, rounded and slightly emarginate behind, the edge slightly scalloped. =Stem= solid, equal or slightly tapering upward, white and smooth at the top, elsewhere _tomentose-scaly_ and colored like the pileus. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 5×4µ. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 2–4 lines thick. Decaying trunks of trees. Catskill mountains and Alleghany county. September and October. A rare but beautiful species. It is often cespitose. It departs from the character of the genus in growing on decaying wood. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Tricholoma decorosum is not rare in Pennsylvania. I have found it at Angora, Philadelphia and in Chester county, Pa., growing in clusters and singly. At first sight one might take it for one of the many forms of Armillaria, but even cursory examination shows the difference. It is of good consistency and flavor, having a decided mushroom taste. =T. flaves´cens= Pk.—pale yellow. =Pileus= convex, firm, often irregular, dry, _slightly silky becoming bare_, sometimes cracking into minute scales on the disk, _whitish or pale yellow_. =Flesh= whitish or yellowish. =Gills= close, white or pale-yellow, emarginate, floccose on the edge. =Stems= firm, solid, often unequal, central or sometimes eccentric, single or cespitose, colored like the pileus. =Spores= subglobose, 5µ in diameter. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2.5 in. long, 4–6 lines thick. Pine stumps. Albany and Rensselaer counties. October. The species seems to be related to T. rutilans but has not the red or purplish tomentum of that fungus. It, like T. decorosum, is always lignicolous. T. rutilans is sometimes so. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Frequently found in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Pine stumps. September to frost. _McIlvaine._ The flesh compares with that of T. rutilans, and makes an equally good dish. =T. gran´de= Pk. =Pileus= thick, firm, hemispherical, becoming convex, often irregular, dry, _scaly_, somewhat silky-fibrillose toward the margin, _white_, the margin at first involute. =Flesh= grayish-white, taste _farinaceous_. =Gills= close, rounded behind, adnexed, white. =Stem= stout, solid, fibrillose, at first tapering upward, then equal or but slightly thickened at the base, pure white. =Spores= elliptical, 9–11×6µ. =Pileus= 4–5 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 1–1.5 in. thick. Among fallen leaves in woods. Cattaraugus county. September. The plants are often cespitose, and then the pileus is more or less irregular and the gills somewhat lacerated. The species is related to T. columbetta, from which its larger size, constantly scaly pileus, more cespitose mode of growth, larger spores and farinaceous taste separate it. The scales of the pileus are brownish, and the pileus itself is sometimes slightly dingy on the disk. The young margin is pure white like the stem, and both it and the upper part of the stem are sometimes studded with drops of moisture. The plant was found on trial to be edible, but not of first quality. The flesh is not very tender, nor the flavor captivating even in young specimens. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Mt. Gretna, Pa. Mixed woods. August to frost. _McIlvaine._ Gross when old. Young specimens of medium quality and flavor. =T. columbet´ta= Fr.—_columba_, a pigeon. (Plate XVIII, fig. 5, p. 60.) =Pileus= convex, then nearly plane, fleshy, obtuse, rigid, somewhat flexuous, dry, _at first bare, then silky-fibrillose_, becoming even or scaly, _white_, the margin at first _involute_, more or less tomentose. =Flesh= white, taste _mild_. =Gills= close, emarginate, thin, white. =Stem= stout, solid, unequal, nearly bare, white. =Spores= 7–8×4.5µ. The species is very variable and the following varieties have been described: Var. _A_. =Pileus= nearly always repand or lobed, at first bare, even, at length cracked-scaly, often reddish spotted, the margin when young inflexed, tomentose. =Stem= obese, even, unequal, swollen, an inch thick. The typical form. Birch wood among mosses. Var. _B_. =Pileus= subflexuous, silky-fibrillose, at length scaly, sometimes dingy-brown spotted, the margin scarcely tomentose. =Stem= longer, equal or slightly narrowed at the base. Bushy places. Intermediate between _A_ and _C_. Var. _C_. =Pileus= regular, flattened, evidently fibrillose, sometimes spotted with blue, four inches broad. =Stem= equal, cylindrical, fibrillose-striate, four inches long. Beech woods. A showy variety so diverse from variety _A_ that it might be regarded as a distinct species, did not variety _B_ connect them, and so much resemble both that it might with equal propriety be referred to either. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1–4 in. long, 3–12 lines thick. Woods and pastures. Albany county, N.Y. It may be distinguished from T. album by its mild taste. It is recorded as edible. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Edible, _Curtis_, _Cooke_, _Stevenson_. This much varied Tricholoma is as varied in its habitat. I have found it on vacant lots in Philadelphia, in mixed woods at Devon, Pa., and in the forests of the West Virginia mountains, and eaten it since 1881. It cooks readily and is of mild, agreeable flavor. =T. ru´tilans= Schaeff.—_rutilo_, to be reddish. =Pileus= fleshy, campanulate becoming plane, dry, at first _covered with a dark-red or purplish tomentum_ then somewhat scaly, the margin thin, at first involute. =Flesh= yellow. =Gills= crowded, rounded, _yellow, thickened and downy on the edge_. =Stem= somewhat hollow, nearly equal or slightly thickened or bulbous at the base, soft, pale-yellow variegated with red or purplish floccose scales. =Spores= 6.5–8×6.5µ. (Plate XXI.) [Illustration: TRICHOLOMA RUTILANS. About three-eights natural size. ] =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 5–8 lines thick. On or about pine stumps, rarely on hemlock trunks. July to November. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. =Spores= subglobose, 5–6µ diameter _Massee_; 6–8×6µ _B_.; 6×9µ _W.G.S._ West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. May to November. _McIlvaine._ Quite common in West Virginia mountains and in pine woods of New Jersey. The Boston Mycological Club reports it found in quantity in Massachusetts. The flesh when cooked is gummy, like the marshmallow confection. It is excellent. ** _Gills becoming reddish or gray, etc._ =T. vacci´num= Pers.—_vacca_, a cow. =Pileus= fleshy, convex or campanulate, becoming nearly plane, umbonate, dry, floccose-scaly, reddish-brown, the margin _involute, tomentose_. =Flesh= white. =Gills= adnexed, subdistant, whitish, then reddish or reddish-spotted. =Stem= equal, _hollow_, covered with a fibrillose bark, naked at the apex, pale reddish. =Spores= subglobose, 6µ. =Pileus= 1–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 4–6 lines thick. Under or near coniferous trees. Greene and Essex counties. September and October. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Recorded as edible by Gillet. Plentiful in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia. Have eaten it since 1885. Fair. =T. fuligi´neum= Pk.—_fuligineus_, resembling soot. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, obtuse, often irregular, dry, minutely scaly, _sooty-brown_. =Flesh= grayish, odor and taste farinaceous. =Gills= subdistant, uneven on the edge, ash-colored _becoming blackish in drying_. =Stem= short, _solid_, equal, bare, ash-colored. =Spores= oblong-elliptical, 8×4µ. =Pileus= 1–2.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. long, 3–5 lines thick. Among mosses in open places. Greene county. September. Rare. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Quite common in Pennsylvania and New Jersey on mossy wood margins. It is of fair quality and flavor. (Plate XXII.) [Illustration: TRICHOLOMA TERREUM. One-half natural size. ] =T. ter´reum= Schaeff.—the earth. (Plate XVIII, fig. 4, p. 60.) =Pileus= fleshy, thin, soft, convex, campanulate or nearly plane, obtuse or umbonate, _innately fibrillose or floccose-scaly_, ashy-brown, grayish-brown or mouse color. =Flesh= white or whitish. =Gills= adnexed, subdistant, more or less eroded on the edge, _white becoming ash-colored_. =Stem= equal, varying from solid to stuffed or hollow, fibrillose, white or whitish. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 6–7×4–5µ. =Pileus= 1–3 in. broad.= Stem= 1–2 in. long, 2–4 lines thick. Woods. Albany, Rensselaer and Cattaraugus counties. September to November. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. =Spores= 7×5.5µ _Morgan_; 5–6µ, _Massee_; 6–7×4µ _K._; 6µ _W.G.S._ Eaten by Professor Peck. Eaten by McIlvaine. Quality fair. =T. ter´reum= Schaeff.—var. _fra´grans_ Pk. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, dry, innately-fibrillose or minutely floccose-scaly, grayish-brown or blackish-brown. =Gills= rather broad, adnexed, whitish or ash-colored. =Stem= equal, solid or stuffed, rarely hollow, whitish. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 6–7×4–5µ. The Fragrant tricholoma has a distinct farinaceous odor and flavor. In other respects it closely resembles the Earth-colored tricholoma of which it is considered a mere variety. The typical European plant is said to be without odor or nearly so and has not been classed among the edible species by European writers. But our variety, though not high-flavored, is fairly good and entirely harmless. Its cap varies considerably in color but is some shade of gray or brown. Its center is without any prominence or very bluntly prominent, and its surface is commonly very obscurely marked with innate fibrils or in small plants may have very small flocculose tufts or scales. The flesh is whitish as also are the gills, though these sometimes assume a more decided grayish hue. They are rather broad and loose and sometimes uneven on the edge or even split transversely. They are usually deeply excavated next the stem and attached to it by a narrow part. The stem is whitish or slightly shaded with the color of the cap. It often has a few longitudinal fibrils, but never any collar. It may be either solid, stuffed or spongy within, or in large specimens, hollow. The plants grow gregariously or sometimes in tufts on the ground under or near trees or in thin woods, especially of pine, or in mixed woods. The caps vary from 1–4 in. broad, and the stems from 1–3 in. long and from 2–6 lines thick. The plants occur in autumn. In Europe there is a variety of this species which also has a farinaceous odor, but it differs from our plant in having reddish edges to the gills. It is called variety orirubens. _Peck_, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Var. fragrans is plentiful and gregarious among New Jersey pines, October to frost. Other varieties are often found. Specimens found by me at Mt. Gretna, Pa., and sent to Professor Peck who identified them as var. fragrans Pk., were decidedly umbonate. Gills were easily separable from cap. Var. fragrans is a favorite. It is pleasant to many, even raw. Plentiful salting while cooking develops a high and exquisite flavor. =T. fumes´cens= Pk.—smoky. =Pileus= convex or expanded, dry, clothed with a very minute appressed tomentum, whitish. =Gills= narrow, crowded, rounded behind, whitish or pale cream color, _changing to smoky-blue or blackish_ where bruised. =Stem= short, cylindrical, whitish. =Spores= oblong-elliptical, 5–6.5µ. =Pileus= 1 in. broad. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. high, 2–3 lines thick. Woods. Columbia county. October. Rare. The species is remarkable for the smoky or blackish hue assumed by the gills when bruised and also in drying. It is apparently related to T. immundum Berk., but in that species the whole plant becomes blackish when bruised, and the gills are marked with transverse lines and tinged with pink. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Mt. Gretna, Pa. September to November, 1898. _McIlvaine._ The size of cap sometimes attains to 3 in and stem to ½ in. in thickness. Taste at first farinaceous then sweetish. The caps are of excellent quality and flavor. (Plate XXIII.) [Illustration: TRICHOLOMA IMBRICATUM. One-half natural size. ] =T. imbrica´tum= Fr.—covered with tiles. =Pileus= fleshy, compact, convex or nearly plane, obtuse, dry, innately scaly, fibrillose toward the margin, brown or reddish-brown, the margin thin, at first slightly _inflexed and pubescent then naked_. =Flesh= firm, thick, white. =Gills= slightly emarginate, almost adnate, rather close, white when young, becoming reddish or spotted. =Stem= _solid_, firm, nearly equal, fibrillose, white and mealy or pulverulent at the top, elsewhere colored like the pileus. =Spores= 6.5 × 4–5µ. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 4–10 lines thick. Under or near coniferous trees. Greene and Essex counties. September and October. This is an edible species. It has a farinaceous odor and taste when fresh. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Closely resembles T. transmutans in size, color and taste. It is, however, easily separated by its dry cap and solid stem. _Peck._ Plentiful in pine woods of New Jersey, and among hemlocks in West Virginia. Mt. Gretna, Pa., under pines. October and November, 1898. _McIlvaine._ Specimens found at Mt. Gretna had caps dark umber when young, and margin incurved to stem. Gills yellowish. Stem up to 4 in. long, stout, solid, swollen at base, and having a short pointed ending, firm, fibrillose, white. Flavor farinaceous. Flesh of good texture and taste. III.—RIG´IDA. Pileus rigid, cuticle broken up into smooth scales, etc. * _Gills white or pallid, not becoming spotted with red or gray. Not represented._ ** _Gills becoming reddish or grayish, spotted, etc._ =T. sapona´ceum= Fr.—_sapo_, soap. Strong, smelling of an undefinable soap. =Cap= 2–4 in. across, involute at first, convex then flattened, dry, glabrous, moist in wet weather, never viscid, brownish, more or less spotted or having the skin cracked into scales, occasionally covered with dark fibrils. =Flesh= firm, whitish becoming reddish when wounded. =Gills= emarginate, with a hooked tooth (uncinate) thin, distant, pale white. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, about ½ in. thick, often unequal, base sometimes long and rooting, usually smooth, at times reticulated with black fibrils, or is scaly. Distasteful. The species is variable in size and color. Stevenson remarks: “Scarcely any species has been more confounded with others.” It may always be safely distinguished by its odor, by its distant gills, by the smooth cuticle of the cap cracking into scales, and by the change of color to reddish when bruised. West Virginia mountains. August to frost. 1881–85. New Jersey, Pennsylvania. _McIlvaine._ This fungus is not extremely unpleasant when eaten—like T. sulphureum, but no one will care to eat it. There is nothing in the flavor to recommend it or to inspire a cultivation of taste for it. IV.—SERICEL´LA. Pileus slightly silky, soon smooth, etc. * _Gills broad, rather thick, somewhat distant._ =T. sulphu´reum= Bull.—_sulphur_, brimstone. =Odor= strong, fetid or like gas tar. =Cap= 1–4 in. across, subglobose, then convex and plane, slightly umbonate, sometimes depressed, fleshy, margin at first involute. =Color= dingy or reddish sulphur-yellow, at first silky, becoming smooth or minutely tomentose. =Flesh= thick, yellow. =Gills= rather thick, narrowed behind, emarginate or acutely adnate, sometimes appearing arcuate from shape of cap. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, equal or slightly bulbous, often curved, smooth striate, sulphur-yellow, stuffed, fibrous or hollow, yellow within, at times having yellow fibrous roots. =Spores= 9–10×5µ _Massee_. Very variable in size. Gregarious, common in mixed woods. West Virginia, 1881. West Philadelphia, 1886. _McIlvaine._ When quite young T. sulphureum is showy and inviting. Its smell is discouraging, its taste forbidding. No amount of cooking removes its unpleasant flavor. I have tried to eat enough of it to test its qualities, but was satisfied after strenuous efforts to mark it INEDIBLE. =T. chrysenteroi´des= Pk.—like gold. =Pileus= fleshy, convex or plane, not at all umbonate, firm, dry, glabrous or slightly silky, _pale-yellow or buff_, becoming dingy with age, the margin sometimes reflexed, _flesh pale-yellow, taste and odor farinaceous_. =Gills= rather close, emarginate, yellowish, becoming dingy or pallid with age, _marked with transverse veinlets along the upper edge_, the interspaces veined. =Stem= equal, firm, _solid_, bare, fibrous-striate, yellowish without and within. =Spores= elliptical, 8–10×5–6µ. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–4 lines thick. Woods. Lewis and Cattaraugus counties. September. Nearly allied to T. chrysenterum, but separable by the gills, which are somewhat veiny and not free, by the entire absence of an umbo and by its farinaceous odor and taste. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Frequently found at Angora, and in Woodland Cemetery, West Philadelphia. Edible. Fair flavor and good quality. =T. o´picum= Fr.—uncouth. =Pileus= 1–1½ in. across. =Flesh= rather thin, becoming grayish; convex, then expanded, obtusely-umbonate, at length usually upturned and split, very dry, even at first, then minutely scaly, gray. =Gills= broadly emarginate, ventricose, rather thick, scarcely distant, hoary. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 2–3 lines thick, equal, fibrillose, becoming almost glabrous, pallid then grayish, stuffed. _Massee._ Among moss, in pine woods, etc. Inodorous. Somewhat resembling T. saponaceum, but distinguished by the absence of smell. Waretown, N.J. Under pines and open places in pine woods. August to September, 1889. _McIlvaine._ When wet the caps become darker and have a mottled appearance. They are tender, but rather tasteless. The species serves to make quantity when cooked with others of higher flavor. =T. pipera´tum= Pk.—_piper_, pepper. =Pileus= rather thin, firm, dry, convex, obtuse or subumbonate, virgate with innate brownish fibrils, varying in color from grayish-brown to blackish-brown, sometimes with greenish or yellowish tints. =Flesh= white or whitish, taste acrid. =Gills= broad, close, rounded behind, adnexed, whitish or yellowish. =Stem= generally short, equal, solid, silky, slightly mealy or pruinose at the top, white or slightly tinged with yellow. =Spores= elliptic, 6–7µ long, 5µ broad. =Pileus= 4–7 cm. broad. =Stem= 5–7 cm. long, 6–12 mm. thick. The central part of the pileus is sometimes a little darker than the rest. The peppery or acrid taste is very distinct and remains in the mouth many minutes. This and the innately fibrillose character of the pileus are distinguishing characters of the species. The plants appear from September to November. _Peck_, Torr. Bull., Vol. 26. Mt. Gretna, Pa. October to November, 1898, on damp ground among moss. _McIlvaine._ =Cap= up to 3 in. across, bell-shaped, then convex, depressed in center and undulate, light-brown, darker toward center, dry, minutely fibrillose. =Flesh= thick, white, thin toward margin. =Gills= emarginate, unequal, not forked. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, hard, equal or enlarging toward base, white, silky, striate. Though peppery raw, this Tricholoma is of good substance and flavor when cooked. _B._ PILEUS EVEN, SMOOTH, NOT DOWNY, SCALY, NOR VISCID, ETC. V.—GUTTA´TA. Pileus marked with drop-like spots or rivulose. * _Gills whitish._ =T. gambo´sum= Fr.—_gambosus_, swelling near the hoof. =Pileus= 3–4 in. and more broad, _becoming pale-tan_, fleshy, _hemispherico-convex, then flattened_, obtuse, undulated and bent backward, even, smooth, but _spotted as with drops_, at length widely cracked (not, however, torn into squamules), the _margin at the first involute and tomentose_. =Flesh= thick, soft, fragile, white. =Stem= 2 in. and more long, ½-1 in. thick, _solid_, fleshy-firm, almost _equal_, often curved-ascending at the base, _white_, _downy at the apex_. =Gills= rounded or emarginato-adnexed, with a somewhat decurrent tooth and when old sinuato-decurrent, _crowded_, ventricose, 2–3 lines broad, _whitish_. _Fries._ _Odor_ pleasant, _of new meal_. Often forming large rings or clusters. A whitish form must not be confounded with T. albellus. =Spores= 13×11µ _W.G.S._; 13–14×8–9µ _Massee_; 13×10µ _Cooke_. Angora, Philadelphia. Chester and Lebanon county, Pa. _McIlvaine._ Fair. ** _Gills becoming reddish or smoky-gray._ =T. tigri´num= Schaeff.—spotted like a tiger. =Pileus= 2 in. broad, pallid-brown, variegated with crowded and _darker dingy-brown spots_, compactly fleshy, convex then expanded, obtuse, repand. =Flesh= thick, firm, white, unchangeable, but thin at the involute margin. =Stem= 1 in. long and thick, very compact, solid, pruinate, white. =Gills= rounded behind, at length decurrent with a tooth, crowded, narrow, white, at length darker. Solitary or cespitose. Very distinguished, obese, and without any marked smell of new meal. In fir woods and open grassy ground. Rare. June to July. _Stevenson._ Edible, _Cooke_, _Fries_. =T. albel´lum= Fr.—_albus_, white. =Pileus= about 3 in. broad, becoming pale-white, passing into gray when dry, fleshy, thick at the disk, thinner at the sides, _conical then convex_, gibbous when expanded, when in vigor moist on the surface, _spotted (mottled) as with scales_, the thin margin naked. =Flesh= soft, floccose, white, unchangeable. =Stem= curt, 1½-2 in. long, 1 in. thick at the base, reaching ½ in. toward the apex, _solid_, fleshy-compact, ovato-bulbous (conical to the middle, cylindrical above the middle), fibrillose-striate, white. =Gills= very much _attenuated behind, not_ emarginate, _becoming broad in front_, very crowded, quite entire, white. _Fries._ =Spores= elliptical, 6–7×4µ _Massee_; ovoid, 3µ _W.G.S._; ovoid, 3µ _Cooke_. =Pileus= not becoming yellow. =Odor= weak when fresh, taste pleasant, almost that of cooked flesh. There are two forms: one larger, solitary, another smaller, connato-cespitose, quite as in A. albellus Sow. It is often confounded with smaller forms of A. gambosus. _Stevenson._ North Carolina, _Curtis_. Damp woods. Edible. VI.—SPONGIO´SA. Pileus compact then spongy, smooth, moist. * _Gills not discolored._ =T. vires´cens= Pk.—_viresco_, to grow green. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, sometimes centrally depressed, moist, bare, _dingy-green_, the margin sometimes wavy or lobed. =Gills= close, gradually narrowed toward the outer extremity, rounded or slightly emarginate at the inner, white. =Stem= subequal, _stuffed or hollow_, thick but brittle, whitish, sometimes tinged with green. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 5×4µ. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 6–12 lines thick. Thin woods. Essex county. July. The dull smoky-green hue of the pileus is the distinguishing feature of this species. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Quite common in West Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. July to October. _McIlvaine._ Edible. Tastes somewhat like many Russulæ, when cooked. Flavor good. =T. fumidel´lum= Pk.—smoky. =Pileus= convex, then expanded, subumbonate, bare, moist, _dingy-white or clay-color clouded with brown_, the disk or umbo generally smoky-brown. =Gills= crowded, subventricose, whitish. =Stem= equal, bare, solid, whitish. =Spores= minute, subglobose, 4.5×4µ. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–2.5 in. long, 2–3 lines thick. Woods. Albany county and Catskill mountains. September and October. The stem splits easily and the pileus becomes paler in drying. It sometimes becomes cracked in areas. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. On ground. Mt. Gretna. October and November. 1897. _McIlvaine._ The species was plentiful among the leaf mold, growing from the ground in mixed woods. The caps are delicate in substance and flavor. =T. leucoceph´alum= Fr. _Gr._—white; head. =Pileus= 1½-2 in. across, convex then plane, even, moist, smooth, but when young covered with a satiny down; water-soaked after rain. =Flesh= thin, tough, white. =Gills= rounded behind and almost free, white. =Stem= up to 2 in. long, ¼ in. thick, exterior hard, shining, fibrous; interior hollow but solid at base which is attenuated and rooting, twisted. =Smell= strong of new meal. Taste pleasant. =Spores= 9–10×7–8µ. Mt. Gretna, Pa. Grassy woods and borders. October to November, 1898. _McIlvaine._ Quite common. The caps are excellent. =T. al´bum= Schaeff.—_albus_, white. =Pileus= fleshy, tough, convex, becoming plane or depressed, obtuse, very dry, even, _glabrous, white_, sometimes yellowish on the disk, rarely wholly yellowish, the margin at first involute. =Flesh= white, taste _acrid or bitter_. =Gills= emarginate, somewhat crowded, distinct, white. =Stem= solid, elastic, equal or tapering upward, externally fibrous, obsoletely frosted at the apex, white. =Spores= elliptical, 5–6µ, long. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 4–6 lines thick. Woods. Common. August to October. This species is variable in color and in size, being sometimes robust, sometimes slender. It grows singly, in troops or in tufts. It has no decided odor, but a bitter unpleasant taste. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Cooked, tender and of fair flavor. ** _Gills becoming discolored._ =T. persona´tum= Fr.—wearing a mask (from its many varieties of colors). (Plate XVIII, p. 60.) =Pileus= compact, becoming soft, thick, convex or plane, obtuse, regular, moist, bare, variable in color, generally pallid or ashy tinged with violet or lilac, the margin at first _involute and frosted with fine hairs_. =Flesh= whitish. =Gills= broad, crowded, rounded behind, free, _violaceous becoming sordid-whitish or dingy-brown_. =Stem= generally thick, subbulbous, solid, fibrillose or frosted with fine hairs, whitish or colored like the pileus. =Spores= dingy white, subelliptical, 8–9×4–5µ. On white paper the spores have a slight salmon tint, but they are regular in shape, not angular as in Entoloma. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 6–12 lines thick. _Peck_, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot. Woods and open places, and growing from old, matted stable straw. Common over the United States. When T. personatum becomes known to the collector, either in the field or on the table, it is sure to become a favorite. It is fleshy, rotund, stocky, moist and smooth, with a tendency in its cap to be wavy-rimmed and jauntily cocked in wet weather. It grows singly or in troops, occasionally in tufts of from five to six individuals. A patch of it is valuable and worth husbanding with covering of fine straw. Cortinarius violaceus resembles it somewhat in color and shape, but it shows a spidery veil, and has brown spores. It is edible. The common name of T. personatum in England is Blewits, which translated into understandable English is believed to be “blue-hats.” It is everywhere eaten, being of substantial substance, good flavor and cookable in any way. It is especially fine in patties, stews and croquettes. =T. nu´dum= Bull.—naked. =Pileus= about 3 in. broad, becoming purple-violaceous then changing color, reddish, fleshy, comparatively _thin_, convexo-plane then _depressed_, obtuse, even, smooth, with a pellicle which is moist and manifest in rainy weather; margin inflexed, thin, naked. =Flesh= thin, pliant, colored. =Stem= about 3 in. long, ½ in. thick, _stuffed, elastic_, equal, _almost naked_, mealy at the apex, _violaceous then becoming pale_. =Gills= rounded then decurrent (on account of the depressed pileus), crowded, narrow, of the same color as the pileus or deeper _violaceous_, but soon changing color, at _length reddish_ without the least tinge of violet. _Stevenson._ =Spores= 7×3.5µ _Massee_; 6–8×4µ _B._; 6×3µ _W.G.S._ On ground among leaves. Esculent, very good and delicate. _Cordier._ Edible. _Roze._ Edible, all American authorities. VII.—HYGROPH´ANA. Pileus thin, water-soaked, etc. * _Gills whitish, not spotted._ =T. grammopo´dium= Bull. _Gr._—a line; _Gr._—a foot. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad, _pallid-livid_ or brownish-red when moist, whitish when dry, fleshy, very thin toward the margin, _campanulate then convex_, and at length flattened, obtusely umbonate, even, smooth, pellicle moist in rainy weather, not viscous, separating, flesh-colored when moist, white when dry, soft, fragile. =Stem= _tall_, about 3–4 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, _solid_, elastic, equal with exception of the _thickened base_, cylindrical, firm, smooth, _evidently longitudinally sulcate, whitish_. =Gills= arcuato-adnate or broadly horizontally emarginate, acute at both ends, _very crowded, quite entire_, very many shorter, somewhat branched behind, white. Odor moldy. Striking in appearance; the chief of this group. There is a variety wholly white. In pastures and grassy woods. _Stevenson._ =Spores= 5–6µ _Massee_. Distinguished by the grooved stem and crowded gills, which are adnate when the pileus is expanded. Often growing in rings. North Carolina, _Curtis_. Not reported elsewhere. Esculent. _Cooke._ Much eaten in Europe. =T. bre´vipes= Bull.—_brevis_, short; _pes_, a foot. =Pileus= about 2 in. broad, _umber then becoming pale_, fleshy, _soft, convex then becoming plane_, even, smooth, moist (opaque when dry); flesh of the pileus _becoming brownish_ when moist, becoming white when dry. =Stem= _solid_, very _rigid_, at length fibrous, _pruinate at the apex, externally and internally fuscous_; otherwise very variable, sometimes _very short_, 2–3 lines only long and thick, attenuated downward; commonly 1 in., sometimes bulbous, sometimes equal, more slender. =Gills= emarginato-free, _crowded_, ventricose, disappearing short of the margin, quite entire, becoming fuscous then whitish. Solitary. _Inodorous._ The pileus is often stained with soil. _Stevenson._ =Spores= elliptical, 7.5×5µ _Peck_; 7–4µ _Massee_. Esculent and very delicate. _Paulet._ Esculent. _Cooke._ =T. hu´mile= Pers.—low, small. (Plate XVIII, fig. 6, p. 60.) Very variable in form and color. =Cap= 2–3 in. across, convex then expanded, wavy, flattened, sometimes umbonate, sometimes depressed, glabrous, occasionally powdered with thin white dust, fragments of veil, sometimes viscid. =Color= changes with moisture, blackish, grayish, and having somewhat the appearance of an oyster. =Gills= rounded-adnexed, with a slight tooth, arcuately decurrent, crowded, 2–3 lines broad, whitish. =Flesh= soft, whitish or grayish. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, up to ½ in. thick, equal (misshapen by pressure when tufted), light gray, _covered with fine down_, stuffed, becoming hollow, soft, fragile. Gregarious, usually tufted. =Spores= 7–8×5–6µ _K._ Open woods, in gardens, among cinders, grass, etc., September to frost. Woodland Cemetery, Philadelphia, 1897. _McIlvaine._ Its tufted habit and fair size, fleshy cap of good flavor, make it a desirable species. It cooks readily and the caps are of fine flavor. =T. pæ´didum= Fr.—_pædidus_, nasty. =Pileus= about 1-½ in. across. =Flesh= very thin, tough, becoming whitish; bell-shaped then convex, at length expanded, umbonate, at length depressed round the conical, prominent umbo, moist, virgate or streaked with innate fibrils radiating from the center, otherwise almost even, smoky-mouse color, opaque, margin naked. =Gills= adnexed with a slight decurrent tooth, slightly sinuate, crowded, narrow, white then gray. =Stem= about 1 in. long and 2 lines thick, base slightly bulbous, tough, slightly striate, naked, dingy-gray. =Spores= elliptic-fusiform, 10–11×5–6µ. In gardens, on dung-hills, etc. Small, tough, color dingy, without a trace of violet tinge. _Massee._ Edible. Cooks tender, and is of good flavor, notwithstanding its name, which in no way applies. =T. subpulverulen´tum= Pers.—slightly dusty. =Pileus= 1–2½ in. across, convex then plane or depressed in center, even, innately pruinose, hoary, white, whitish, grayish, margin extending as a slight rim incurved beyond gills. =Flesh= white, thick, firm, hygrophanous. =Gills= rounded without a tooth, close, narrow, white. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, equal, solid, somewhat striate, whitish. =Spores= 5×3µ _Massee_; 4×3µ _W.G.S._ Biological grounds, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia. May to November, 1898. _McIlvaine._ A species one is glad to find. It has a healthy substantial presence full of promise. It is a solitary grower among grass on lawns and pastures, but its individuals are neighborly. Caps and stems are excellent. [Illustration] Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine. PLATE XXIV. FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE. 1–2–3. CLITOCYBE 108 8. CLITOCYBE AMETHYSTINA, 107 OCHROPURPUREA,