New Species of Fungi 



By Charles H. Peck 



Amanita calyptrata 



Pileus fleshy, thick, convex or nearly plane, centrally covered 

 by a large irregular persistent grayish white fragment of the volva, 

 glabrous elsewhere, striate on the margin, greenish yellow or yel- 

 lowish brown tinged with green, the margin often a little paler or 

 more yellow than the rest : lamellae close, nearly free but reach- 

 ing the stem and forming slight decurrent lines or striations on it, 

 yellowish white tinged with green : stem stout, rather long, equal 

 or slightly tapering upward, surrounded at the base by the remains 

 of the ruptured volva, white or yellowish white with a faint green- 

 ish tint: spores broadly elliptic, io/i long, 6 [i broad, usually 

 containing a single large nucleus. 



Pileus 10-20 cm. broad: stem 10-15 cm. long, 12-20 mm. 

 thick. 



Rich ground in fir woods or their borders. Autumn. Oregon. 

 Dr. H. Lane. 



This is a large and interesting species, well marked and easily 

 recognized by its large size, by the greenish tint that pervades the 

 pileus, lamellae, annulus, and stem and especially by the large per- 

 sistent patch of grayish white felty material that covers the 

 center of the pileus and sometimes extends nearly to the margin. 

 This is in fact the upper part of the ruptured volva that is carried 

 up by the growing plant and is very suggestive of the specific 

 name. In the young state the plant is entirely enveloped in the 

 volva which then is similar to a goose egg in size and shape, and 

 its walls are one-fourth to one-half an inch thick. So thick and 

 firm are they that the young plant appears sometimes to be unable 

 to break through and it decays in its infancy. 



Dr. Lane says that, having found that the Italians made use of 

 this mushroom for food, he began eating it and introducing it to 

 his friends, and he learned by personal trial that it is a thoroughly 

 good and wholesome mushroom, which, when broiled with bacon, 

 fried, baked or stewed, may be eaten with perfect safety and that 



it is a nutritious food. 



(14) 



