50 



STUDIES OF AMERICAN FUNGI. 



species. Whether these are recognized as different forms of one 

 species or as different species, they are all very poisonous. The 



plant usually occurs in woods 

 or along the borders of woods. 

 It does, however, sometimes 

 occur in lawns. It varies from 

 6-20 cm. high, the cap from 

 3-10 cm. broad, and the stem 

 6-10 mm. in thickness. 



The pileus is fleshy, viscid 

 or slimy when moist, smooth, 

 that is, not striate, orbicular 

 to bell-shaped, convex and 

 finally expanded, and in old 

 specimens more or less de- 

 pressed by the elevation of 

 the margin. The cap is often 

 free from any remnants of the 

 volva, while in other cases 

 portions of the volva or outer 

 veil appear on the surface of 

 the cap in rather broad patches, 

 or it may be broken up into a 

 number of smaller ones quite 

 evenly distributed over the 

 surface of the cap. The pres- 

 ence or absence of these scales 

 on the cap depends entirely on 

 the way in which the volva 

 ruptures. When there is a 

 clean rupture at the apex the 

 pileus is free from scales, but 



if portions of the apex of the volva are torn away they are apt to 

 remain on the cap. 



The white form is common in this country, and so is the olive or 

 umber form. The yellow form is rarer. Sometimes there is only a 

 tinge of yellow at the center of the white pileus, while in other cases 

 a large part of the pileus may be yellow, a deeper shade usually on 

 the center. The green form is probably more common in Europe 

 than in this country. The olive form varies considerably also in the 

 depth of the color, usually darker on the center and fading out to 

 light olive or gray, or whitish, on the margin. In other cases the 



FIGURE 55. Amanita phalloides, white 

 form, showing cap, stem, ring, and cup- 

 like volva with a free, prominent limb 

 (natural size). 



