PURPLE-BROWN-SPORED AGARICS. 



jr. 



The plants collected at Ithaca are illustrated in Fig. 24 from a 

 photograph of plants (No. 2879 C. U. herbarium). My notes on 

 these specimens run as follows : Plant 3-6 cm. high, pileus 1.5-3 cm. 

 broad, stem 3-4 mm. in thickness. Pileus convex to expanded, 

 fleshy, thin on the margin, margin at first incurved, creamy white 

 with egg yellow stains, darker on the center, in age somewhat darker 

 to umber or fuliginous, moist when fresh, surface soon dry, flesh 

 tinged with yellow. The gills are white when young, then grayish 

 to pale rose, and finally light purple brown, rounded in front, taper- 

 ing behind (next the stem) and rounded, free from the stem, 4-5 

 mm. broad. Basidia clavate, 25-30x5-6^. Spores small, oval, 



FIGURE 24. Agaricus comtulus (natural size, sometimes larger). Cap creamy 

 white with egg-yellow stains, smoky when older. Stem same color ; gills grayish, 

 then rose, then purple-brown. Copyright. 



3-4x2-3 fj, in mass light purple brown. The stem tapers above, 

 is sub-bulbous below, yellowish and stained with darker yellowish 

 threads below the annulus, hollow, fibrous, fleshy. The veil whitish 

 stained with yellow, delicate, rupturing irregularly, portions of it 

 clinging to margin of the pileus and portions forming a delicate ring. 

 When parts of the plant come in contact with white paper a blue 

 stain is apt to be imparted to the paper, resembling the reaction of 

 iodine on starch. This peculiarity has been observed also in the 

 case of another species of Agaricus. The species is regarded with 

 suspicion by some. 1 collected the plant also at Blowing Rock, N. C., 



