Leucosporae 



nected by veins, whitish then pale tan-color, not separating spontane- ciitocybe. 

 ously from the hymenophore. Stem 12 in. long and nearly the same 

 in thickness, equal, pallid, solid. Spores white, 5x3^. 



In woods, etc. 



A very distinct species, very showy, large, subcespitose, entirely 

 whitish tan-color; without close affinities. Stem solid, compact, and 

 firm inside and outside, 2*2 in. long, /a in. thick, equal, even, glabrous. 

 Pileus depressed from the first, then broadly, i. c., plano-infundibuli- 

 form, thin but equally fleshy, soft, not flaccid, but easily splitting from 

 the margin toward the center (almost papery and involute when old), 

 upward of a foot broad, often excentric and generally sinuately lobed, 

 moist and adpressedly downy when growing, slightly flocculose and 

 cracked into scales when dry; margin at first very thin, involute, 

 pubescent, soon spreading, glabrous, at length revolute, coarsely fur- 

 rowed or radiately wrinkled. Gills slightly decurrent, closely crowded, 

 almost 3 lines broad (23 times as broad as thickness of flesh of pileus), 

 connected by veins, thin, fragile, straight, but sometimes varying to 

 crisped and anastomosing, whitish then yellowish or tinged with rufous, 

 smell weak. Fries. 



This species was placed in Ciitocybe in Syst. Myc. and Epicrisis, but 

 in Hym. Europ. Fries removed it to Paxillus in which he is followed by 

 Stevenson. Cooke and Massee continue it in Ciitocybe. Dr. Somers 

 found one measuring over 15 inches in diameter. R. K. M. 



North Carolina, Sclnvcinitz. Edible, Curtis; Wisconsin, Bnndy; Cali- 

 fornia, H. and M.; Nova Scotia, Dr. Somers. 



Large quantities of Ciitocybe gigantea grow in the West Virginia 

 mountains, and in woods around Philadelphia. July to November. 



Its substance is coarse, but of good flavor. It should be chopped fine. 



C. max'ima Gartn and Meyer. (Fl. Wett.) greatest. (Plate 

 XXIV, fig. 5, page 82.) Pileus as much as i foot broad, becoming 

 pale-tan or whitish, fleshy, compact at the disk, otherwise thin, some- 

 what flaccid (not capable of being split), broadly funnel-shaped, gib- 

 bous with a central umbo, always very dry, the surface becoming silky- 

 ev en or squamulose ; margin involute, pubescent, always even. Flesh 

 white, at length soft. Stem as much as 4 in. long, i in. thick, solid, 

 compact, but internally spongy, elastic, attenuated upward, fibrillose- 



99 



