44 AGARICUS. 



Tricholoma. Name gutta, a drop. Spotted. Schtrff. t. 240. Fr. Hym. Eur. p. 54. 

 B. & Br. n. 1839. C. Illust. PI. 59. 



79. A. columbetta Fr. Wholly shining white. Pileus 5-10 

 cent. (2-4 in.) broad, fleshy, firm but not thick, convex then 

 flattened, obtuse, flexuous, dry, at first smooth, then silky-fibrillose 

 and becoming even or squamulose, the margin, which is inflexed 

 when young, tomentose. Stem sometimes short, sometimes 7.5-10 

 cent. (3-4 in.) long, almost 2.5 cent, (i in.) thick, solid, wholly fleshy 

 and compact (not elastic), commonly unequal. Gills somewhat 

 einarginate, almost free, 4-6 mm. (2-3 lin.) broad, linear, per- 

 sistently shining white. 



Solitary, inodorous. The pileus does not become yellow as A. impolitus 

 does, but is occasionally spotted-red. As the pileus changes with the condition 

 of the atmosphere (moist when fresh and damp, but never watery) and with 

 age, so the gills are narrow when young, then very broad. Widely removed 

 from the rest of the white Tricholomata. There are certain well-marked 

 forms: A) Stem obese, as much as 2.5 cent, (i in.) thick, unequal, swollen, 

 pileus always almost repand, even-lobed, at first smooth, even, at length 

 rimosely scaly, the margin, which is inflexed when young, tomentose. Often 

 spotted-reddish. In heathy birch woods, among mosses. B) Stem longer, 

 equal, somewhat attenuated at the base ; pileus somewhat flexuous, silky- 

 fibrillose, at length squamulose, sometimes becoming fuscous-spotted ; margin 

 scarcely villous. In mixed damp thickets. A. sericeus Krombh. t. 25. f. 6, j. 

 C) Stem equal, cylindrical, as much as 10 cent. (4 in.) long, fibrilloso-striate ; 

 pileus regular, flattened, 10 cent. (4 in.) broad, evidently fibrillose, margin 

 naked ; flesh thin, scissile, occasionally spotted azure-blue. In shady beech 

 woods. 



In woods and pastures. Frequent. Aug.-Nov. 



The centre of the pileus, as noted by Withering, is often dilute mouse- 

 colour lightly shaded off. Edible ; taste mild but not mealy. Spores 6-8 x 

 3-4 mk. B. 5x4 mk. W.G.S. Name columba, a pigeon. Dove- 

 coloured. Fr. Monogr. i. p. 63. Hym. Eur. p. 55. Icon. t. 29. f. 2. Berk. 

 Out. p. 99. C. Hbk. n. 52. Illust. PI. 48. S. Mycol. Scot. n. 46. Letell. t. 

 625. Quel. t. 2.f. 2. Gonn. & Rab. t. 15. /. i. Paul. t. 58. 



80. A. scalpturatus Fr. Pileus 5-7.5 cent. (2-3 in.) broad, 

 fleshy, at the first conical, covered with down, soon convexo- 

 flattened, obtuse, variegated-fuscous above the white ground from 

 the cuticle being broken up into ad pressed, scattered, fioccose, umber 

 or rufescent scales, which become more rare and minute towards 

 the margin ; flesh not thick but slightly firm, whitish. Stem 

 5-7.5 cent. (2-3 in.) long, 12 mm. (}4 in.) thick, solid, sometimes 

 attenuated, sometimes thickened at the base, firm, white, not 

 scaly, adpressedly fibrillose. Gills emarginate, somewhat crowded, 

 ventricose, quite entire, white, becoming yellow when old and 

 dried, but never becoming cinereous. 



It differs from A. terreus, to which it is certainly allied, in its firmer stature, 

 in the gills being white then becoming yellow, and in the obtuse whitish pileus 

 being as it were scratched on account of the minute rarer adpressed scales. 



