LEUCOSPORI. 79 



II. DlFFORMES. Clitocybe. 



154. A. decastes Fr. Pileus of one colour, mouse or livid 

 when moist, almost tan when dry, fleshy at the disc, otherwise 

 very thin, fragile, when flattened as broad as the palm of the 

 hand, gibbous or obtuse, even, smooth (not streaked) ; margin 

 wholly membranaceous, at the first shortly incurved, then ex- 

 panded, very much undulated and lobed ; flesh composed of two 

 easily scissile membranes, fragile, white. Stems solid, but soft, 

 externally and internally wholly fibrous, splitting up (not some- 

 what cartilaginous), united at the base, commonly attenuated or 

 curved-ascending, often compressed, smooth, commonly naked, 

 more rarely pruinose at the apex, each 7.5-10 cent. (3-4 in.) long, 

 2.5-4 cent. (\-\y> in.) thick, wholly white. Gills adnato-decur- 

 rent, or rounded, 6-8 mm. (3-4 lin.), broad, attenuated towards the 

 margin, sometimes somewhat crowded, sometimes slightly distant, 

 often undulated, and as if crenulated at the edge. 



The disc is more compact only from the apex of the stem. Spores plentiful, 

 white, making the clusters mealy as in A. melleus. Odour not remarkable. 

 Very variable in size, very much infested by larvae, hence it becomes fragile. 

 The gills are rounded on one side as in the Tricholomata, not arcuate. In 

 oak and beech woods forming smaller clusters, about 10 stems joined together; 

 on naked soil however, in gardens and walks through plantations, forming 

 huge clusters a foot in diameter. 



On sawdust. Coed Coch. 



Agreeing closely with the figure of Fries in the ' Icones ' ; but we are doubt- 

 ful whether what we find is not an advanced stage of A. cryptarum. B. & Br. 

 Name fie/ca?, a decade, company of ten. From the stems being united in 

 bundles of about ten. Fr. Monogr. \. p. 116. Hym. Eur. p. go. Icon. t. 52. 

 B. & Br. n. 1845. 



155. A. aggregatus Schaeff. Pileus 7.5-10 cent. (3-4 in.) 

 broad, grey-livid then rufescent, fleshy, convex then expanded, at 

 the first umbonate, then depressed, often excentric, somewhat silky- 

 streaked. Stem commonly 7.5 cent. (3 in.) long, stuffed, fibrous- 

 fleshy, thickened upwards, white rufescent, curved, compressed. 

 Gills unequally decurrent, crowded, thin, 6-8 mm. (3-4 lin.) broad, 

 flesh colour then becoming light yellow. 



Very irregular. Stem very variable, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter ; 

 many united at the base, forming often very large and lax clusters. Spores 

 dingy white, sprinkled upon pilei which are near to each other, as in A. decas- 

 tes. Strong smelling. According to Secretan the pileus is marked with darker 

 spots. Easily distinguished from A. decastes, &c. by the flaccid, often excentric 

 pileus, by the somewhat fibrillose stem, and by \hegills being flesh colour to 

 light yellow. If it did not always grow on the ground, it might be easily referred 

 to Pleuroti ; its habit is almost that of A. ostreatus. It occurs smaller with 

 dingy gills. 



