72 AGARICINI. 



Psalliota is not used any more as a subgenus ; since the 

 other subgenera are elevated to the rank of genera, the genus 

 Agaricus being retained in its stead. 



The following genera are included under the Pratelli. 



Genus XXIII. AGARICUS. Linn. Sys. Nat. 1735. 



Spores dark brown-purple, dead brown, pale slate. Veil 

 universal, concrete with the cuticle of the pileus and fixed to 

 the stem, forming a ring. Gills free, rounded behind, at first 

 white, then pink, and lastly purple brown. There are two 

 species found growing in the Lehigh Valley. 



A. campestris. Linn. Common mushroom. 



Pileus, fleshy, convex plane, dry, silky, fioccose-squamu- 

 lose. 



Gills, free, ventricose, flesh- colored, then brown to almost 

 black. 



Stem, stuffed, even, white. 



Ring", thick, spongy, medial. 



This species is sometimes called campester in place of campestris. It 

 is the common mushroom which from the most ancient times has been 

 used for food ; out of it the numerous varieties have been cultivated. 

 Campestris and A. rufescens are the onl}' Agaricini that allow of being 

 cultivated. The young and undeveloped plants, called the buttons, are 

 mostly relished. The spores and gills are dark purple when ripe and 

 finally black. The gills are at first pink. The top of pileus dirty white 

 with darker scales. Some years it is rather abundant in fields and copses. 



This is the Pratiola of the Italians. " May he die of a pratiola," is the 

 worst wish of an Italian for his enemy. It is curious that this innoxious 

 fungi of England and America should be poisonous in Italy, but no doubt 

 it is owing to the climate. 



Fig. I represents a full plant. Fig. 2 represents a section of a young 

 plant and a developed plant. 



