[Reprinted from Mycologia, Vol. XVII., No. 3, May-June, 1925.] 



THE GENUS GOMPHIDIUS IN THE 

 UNITED STATES 1 



C. H. Kauffman 

 (With Plates 12-14) 



I reviewed the salient characteristics of the genus Gomphidius 

 in the introduction to the genus in the Agaricaceae of Michigan, 

 1: 170 (8). At that time only a few species had come to my 

 notice in the field in this country, although I had seen G. viscidus 

 Fr. and G. glutinosus Fr, growing in abundance in northern Eu- 

 rope. In European countries only four species of this genus are us- 

 ually recognized in floras: G. viscidus Fr., G. glutinosus Fr., G. ros- 

 eus Fr. and G. maculatus Fr. The British mycologists, however, 

 report, in addition to these species, also G. gracilis Berk., and Rea 

 (12) says the latter is "common " in fir woods and heaths. Recent 

 accounts of the American species of this genus have been pub- 

 lished by Murrill (9 and 10). 



The species of this genus usually possess a viscid or glutinous, 

 and hyaline, universal veil; in some species, however, this veil 

 is dry or merely moist, developing a slight viscidity only in very 

 wet weather. The glutinous veil surrounds the young button, 

 in the same manner as in the subgenus Limacium of the genus 

 Hygrophorus; in the subgenus Myxacium of the genus Corti- 

 nariiis; and in certain other genera of the Agaricaceae. In a few 

 species, this veil is scarcely or not at all evident, although it is 

 possible that even in these a blematogen is present in the early 

 stages. In most species this veil forms a definite teleoblema as is 

 shown by the fact that it is separable from the pileus as a distinct, 

 thick pellicle. Confusion may easily arise concerning the color 

 of the universal veil, because of its tendency to become black in 

 a number of the species. Berkeley says (2) the pileus of G. 

 gracilis Berk, "is covered with a smoke-colored gluten." How- 

 ever, the veil of this species, like that of a number of others, 



1 Papers from the Department of Botany of the University of Michigan, 

 No. 221. 



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