336 C. H. Kauffman 



on moist soil along a river in Nebraska; as Lepiota avellanea, on 

 soil in a greenhouse in Nebraska. 



This plant, as it appears from time to time in a hothouse, is 

 quite variable. Sometimes the veil is more delicate and the 

 lower part of the volva is not seen and only a slight, vinaceous- 

 tinged annulus occurs. The volva when present is long, cylin- 

 drical and sheathes the stem closely, and is easily overlooked; it 

 is a unique volva. The rosy tint of the spores is also easily over- 

 looked. The size of the plant varies quite a little under differ- 

 ent conditions for its development. I do not doubt that both 

 the plants described by Prof. Clements belong to the same spe- 

 cies. I frequently observed and studied it at Washington. An 

 error in the citation of the date of publication of Lepiota avel- 

 lanea, as given in the North American Flora, Vol. 10, page 58, 

 would lead one to the wrong specific name to be applied. 



Comments on Certain Species of the Synopsis 



Lepiota acerina Pk. (Plate XVIII). ^ — The slender habit 

 of this plant is well shown in the photograph. The veil cover- 

 ing is floccose; on the pileus it breaks into minute, soft scales 

 which are "cinnamon-rufous" to "tawny" (Ridg.); the stem is 

 more or less reticulate from the veil, the minute flocculose scales 

 occupying -the connecting points of the reticulum. The photo- 

 graph was made from plants collected at Ann Arbor, August 14, 

 1921. 



Lepiota Americana, L. Badhami, L. haematosperma and L. 

 meleagris. — The general confusion concerning the identities 

 of these four species seems to be promoted by each successive 

 writer. Bresadola (Fung. Trid., 2: 83.) combined the first three 

 species. It now appears that L. americana is distinguishable 

 from L. haematosperma by its white spores and smaller size. 

 If Rea's description of L. Badhami is conclusive, then that spe- 

 cies is mainly separable from L. haematosperma by the flesh at 

 length becoming black, by its truly bulbous instead of ventri- 

 cose stem, and by its smaller size. It is to be noted that L. 

 haematosperma Bull.-Bres. appears under the name L. meleagris 

 in Ricken's book; L. Badhami is considered a synonym. But 



