146 C. H. Kauffman 



Stropharia squamosa Fr. (See Plate XIII.) — Reading 

 between the lines one soon realizes that mycologists are con- 

 tinually beset with the query: What is the typical 8. squamosaf 

 The method pursued in the past, of attaching several varieties 

 under this name, has but complicated the situation, for it seems 

 easier to collect the varieties than to get clear the correct idea 

 of the Friesian species, at least in this country. In support of 

 these statements is the uncertainty shown in the works of vari- 

 ous authors concerning the microscopic characters of this plant 

 and its varieties. Persoon is still given credit for naming it — in 

 fact he named it twice — but no descriptions can be found which 

 are at all complete, which do not practically copy that of Fries 

 from Monographia. Ricken (20) publishes a figure that gives 

 the general appearance of the plant, but since it is difficult to 

 reproduce the changing colors during the development or under 

 different weather conditions, one does not get a very clear idea 

 from such a figure. 



The plants shown in our photograph agree well with the 

 Friesian description and that of Ricken. The stems are slender, 

 10-15 cm. long and 3-6 mm. thick, at first strict, tough, and 

 lacerate floccose-scaly up to the annulus. The pileus is at first 

 hemispherical with a subconic umbo, viscid when wet, and 

 covered by scattered, superficial, evanescent, silky-white scales, 

 beneath which it is colored " echru-olive " (R.), darker towards 

 the " chestnut "-colored umbo; the umbo later becomes much 

 less prominent, or the pileus may be merely obtuse. It is 3-5 

 (6) cm. broad, and when it loses moisture, by drying in situ, it 

 becomes " ochraceous-buff " and finally, "yellow-ochre." The 

 gills are broadly adnate, 6-10 mm. broad, at first "pale mouse- 

 gray" (R.), then finally "fuscous "-colored. The odor is slight, 

 but occasional penetrating whiffs of it can be easily noticed. 

 The taste is mild. These plants have spores measuring 12-14 x 

 6-7.5 ^i, elliptical, smooth and purple-umber under the micro- 

 scope. Cystidia are lacking on the sides of the gills, while the 

 edge is provided with filiform obtuse sterile cells, 50-60 /jl long, 

 and 3-4(5) fi thick. The annulus is somewhat distant from the 

 pileus, at first erect-flaring, then deflcxed, rather narrow, and 



