Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati. 



Plate L. 



HYGROPHORUS OVINUS, i^w.. 



Sheep Mushroom. 



Spec. Char. Hygkophorus ovinus. Pileus one to two inches or more across, thin, fleshy, at first conical, then 

 convex, and at length expanded, gibbous, rather sticky or moist, squamulose, often cracked ; pale brown. Stem one 

 and a half to two inches high, one-third to half an inch thick, smooth, shining, somewhat incrassated above and 

 below, stuU'ed, at length hollow, paler than the pileus. Gills at first white, then pale ash-coloured, arcuato-decurrent, 

 connected by strong veins; edge thin. 

 Agaricds ovinus, Bulliard, Fries. A. obscunis, /3, Albertiui and SchwemUz. 



This species was confused' by Bulliard with Agarkus cimeifolius, which is much more delicate and 

 brittle, and far more common. The obtuse, gibbous, squamulose pileus at once distinguishes it, not to 

 mention the difference of te.xturc. There can be Httle doubt that it may be eaten with impunity, but it is 

 not sufficiently common to make any experiments interesting, nor does the evidence afforded by other 

 Hygrophori give much hope of its being valuable. Its chief attraction arises from the distinctness of its 

 characters ; and as it occasionally occurs in open grassy pastures, with other more elegant species, and has 

 never been figured in any British work, it has been thought worthy of a place in this coDection. 



