BOLBITIUS. 203 



In woods. 



Distinguished from all other species by the white stem 

 and viscid white pileus with a more or less fringed margin. 



BOLBITIUS. Fries, (figs. 18, 10, p. 3.) 



Pilens membranaceous ; gills adnexed or free, membrana- 

 ceous, soft, salmon-colour or rusty, dissolving (not dripping 

 as in Coprinus), powdered with the rusty spores; stem 

 central ; universal veil absent, partial veil often obsolete. 



Bolbitius, Fries, Epicr., p. 253 ; Cke., Hdbk., p, 234. 



Very delicate and fragile, remarkable amongst the ochro- 

 sporae for the gills dissolving into mucus, and in this respect 

 analogous with Coprhms amongst the Phaeosporae, and 

 Hiatula amongst the Leucosporae. Growing on dung or 

 amongst grass where dung abounds. 



A small but very natural genus, with the vegetative 

 portion like Coprhms and the fructification resembling Cor- 

 tinarius, hence occupying an intermediate position between 

 these two genera. (Fries.) 



Bolbitius grandiusculus. Cke. k^ Mass, 



Pileus 1-2-2 in. across, almost membranaceous, campanu- 

 late then expanded, smooth, slightly striate at the margin, 

 pale yellow, disc rufous ; gills narrowed behind and quite 

 free, about 1 line broad, crov/ded, pale then rusty-ochraceous ; 

 stem 3-4 in. long, 3 lines thick at the base, slightly and 

 uniformly attenuated upwards, white, smooth, even, straight, 

 hollow; spores rusty, elliptic-oblong, 15 x 5-6 />t. 



Bolbitius grandiusculus, Cke. & Massee, Grev., vol. xviii» 

 p. 53; Cke., Hdbk., p. 378 ; Cke., Illustr., Suppl., pi. 1159. 



Amongst grass. 



The largest species of the genus, known at once by the 

 narrow, free gills, and the long, pure white, tapering stem. 



Bolbitius vitellinus. Fr. 



Pileus 1^-2 in. across, flesh equal, thin, campanulate or 



ovate then expanded, viscid, clear deep yellow, at first even, 



then the margin becomes sulcate and often splits ; gills 



slightly adnexed, narrow, ochraceous-tan ; stem about 3 in. 



