Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati. 



Plate XXXVIII. 



AGARICUS OREADES, 5.//.« 



Champignons. 



Series Leucosporus.' 



Sub-genus Clitocybe.^ Sub-division Scortei.'' 



Spec. Char. Agaricus oreades. Pileus from half an inch to an inch broad, when young moist (not viscid), the 

 mai'giu striate, smooth, tough, elastic, convex, at length nearly plane, sub-umbonate, at first reddish bufl'-brown, 

 then becoming paler, cream-coloured, the umbo generally remaining darker than the rest of the pileus, like a 

 scorched patch. Flesh white, quite distinct from that of the stem. GiUs distant, free, ventricose, pallid cream- 

 colour, then whitish from the spores. Stem from one inch to two inches high, from two to three lines thick, equal, 

 solid, tough, slightly twisted, composed of fibres splitting longitudinally, the interior white and sUky, the bark 

 white, turning brown in age, downy at the base, with a few fibrous roots attached to the gi'ass, and particularly to 

 moss. Taste grateful, strongest when dried. Esculent. 

 Agaricus oreades, Bolton, Fries, Berkeley, Oreville, JT^itheriiig. 



Pseudo-Mousseron, Bulliard, Persoon (Traite des Champignons). 



,MotJSSERON godaUle, Faulet. 



Hob. In pastures, on downs and commons, everywhere. Annual in increasing circles; "Fairy-rings." 



Why, of all tlie esculent Fuugases, the French name " Champignon " should in England have become 

 affixed to the Agaricus oreades, is a question that may, perhaps^ be answered when we find out another 

 similar puzzle — why the common Muslu-oom came to be so called — that being equally unlike the Muslu:oom 

 from which its name has been corrupted. One thing is indisputably proved by these mistakes^ that the use 

 of the tribe as food was adopted from France, and we may suppose that the erroneous application of their 

 designations, arose from the place of the article enquired for by the foreign cook, being supplied by tlie 

 next best tiling that could be found as a substitute for it The true French Mousseron, A.prunulus of 

 Vittadini, A. Georgii of Fries, has never been eaten in England, although the best of its tribe, and abundant. 

 Agaricus campestris has usurped not only its place but its name ; while the proper name by which A. caiii- 

 2)es(ris is known in Paris, Champignon (generally cultivated for the markets as here, and then called Cham- 

 pignons de couche), is given by the English to everytliing they suppose eatable, and are afraid of, especially 

 our present subject, A. oreades. 



' From XevKos, white, and a-nopos, seed. Spores white. 



2 From (tXtVor, a steep or declivity, and Kv^rj, a head, alluding to the shape of the pileus when young. Veil 

 none. Pileus convex when young, not umbUicate, at length depressed or infundibuliform. Gills unequal, juiceless, . 

 imchangeable, tough, variously fixed or free. 



3 From Scortens, coriaceous. Pileus sub-coriaceous, dry. GDIs free, sub-distant, at length pallid. 



