Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Pileati. 



Plate LXI. 



AGARICUS COCCINEUS, wui/en. 



Changeable Scarlet Agaric. 



Series Leucosporus. 



Sub-genus Clitocybe. Sub-division Hygrocybe.' 



Spec. Char. Agaricus coccineus. Pileus from one inch to two inches broad, at first convex, obtuse, conico- 

 campannlate, afterwards expanded, depressed, at length inverted ; sometimes strongly umbonate, splitting from the 

 centre, yellow, orange or scarlet, viscid when moist, when dry pallid, appearing to the eye fibriUose but not really 

 so, margin thin, more or less wavy. Gills broad, ventricose, wrinkled, thick, connected by veins, adnate with a 

 decurrent tooth in depressed specimens, red at the base, yellow in the middle, glaucous at the edge, retaining theii' 

 colour longer than the pileus. Stem cue inch and a half long, three quarters of an inch thick, more or less hollow, 

 subflexuous, smooth though apparently fibrillose, tough but easily splitting, scarlet above but always yellow 

 at the base. 



Agaeicus coccineus, Tfulfen, Fries, Berkeley. 

 scarlatinus, Bulliard. 



Hah. Extremely common among short grass in pastm'es and on commons. September to October. 



Tliis Agaric is often confounded with a much commoner and less agreeable species^ Agaricus conious, 

 which abounds everywhere in autumn, but affects most tlie long wet grass of rich pasture, whereas the short 

 sweet turf of the open down, exposed as much as possible, pleases Agaricus coccineus, which deserves a 

 little pains to discriminate it from others, and when once the differences are pointed out, wiU easily be 

 determined under any circumstances. Agaricus conicus, as its name denotes, is acutely conic, is placed on 

 a longer, more slender fistulose stem, is more sliining and juicy, striate from haying less flesh, and on being 

 broken or bruised turns greenish black ; age likewise produces tlais effect, the entire plant darkening to a 

 sooty olivaceous hue ; indeed, in some situations it is always dull olive yeUow without a tinge of red, but 

 even should the scarlet of its cap rival that of the real Coccineus, the turning black will decide the question, 

 as that is peculiar to itself among the Hygrocybi ; its flavour is unpleasant, wliile that of A. coccineus is like 

 Champignons, and its scent, when drying, resembles sweet vernal grass or wood-ruff. Another of this 

 section, A. ceraceus, has no scarlet in its colouring, and although that tint may be bleached by exposure 

 from the pileus of A. coccineus, it wiU always be found beneath its -shelter, on the stem and gills. A.puni- 

 ceus resembles a gigantic growth of Coccineus ; it is rare. A. miniafus is another fungus, never viscid. 

 A. psittacinus has green for its general colour; we have given its portrait, and need only add that no shade 

 of green is ever found in A. cocci?ieus. 



' From iypos, moist, and <il3rj, a head. PLleas thin, viscid when moist. Stem hollow. 



