Order Hymenomycetes. Tribe Fileati. 



Plate LXXV. 



AGARICUS Y.\]O^M.\]^, Berkeley, MSS. 



Sweet-scented Agaric. 

 Series Leucosportjs. Sub-geuus Pleuropus.^ 



Sub-div. * * Veil none. Pileus caruose. Gills decurrent. 



Spec. Char. A. euosmus. Imbricated, confluent, pileus often sub-dimidiate, depressed in the centre, (not 

 deeply umbilicate,) margin involute ; in youth waxy white or pale brown, gi-owing darker to clear umber bro\vn, (not 

 cinereous,) soft and clammy when moist, shining and satiny when dry, (not fibriUose, not squamulose.) Gills 

 extremely decui'rent, broadly and abruptly ventricose towards the stem, nan'owing gradually towards the front ; 

 extremely close at the margin of the pileus, but divided behind into sets, a few of the main gills running far down the 

 stem, " standing out sharp and erect like the fine flutings of a column," connected by veins, " often anastomosing 

 at the base so as to form rhomboidal reticulations ; " pallid dusky white, not pm-e white, theii* edges tm-ning 

 yellowish brown when bruised ; not serrated but occasionally deeply notched. Spores pale lilac-rose ; flesh of the 

 pileus pure white, easily splitting longitudinally, thin towards the margin, extremely firm, not changing colour 

 beneath the epidermis, not soon decaying. Stem variable in length, the whole mass of Agarics confluent in general, 

 next the wood, developed only in front, so that a section resembles a main stem branched, as in P. intyhaceua. 

 When the Agaric grows near the top of a stump, and the pileus has room to expand, it becomes quite regular in 

 shape, with the stem central. Scent strong and agreeable like Tarragon, Artenmia dracuiicidus not farinaceous. 

 Not esculent. 



Hab. On a post of unbarked elm ; growing from between the bark and tlic wood diu'ing two successive seasons. 

 In spring, not in autumn. Hayes, Kent. 



This Agaric when first found was mistaken for A. odreatus, which has been known since the time of 

 Clusius, as an excellent article of food ; cursory examination led us afterwards to consider it a variety of 

 the common species, the externally apparent points of difference being these : — it appeared in spring, 

 whereas A. ostreatiis is an autumnal fungus; it had no farinaceous smell, but a peculiar scent of its own; 

 and if innoxious, it most certainly was not " good to eat." Besides all these discrepances, at once appreciable, 

 but wliich were not sufficient to characterize it as a species apart, when the spores ripened it was dis- 

 covered, that they were not pure white, as they should have been if it were only a variety of A. ostreatns ; 

 but "rose tendre" according to one excellent judge, "pale-lilae" according to another; a combination of 



' From nXfvpa, a side, and nois, afoot. Pileus unequal, exceutric, or lateral. Stem when present solid and 

 firm. Gills unequal, juiceless, unchangeable, acute behind. Growing on trees or wood. 



