BLACK-SPORHl) ACiAlt-ICS. 



87 



As tliL' plant ages, the next iiiiuT layers of the pileus grow less 

 rapidly, so that the white layer beneath the hroun is turn up into an 

 intricate tangle of loeks and tufts, or is frazzled into a delicate pile 

 \\ hich exists here and there betueen well formed tufts. While all 



Kigi:re 35. — Coprinus comatus, sections of the plants in Kig. ^^ (natural size). 



present the same general characters there is considerable indi\idual 

 variation, as one can see by comparing a number of different plants. 

 Figure 34 shows one of the interesting conditions. There is little of 

 the brown color, and the outer portion of the pileus is torn into long 

 locks, quite e\enly distributed and curled up at the ends in an inter- 



