42 



STUDIES OF AMERICAN FUNGI. 



Of junction, while others below give the scaly appearance. It is 

 easily effaced by rough handling or by the washing of the rains. A 

 section of a plant is illustrated by a photograph in Fig. 42. On 

 either side of the stem is shown the layer of fibres which form the 

 annulus, and this layer is of a different texture from that of the stem. 

 The stem is hollow as seen here also. In this figure one can see 

 the change in color of the gills just at the time when they begin 

 to diliquesce. This diliquescence proceeds much in the same way 



Figure 41. — Coprinus atramentaiius, showing annulus as border line between scaly 

 and smooth part of the stem (natural size). 



as in the shaggy-mane, and sometimes the thin remnant of the cap 

 expands and the margin is inrolled over the top. 



Coprinus micaceus (Bull.) Fr. Edible. — The glistening coprinus 

 received its name because of the very delicate scales which often 

 cover the surface of the cap, and glisten in the light like particles of 

 mica. This plant is very common during the spring and early sum- 

 mer, though it does appear during the autumn. It occurs about the 

 bases of stumps or trees or in grassy or denuded places, from dead 



