14 



AGARICACE.E 



Amanita 



in Britain with black spores, consequently this position on the fifth 

 diagram is left vacant. 



White-spored species represent the highest types and black-spored 

 species the lowest, the pink-, brown-, and purple-spored species are 

 intermediate. Amanita is the highest type of the white-spored 

 Agarics. The majority of the white-spored species are terrestrial 

 and more or less persistent, whilst the black-spored species commonly 

 grow on dung and are evanescent. 



Series I. LEUCOSPORI Fr. 



(From the white spores ; Gr. leukos, white, sporos, a seed.) 



Spores white, rarely with a faint shade of ashy-grey, a faint tint 

 of ochre, pale brown or pale greenish ; usually oval or round and 

 smooth, rarely slightly spinulose. Genera I — XL 



I. AMANITA Pers. 

 (Galen's name for certain fungi.) 



Veil universal, clothy, distinct from the cuticle of the pileus, after 

 rupture, as maturity is reached, remaining as a volva at the base 

 of the stem, with broken patches of its substance frequent on the 

 pileus. Hymenophore distinct from the fleshy stem. Pileus convex, 



uv- 



p v 



Fig. 10. — Amanita phalloides Link. One-third natural size. 

 A, perfect plant ; B, section of young plant showing universal 

 veil ; C, section of half-grown example showing rupture of universal 

 veil; D, section of mature example; u.v, universal veil; p.v, partial 

 veil, becoming annulus ; A, annulus ; vo, volva. 



then expanded, not decidedly fleshy. Stem central, annulate and 

 volvate. Gills free or nearly so, white or whitish. (Fig. 10.) 



All the species grow on the ground in woods and uncultivated 

 places. A few are edible, others are poisonous or suspicious. 



Species 1 — 17 



