Psalliota AGARICACE^E 173 



becoming vinous-brown. Flesh white, pale reddish-yellow 

 when broken. 



Edible. Taste of almonds, odour somewhat rank. Rich pastures, lawns, 

 manured fields, in cellars, on mushroom-beds in and out of doors ; rare, 

 ift. 2 in. x 7j X 3| in. This is the "gigantic mushroom " of newspapers ; 

 it attains a diam. of 1 ft. 5 in. or more and a weight of 4^ lbs. By some 

 authors considered a var. of 792 or 789, but probably distinct. Badham, 

 "Esculent Funguses of England," p. 100, mentions an example with a 

 circumference of 43 ins., and weight of 5 lbs. 6 ozs. 



793. P. silvatiea Quel, (from the habitat ; silva, a wood) a b. 



P. at length flat, subumbonate, fioccoso-squamulose, pale rusty- 

 brown or rufescent to pale ashy-brown. St. fibrillose below A., 

 much paler than P. or white. G. thin, arid, reddish to umber- 

 fuscous. 



Edible, with a delicate flavour. Woods, under cedars ; frequent. July-Sept. 

 3f x 3 J X I in. Usually thinner than its allies. St. varying long and short. 



794. P. hsemorrhoidaria Magnus (from the flesh changing colour to 



blood-red when bruised ; Gr. haimorrhoides, veins which dis- 

 charge blood) a b. 

 P. at length expanded, obtuse, adpressed-scaly, rufous-fuscous. 

 St. hollow, fibrillose, slightly attenuate upwards, whitish. G. 

 crowded, bright salmon to umber-purple. 

 Suspected sometimes poisonous. Woods, parks. Aug. -Nov. 4§ x 4§ X & in. 



794a. P. peronata W. G. Sm., Agaricus peronatus Mass. (from the 

 scaly stem j peronatus, sheathed) a. 

 P. hemispherical then expanded, pale dull ochreous, densely 

 scaly • sc. small, silky, brown. St. hollow, equal, marginately 

 bulbous, smooth above A., white-scaly below. A. large, 

 spreading. G. very distant, crowded, pink then pale purple- 

 brown. Flesh white, brownish in St. when cut. 



Edible. Pine-woods. Oct. 3J X 6£ x J in. Attaining a size of 4J x 8 in. 

 Allied to 787 (but differing in the hollow, peronate stem) and 794. 



b. Minores, 



795. P. eomtula Quel, (from the beautifully coloured gills ; comptus, 



gaily adorned) a b. 

 P. flat, adpressedly fibrilloso-scaly, yellowish-white : marg. appen- 

 diculate with V. St. hollow, colour as P. or paler. A. 

 fugacious. G. crowded, fuscous-flesh-colour. Flesh colour 

 as P. 



Edible. Taste and smell strong of anise. Woods. May-Oct. 

 i£ X l§ X T a 8 in. Might be mistaken for a small 792. 



796. P. subgibbosa Henn. (from the somewhat obtuse pileus ■ 



subgibbosus, somewhat gibbous) a c. 

 P. plane, smooth, sienna-tan ; marg. silky-fibrillose. St. hollow, 

 tan-white. A. fugacious. G. ashy-brown. 



Woods. Sept. 4 x 3^ X \ in. Might be mistaken for 792. 



