202 AGARICACE^E Coprinus 



attenuate upwards, annulate, volvate or simple, confluent with or 

 distinct from the hymenophore. Gills membranous, linear or 

 ventricose, at first white and closely pressed together, cohering, 

 scissile, at length melting into black fluid. Trama obsolete. Spores 

 oval, even, black or dark brown. (Fig. 51.) 



The species are of rapid growth, often ephemeral. They grow 

 on rich and highly manured places in fields, parks, gardens and near 

 human habitations, often on dung, sometimes on decaying wood, 

 rotting straw, etc. Some are edible. Species 921 — 963 



Mr. George Massee, in a revision of the genus (Ann. Bot. x. 

 (1896), p. 123), establishes new sectional characters, and the sequence 

 of the species, as here given, is somewhat altered. 



PelliculoSjE. Pileus with a pellicle not opening into furrows over 

 the gills, but becoming torn and revolute. 



a. Comatce. Pileus slightly fleshy, at first ovate, the cuticle torn 



into large or small scales from the concrete veil ; margin 

 striate or sulcate. Stem annulate, volvate or both. Gills 

 free or remote. 921 — 925 



b. AtramentaricB. Pileus slightly fleshy, at first ovate, dotted or 



spotted with innate scurfy squamules from the veil. Stem 

 imperfectly ridged-annulate at the base. Gills free. 



926—928 



c. Picacece. Pileus submembranous, at first continuous, then 



broken up into usually large flocculose superficial scales 

 — warts in 932. Stem simple. Gills free. 929—932 



d. To7?ie)itos<z. Pileus membranous, at first evanescent-floccose 



or laxly villous from the veil, margin striate. Stem simple. 

 Gills, except 936, free. 933—937 



e. Micacece. Pileus membranous, covered with fine, evanescent 



scurf and minute glittering particles from the veil, margin 

 striate or sulcate. Stem simple, or with a slight basal 

 annular ridge. Gills reaching the stem, adnexed in 938. 



938—941 



f. Glabratce. Pileus membranous, smooth ; margin striate ; veil 



obsolete. Stem simple, smooth. 942 — 946 



Veliformes. Pileus very thin, without a pellicle, opening into 

 furrows over the gills and becoming plicato-sulcate. Veil 

 present. Stem thin, fistulose. Gills melting into thin, 

 black lines. 947—963 



g. Cyclodece. Pileus membranous, striate. Stem annulate or 



volvate. Gills free. 947, 948 



h. Lanatulce. Pileus submembranous to membranous, clothed 

 with superficial, separating floccules. Stem simple. Gills 

 free or remote. 949 — 955 



