CLASSIFICATION OF AGARICS 239 



228. Psalliota subrufescens Pk. (Edibli 



X. v. State -Miis. Rep. hi. L893. 



Illustrations : N. Y. State Mus. Rep. 18, PL 7, L896. 

 Plates XLVIII, XLIX, L, of this Report. 



I'll. Ill's 8 18 cm. broad, large, a1 first hemispherical then convex, 

 finally plane, becoming \\.i\\ and split on the margin, silky-fibrUlo8t 

 at fust, the fibrillose surface soon breaking up to form very numer- 

 ous, oppressed, pale tawny fibrillose scales, disk reddish-brown and 

 not scaly, sometimes rimose, not striate. FLESH white, unchange- 

 able, rather thin, soft, Fragile at maturity. GILLS free, qoI very 

 remote, narrow, crowded, ai lirst white, then pinkish, finally black- 

 ish-brown, edge ;ii fust minutely white-fimbriate. STEM 7-15 cm. 

 long, tapering upward, L-1.5 cm. thick a1 apex, twice as thick below, 

 white and almosl glabrous above the annulus, floccose fibrillose to 

 subscaly toward base, stuffed by soft white pith then hollow, the 

 bulb varying clavate to more or less abrupt. ANNULUS very 

 voluminous, reflexed, double, rather distant from the apex of the 

 stem, smooth ami white above, with soft, floccose, pale lawny scales 

 below, becoming dark from spores. SPORES 6-7.5 x t-5 micr., ellip- 

 tical, smooth, dark purple brown, blackish-brown in mass. 

 STERILE (MILLS on edge of uills numerous, subcylindrical, very 

 narrow, hyaline. ODOR when crushed, strong of almonds. TASTE 

 of green nuts. 



Gaespitose, on masses of decaying fallen Leaves in frondose woods 



and in richly manured hothouse beds, lit is also cultivated for 

 the market, i 



Ann Arbor, Detroit. August-October. Rather rare. 



Our Largest Psalliota. probably at times surpassing the size giyen 

 above. The original description was made by Peck from old ma- 

 terial, and Later I L8th Rep.) he points out that the cap is coated 

 with fibrils which at length give it the scaly character. Peek's de 

 scription of this species is. therefore, misleading, and probably his 

 specimens did not show the full development of the scales shown in 



our photographs. Some of OUr specimens were sent to Dr. Peck who 



I renounced them /'. subrufescens Pk. Noi f our other Psalliotas 



could he easily confused with /'. subrufescens when it appears in 



the w is. Of the European species, p. augusta Pr. and /'. perrara 



Lies, approach it in size. These are at once distinct, according to 

 Ricken's descriptions, by their paler caps and Larger spores. The 



