248 THE AGARICACEAE OF MICHIGAN 



PILEUS 2-5 cm. broad (often rather small iu our climate). 

 Cainpanulate-convex, at length plane, subuinbonate, covered with 

 verdigris-green, thick gluten, hence viscid, sometimes dotted with 

 •scattered, white scales, especially on margin, at length fading to 

 yellowish, pellicle separable. FLESH pallid, or tinged blue, rather 

 soft, thickish. GILLS broadly adnate, sometimes emarginate-sin- 

 uate, rather broad, close, whitish at first, soon drab-gray or reddish- 

 gray, finally purplish-chocolate-brown, edge white and minutely 

 flocculose. STEM 5-7 cm. long, 4-7 mm. thick, equal, hollow, soft, 

 greenish-blue, viscid, at first scaly or fibrillose below the annulus. 

 ANNULUS distant from apex, narrow, submembranous, here and 

 there floccose, subevanescent. SPORES pale, smooth, 7-8 x 4-5 micr., 

 oval-elliptical. STERILE CELLS on edge of gills, clavate, lanceo- 

 late. 



On debris in hemlock woods, and occasionally in frondose woods. 

 Houghton, New Richmond, Detroit. August-October. Infrequent. 



Although this is a brightly colored and striking plant, we have 

 come across it infrequently, but in Europe it is said to be very 

 common in forest, field and garden. The gills sometimes run down 

 the apex of the stem in lines. The annulus is sometimes lacking. 

 Our plants are well shown by the figures of European authors, and 

 seem to agree perfectly. It is said to be poisonous. It is probably 

 more common northward. 



237. Stropharia ventricosa Massee 



British Fungus Flora, Vol. I, p. 400, 1892. 



Illustration: Cooke, 111., PL 1188 (as 8. merdaria var. major). 



PILEUS 3-5 cm. broad, parabolic then convex-expanded, margin 

 for long time decurved, very viscid, somewhat uneven when young, 

 glabrescent and shining pale umber at first, then tawny -alutaceus. 

 FLESH white, thick on disk, abruptly thin on margin. GILLS 

 adnate, at length decurrent by tooth, close, rather narrow, pallid 

 at first, then mouse-gray with purplish tinge, finally purplish- 

 brown. STEM 8-12 cm. or more long, ventricose-radicating, up to 

 15 mm. thick at broadest part, thinner above, rooting-attenuate at 

 base, sometimes subequal, white at first, becoming dingy yellowish, 

 dry, covered up to the annulus by squarrose scales, markedly striate 

 above, stuffed, whitish within. ANNULUS persistent, white, large, 

 striate above. SPORES 9-12 x 5-6 micr., elliptical, smooth, with a 

 purple tinge under the microscope, brown in mass. CYSTIDIA 



