CLASSIFICATION OF AGARICS 267 



Reddick, Ann. Rep. Geol. & Nat. Res. End. 32, p. 1231, Fig. 11. 



L908. 

 Rlurrill, Mycologia, Vol. l. (as //. perplewutn). 



Plate LI <«r iliis Report. 



PILEUS 3-8 cm. broad, firm, convex expanded, old use, dark bn'< /. 

 red, darker on disk, paler on margin, even, glabrons, aaked except 

 the decurved margin, which is while silky from the veil. FLESH 

 thick, compact, whitish, in age slightly yellowish. GILLS adnate, 



Crowded, narrow, at first whitish, then grayish to SOOty-Olive, finally 



dark purplish-brown, edge minutely white-crenulate. STEM 8 12 

 cm. long, rather stout, r> 1 l.' nun. thick, equal or attenuated down- 

 ward, stuffed, whitish above, ferruginous below, fioccose-fibrillose, 

 elabrescent, ascending or curved from the crowded insertions. 

 SPORES 6-7x34 micr., oblong-elliptical, smooth, purple-brown, 

 blackish purple in mass. BASIDIA about 24x5 micr., t-spored. 

 CYSTIDIA few <>r scattered, obclavate with apiculate apex, 36x li' 

 micr. ; sterile cells <>n edge, shorter, inflated. ODOR none. TASTE 

 mild or bi1 terish. 



Very caespitose, forming Large clusters in autumn, growing from 

 the base of trees or slumps or on buried roots, He 



August-November. Throughout the State. Very common. 



Var. perplexum Pk. has the gills yellow at first, finally dark pur- 

 ple-brown, intermediate stage with olive tints. The STK.M hecomes 

 hollow-. The PILEUS has more yellow on the margin. SPORES 

 etc. the same as in //. sublateritium. 



This species is widely distributed and common in autumn. It is 

 easily recognized by its dark brick red cap. by the compact, thick 

 flesh ami caespitose habit, it is quite variable, and Peck seems to 

 have based his species //. perplewum I X. Y. State Cab. Rep. L'.*'.. 

 1872) on such a variation. The conditions of weather, the nature 

 of the wood and oilier factors no doubt produce some of these forms. 



An effort has been made by Peck, followed by Mcllvaine (see the 

 latter, p. 355, L900) to provide a key for the separation of these two 

 ami of related European species. In the southern pari of the state 

 I have examined many clusters for the purpose of verifying this 



key but found that the mild or bitter taste, the stull'ed or hollow 

 Stem, and the various shades Of color which the ^,'ills possess dm ing 

 the process id' maturing, were so variable and unreliable that DO 

 distinct species could he separated by them. I ha\e not met the 



other European species: //. capnoides, II. epixanthium and //. 



fasiculare, which lack the red color of the pileus of our plants, uiid 



33 



