692 THE AGARICACEAE OF MICHIGAN 



given it. It is easily confused with T. venenata when the spores are 

 not examined, and hence should not be eaten. It is also likely that 

 both T. nolile and T. venenata have been referred to T. columbetta, 

 iu the absence of available information on these plants, as both 

 these species when young and fresh are rather white. The descrip- 

 tion of T. serratifolium Pk. very closely approximates this of T. 

 noUle. It is entirely distinct from Clitocybe piceina. 



727. Tricholoma columbetta Fr. (Edible) 



Syst. Myc, 1821. 



Illustrations : Fries, Icones, PL 29. 



Bresadola, Fungh. mang. e. vel., PL 23. 

 Gillet, Champignons de France, PL 671. 

 Cooke, 111., PL 48. 



"PILEUS 5-10 cm. broad, convex-plane, obtuse, dry, rigid, pure 

 white, satiny -shining, at first glabrous, then silky-fibrillose or min- 

 utely scaly, often with stain-like, carmine, yellow, or blue spots, 

 margin at first incurved and minutely tomentose. FLESH white. 

 GILLS emarginate, almost free, close, rather broad, white, not 

 changing color, 'edge uneven. STEM 5-9 cm. long, 1-1.5 cm. thick, 

 equal or unequal, not bulbous, solid, white, shining, fibrillose-striate. 

 SPORES 6-7 x 4-5 micr. ODOR none. TASTE mild." 



In beech and birch woods, on the ground. The silky-shining and 

 dry, white cap and stem, mild taste and elliptical spores distinguish 

 this species from our other white plants of the genus. It must not 

 be confused with T. album Fr. which has a bitter taste, nor with 

 T. nobile which has a slight burning taste; both of these lack the 

 pure white color of T. columbetta. The name refers to the satiny 

 sheen of white pigeons. Several varieties, based on the different 

 habit and various color-stains, have been described. It has not 

 been found with certainty in the State; see remarks under T. 

 rcsphndens. 



