176 FUNGUS-FLOE A. 



flesh is tliick, very fragile when thin, margin naked (except 

 in the first species. 



Young specimens are often fibrillose from the remains of 

 <the veil, and not from the torn cuticle. 



* Gills white or pallid, not becoming spotted with rufous 

 or grey. Smell often unpleasant. 



** Gills discoloured, becoming spotted with rufous or 



lY. Sericella. 



Pileus (without a distinct pellicle) slightly silky at first ; 

 •soon almost glabrous, very dry ; not moist, viscid, hygro- 

 phanous, not distinctly scaly. Pileus somewhat thin, 

 opaque, absorbing moisture, but the flesh resembles the gills 

 in colour, and is not hygrophanous. Flesh of stem entirely 

 fibrous, a character by which the smaller species that 

 resemble Collyhia in habit, are distingui.^hed. 



* Gills broad, rather thick, somewhat distant, strong- 

 scented. 



** Gills thin, crowded, narrow. Small ; inodorous. 



Series B. Pileus even, glabrous, not downy, nor scaly, 

 not viscid, moist in rainy weather; when quite young 

 pruinose from the universal veil (but this character is not 

 always very conspicuous). Flesh soft, spongy or very thin, 

 watery and hygrophanous. 



Y. Guttata.] 



Pileus fleshy, soft, fragile, marked with drop-like sjDots, 

 o r rivulose ; stem solid. 



Appearing in the spring, rarely obvious during the 

 .autumn, caespitose or growing in troops, often in circles. 



* Gills whitish. 



-** Gills discoloured, rufous or smoky grey. 



