' Massee. — On the Fungiis Flora of Neiv Zealand. 291 



1. Coprinus, Pers. 



Pileus regular, thin, often striate ; gills free or variously 

 attached, never decurrent, whitish at first, becoming black 

 with the spores, deliquescing at maturity ; stem central, 

 sometimes with a volva and ring ; spores black. 

 Goprinna, Persoon, Syn. Fung., p. 395 (as a section of 



Agaricus). 



Distinguished from allies by the deliquescence of the gills 



at maturity, which become converted into a dripping mass of 



inky-black fluid. The pileus also disappears very quickly. 



Growing on dung, or rich soil, sometimes round stumps, 



posts, &c. ; usually clustered. 



1. Coprinus comatus, Fries, Epicr., p. 242 ; Massee, Brit. 

 Fung.-Flora, i., p. 305, fig. 1, p. 303 ; Austr. Fung., p. 68; 

 Sacc, Syll. v., no. 4375. 



Pileus cylindrical, then campanulate, finally expanding 

 and deliquescmg, at first even ; during growth and expansion 

 the cuticle becomes torn into broad adpressed or loose scattered 

 scales, cream-colour, interstices white and silky, 7-12 cm. 

 high ; flesh white, thin except at the apex ; gills almost free, 

 about 1 cm. broad, crowded, white, then pmkish, at length 

 black ; spores almost black, elliptical, 13-18 x 7-8 /a ; stem 

 18-16 cm. high, 1-2 cm. thick, subequal, white, even, hollow, 

 more or less bulbous, bulb solid ; ring movable on the stem, 

 soon disappearing. 



Amongst grass, in pastures, waste places near towns, &c. ; 

 not on dung. Northern Island, New Zealand. Australia, 

 Europe, United States. 



A large, fine species, growing in troops, readily dis- 

 tinguished by its large size and cylindrical form of the 

 whitish shaggy pileus. One of the best and safest of edible 

 fungi. 



2. Coprinus fimetarius, Fries, Epicr., p. 245; Hdbk. N.Z. 

 Flora, p. 604; Austr. Fung., p. 68; Sacc, Syll. v., no. 

 4404. 



Pileus clavate, then conico-expanded, soon split and up- 

 turned, greyish, apex tinged with brown, covered at first 

 with white floccose scales, then naked and coarsely grooved, 

 2-5-5 cm. across, disc even, flesh thin ; gills free, lanceolate, 

 narrow, wavy, black; spores 12-14 x 7-8 ^a; cystidia large, 

 numerous; stem 10-15 cm. long, white, apex downy, squamu- 

 lose below, hollow except the thickened base. 



On manure-heaps, dung, &c. Canterbury Province, 

 Middle Island, New Zealand. Australia, Europe, Siberia, 

 United States. 



Solitary, or usually clustered, soon splitting, curling up 



