Massee.— 0^ the Fungus Flora of New Zealand. 339 



across ; gills free, about 1 line broad, ventricose, clear white ; 

 spores elliptical, 5-6 x 3 /a ; stem 2-0-3-5 cm. long, about 

 2 mm. thick, equal, dry, even, glabrous, paler than the pileus, 

 fistulose ; ring superior, persistent, erect, whitish. 



On the ground. New Zealand. Australia, Europe. 



Eeadily distinguished by the even and glabrous pileus and 

 stem — very exceptional features in Lepiota — and the entire, 

 erect, persistent ring. 



30. Amanita, Fries. 

 Entire fungus at first enclosed in a universal veil which is 

 ruptured during growth, one portion remaining as a volva 

 or sheath at the base of the stem, the remainder forming 

 separable patches or warts on the pileus ; gills free, white ; 

 stem central, bearing a ring ; spores white. 

 Amanita, Fries, Syst. Myc, i., p. 12 (as a subgenus of 

 Agaric us). 



Gills free, stem with a volva and ring, are the essentials 

 constituting the genus Amanita. Lejyiota differs in the ab- 

 sence of a volva sheathing the base of the stem. All grow 

 on the ground. 



109. Amanita phalloides, Fries, Syst. Myc, i,, p. 13; Flora 

 N.Z., h., p. 173 ; Hdbk. N.Z. Flora, p. 601 ; Sacc, Syll. v., 

 no. 7. 



Pileus ovate, then campanulate, finally expanded, obtuse, 

 covered with a pellicle that is viscid when moist but not 

 glutinous, rarely with one or more patches of the volva at- 

 tached, margin regular, even, colour very variable, usually 

 white or pale-yellow when exposed to light, greenish or with 

 an olive tinge or often spotted when in the shade ; flesh 

 rather thick, white ; 7-11 cm. across ; gills free, ventricose, 

 6-8 mm. broad, pure white ; stem 8-12 cm. long, 1-5-2 cm. 

 thick, almost glabrous, white bulbous, solid at the base, 

 hollow and slightly narrowed upwards, often curved ; ring 

 superior, large, reflexed, shghtly striate, tumid, usually entire, 

 white ; volva more or less buried in the ground, nearly free, 

 lateral margin irregular ; spores subglobose, 7-S/i, diameter. 



In woods. Northern Island, New Zealand. Europe, 

 Australia, United States. 



Distinguished by the large nearly free volva and ample 

 ring. Smell not strong, but unpleasant. Very poisonous. 

 The majority of cases of poisoning caused by Fungi in Europe 

 are due to partaking of this species for food. 



Amanita 7?ia2}pa, a species superficially much resembling 

 A. phalloides, is distinguished from the latter by the volva 

 being adnate to the base of the stem, except a narrow free 

 entire margin. Poisonous. 



