THE PLANT WORLD 9 



THE ROSY TRICHOLOMA. 



{Tricholoma ruhicunda Peck.)* 



By E. M. Wiixiams. 



WHILE the boundary lines of the genus Tricholoma are hard to de- 

 fine, the typical species are well marked, have much in common, 

 and are not difficult to separate from those of other genera. In 

 general they may be said to be quite fleshy, more so than in any other 

 genus of the gill-bearing fungi, though among the many species some may 

 be found that are slender, and some of diminutive size. Most of the 

 species have firm, and a few have tough flesh. The stems are generally 

 stout, the gills numerous, often crowded and sinuate behind. Theoret- 

 ically the gills must always have more or less of a sinus to belong to 

 this genus, but a few species in which the sinus is almost if not quite 

 wanting, are admitted because of very evident relationships in other 

 respects. The stem is usually stout, and though in some instances 

 quite tough, it is but little firmer in texture than the rest of the plant, 

 and is in all species without a tough, bark-like outer skin. Neither 

 volva nor annulus is to be found upon the stems of the Tricholomas. 

 Variations from this rule, so far as the veil is concerned, are to be 

 rarely met with, the species illustrated in the acompanying plate being 

 one of these exceptions. This species, which for the present we shall 

 designate as Tricholoma ruhicunda Peck, has generally been considered 

 identical with the European plant ( Tricholoma russula Shaeffer). Tricho- 

 loma russula was originally described as follows : " Est fungus bicolor, 

 solitarius, farcatus, caruosus, varius ; pileo ab initio globoso, post con- 

 v^exo, denique infundibuliformi, subtiliter punctato ; petiolo crasso, ad 

 basin saepe tuberoso ; velo, annulo, * * * nullo."t 



In 1873 Professor Peck described a fungus under the name of 

 Tricholoma ruhicunda which differs from this in several respects, par- 

 ticularly in being tomentose on the margin, and in having lamellae 

 close, sometimes forked, etc. In a later report | he refers the plant to 

 the European species, quoting Fries' description, omitting any refer- 



* Tricholoma rubicunda Peck. Pileus convex, then expanded or centrally de- 

 pressed, viscid, slightly tomentose on the margin when young, smooth or sometimes 

 with a few scales either on the disk or on the margin, red; lamellae close, white, be- 

 coming spotted with red, some of them forked ; stem firm, equal, solid, slightly prui- 

 nose, white, often stained with red; spores .00028 x .00016 in. Plant 3-5 in. high, 

 pileus 3-5 in. broad, stem 6-8 lines thick. Ground in woods. New Scotland, Albany 

 county, Oct. The plant is rarely cespitose. The thin cuticle is separable. The color 

 is suggestive of species of Kussu/a. — 26ih Rep. yV. }'. Siaie Museum, p. 5/, 18J3. 



tFung. Bav. et Pal. No. 51,/!'/. 58. 

 t44th Kep. N. Y. State Mus. 42. 



