GILL FUNGI 



II 



Amanita muscaria Fly Cap 



Cap large, 10-15 cm. wide, bright red (jr orange, beccjniing yellow or even 

 whitish in age, roughened with many thick white angular fragments of the volva, 

 which often disappear in age, margin striate, globose to convex, more rarely expanded; 

 stem stout, 8-15 cm. by 2-4 cm., white, scaly, bulbous, hollow, ring large, apical, 

 torn, V o 1 \' a forming several con- 

 centric scaly rings on the bulb; 

 gills free or touching, wliitt' or 

 yellowish ; spores elliptic, 8- 

 10 X (>-8/x. The name refers to 

 the use of this fungus to kill Hies. 



Frequent in woodkuul, forest 

 or clearing from June to frost; 

 deadly poisonous. 



AMANITOPSIS 



The cap and stem are read- 

 ily separable as in Amanita 

 and L e p i o t a, but the entire ab- 

 sence of a ring at all stages dis- 

 tinguishes this genus from its rel- 

 atives. In our one species the 

 volva is large and sheathing. The 

 generic name indicates the rela- 

 tionship with A m a n i t a. 



Amanitopsis vaginata 

 Sheath Stem 



FicuRi: 5. Amanitopsis vagix.vta 



Cap medium or large, 4-10 

 cm. wide, gray, yellowish, mouse- 

 colored or brownish, thin, smooth, 

 ovoid or bell-shaped to convex or 

 expanded, beautifully striate-ridg- 

 ed from the margin toward the 

 disk; stem tall, 8-20 cm. by 



6-9 mm., white, mealv or smooth, stuffed or holUtw. v o 1 v a a soft close sheath which 

 collapses readily; gills free, white; spores glol)oid. 8-10/x. The name refers to 

 the sheathing volva. 



Frequent in grassland and woodland, from June to October; edible, but not 

 readily distinguished by the beginner from certain poisonous species of Amanita. 



