42 MINNESOTA MUSHROOMS 



Hygrophorus pratensis Water Top 



Cap small to medium, 3-10 cm. wide, yellow, yellowish or whitish, moist but 

 not sticky, smooth, convex or flattened, then shaped like a top; stem short, 3-5 

 cm. by 1-2 cm., tawny or whitish, tapering toward the base, smooth, stuffed; gills 

 long-decurrent, yellowish or whitish, connected by veins at the base, distant ; spores 

 ellipsoid, 7-10 X 4-6;ii. The name refers to its habit of growing in meadows and 

 pastures. 



In grassland, often in tufts or rings, late summer and autumn ; excellent. 



Hygrophorus psittacinus Green Slimecap 



Cap small. 2-4 cm. wide, usually yellow, but varying to red, brown or white, 

 typically covered with a green slime, smooth, striate, bell-shaped to plane or more 

 or less depressed ; stem somewhat slender, 5-8 cm. by 3-4 mm., colored much like 

 the cap, but the green slime most persistent at the top, smooth, hollow ; gills 

 adnate. more or less greenish, broad and distant; spores ellipsoid, 7-8 X 5-6/a. 

 The name refers to the parrot-like color. 



In woodland and grassland, summer and autumn: probably edible. 



Hygrophorus miniatus Vermilion Watercap 



Cap small. 1-4 cm. wide, vermilion red, rarely red-yellow or yellow, not sticky. 

 usually smooth, convex to plane; stem short, slender, 2-5 cm. by 2 mm., usually 

 red, polished, more or less stuffed ; gills adnate, yellow, or tinged with red, distant ; 

 spores elliptic, 8 X Sjtt. The name refers to the color of the cap. 



Common in woods, and in grassland. July to frost; excellent. 



Hygrophorus puniceus Blood Cap 



Cap small to medium, 3-12 cm. wide, blood-red, paler in age, sticky, smooth, 

 bell-shaped to flat or depressed; stem 8 cm. by 1-2 cm., yellow or red above, but 

 always white at the base, striate, hollow ; gills adnexed, yellow, broad and distant ; 

 spores elliptic, 10 X4-5/t. The name refers to the color of the cap. 



In grassland, summer and autumn ; edible. 



Hygrophorus conicus Red Cone 

 Plate I : 7 



Cap small, 1-4 cm. wide, red, vermilion, orange or yellow, blackening as it 

 dries, sticky when moist, shining, smooth, conic, though more or less expanded and 

 lobed at the margin in age; stem slender. 5-10 cm. by 4-8 mm., colored like the 

 cap or paler, striate, hollow ; gills free, yellow, distant ; spores ellipsoid, 10 X 6- 

 Sfi. The name refers to the shape of the cap. 



Conmion in woodland and thicket, during summer and autumn; edible. 



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