GILL FUNGI 53 



spreading; gills frtr, pale pink; spores pink, elliptic, 6-8 X 4^- The name 

 refers to the large volva. 



On the ground, often in lellars and greenhouses; said to be edible, but should 

 be tried with caution. 



Volvaria parvula Small Volvaria 



Cap very small, less than 2 cm., white, sticky at first, dry when mature, smooth 

 or fibrillose, umbonate, bell-shaped, convex or plane, sometimes grooved at the margin; 

 stem short, 1-2 cm. by 2-3 mm., white, silky or smooth, somewhat hollow, volva 

 often beautifully regular and split into four parts ; g i 1 1 s free, pink, distant ; s p o r e s 

 pink, elliptic, 5-8 X 3-4/x. The name refers to the size. 



( )n the ground in grass or weeds, and in greenhouses; edibility unknown. 



Figure 31. Volvaria parvui.a 



Volvaria speciosa Sticky Volvaria 



Cap large, 8-14 cm. wide, white or whitish, often gray on the disk, very sticky, 

 bell-shaped to expanded, margin not striate or furrowed; stem tall, 10-20 cm. by 

 2-3 cm., white, hairy, then smooth, solid, volva loose, hairy; gills free, pink to 

 reddish; spores dark pink, globoid to ellipsoid, 12-18 X 8-10/11. The name refers 

 to the handsome appearance. 



Common in rich, especially in manured soil ; said to be edible. 



Volvaria umbonata Disk Volvaria 



Cap small or medium, 3-6 cm. wide, white to grayish, slightly sticky when 

 moist, silky when dry, bell-shaped to fiat, umbonate, striate or grooved at the margin ; 

 stem 5-7 cm., white or grayish, smooth, hollow, volva persistent but more or less 

 torn ; gills free, pink to reddish. The name refers to the presence of an umbo or 

 disk. 



In grassland from June to October; edibility unknown. 



