56 MINNESOTA MUSHROOMS 



Entoloma clypeatum Shield Entoloma 



Cap 5-12 cm. wide, lurid gray when moist, gray and somewhat shining when 

 dry, more or less watery and transparent, smooth, but mottled with darker spots, bell- 

 shaped, then plane; stem 5-8 cm. by 1 cm., whitish or gray, fibrillose, mealy above, 

 stuffed, then hollow ; gills adnexed at first, then becoming free, dingy pink ; 

 spores rosy, angular-globose, 8-10/x. The name refers to the shape of the cap. 



On the ground in woods and grassland from spring to autumn; suspected. 



Entoloma rhodopolium Rosy Entoloma 



Cap 5-12 cm. wide, brownish with a rosy or reddish tinge, watery, shining silky, 

 convex to plane, somewhat umbonate; stem 4-10 cm. by 1 cm., white, mealy above, 

 smooth below, hollow ; gills adnate at first, then becoming free, rose, broad ; 

 spores rosy, six-angled, 8-10 X 6-8/i. The name refers to the color of the cap 

 and gills. 



On the ground in woods, late summer and autumn ; said to be edible. 



Entoloma graveolens Fetid Entoloma 



Cap 5-12 cm. wide, whitish to brownish, occasionally with a violet tinge, 

 smooth, or slightly tufted on the margin, convex to nearly plane; stem 3-10 cm. 

 by 1-3 cm., white, downy above, the bulbous base usually white-downy, solid; gills 

 adnexed, grayish- white, then pinkish, narrow and crowded ; spores pinkish, elliptic, 

 6-8 X 4-5/x. The name refers to the strong odor. Resembles Tricholoma per- 

 sonatum closely; see figure 10. 



On rich soil in woods, late summer and autumn ; the unpleasant odor makes this 

 plant undesirable. 



CLITOPILUS 



Distinguished from Entoloma and P 1 u t e u s by the decurrent gills, and 

 from Eccilia by the substance of the stem being fleshy or fibrous rather than 

 cartilaginous. In some species the gills are scarcely decurrent, or merely adnate. 

 Some of the species are delicious and none are known to be poisonous. Two of them 

 occur in an abortive form which would be taken by many for a puff-ball, but they 

 can usually be recognized by the presence of the normal form at some time during 

 the season. The name refers to the sloping gills. 



Key to the Species 



1. Plants clustered C. caespitosus 



2. Plants single or in groups, not clustered 



a. Cap gray to brownish, minutely hairy, except when old C. abortiviis 



b. Cap white or whitish, not hairy 



( 1 ) Cap sticky when moist C. orcella 



(2) Cap dry, not sticky . C. prunulus 



