GILL FUNGI 6l 



Key to the Species 



1. On the ground 



a. Cap hright yellow, wrinkled, with white tufts when 



young 



b. Cap whitish to brownish, smooth 



2. On wood 



a. Cap very sticky when wet ; gills adnate 



b. Cap dry or somewhat sticky; gills sinuate or decurrent 



(1) Cap dry; gills decurrent by a tooth 



(2) Cap somewhat sticky; gills sinuate, nearly free 



Pholiota caperata Yellow Pholiota 



Cap large, 7-14 cm. wide, bright yellow, slightly sticky when wet, wrinkled at 

 the margin and at iirst with a crust of white tufts, convex, then plane ; stem stout, 

 10-15 cm. by 2-3 cm., wliite and shining, scaly above the thin broad ring, solid; 

 gills adnate, buff-brown, narrow, crowded; spores rust-colored, globoid, 10- 

 12 X 8-9ja. The name refers to the wrinkled or furrowed cap. 



In woods in autumn; edible, though when raw with a somewhat biting taste. 



Pholiota praecox Early Pholiota 

 Plate II: 1 



Cap small, 2-5 cm. wide, whitish, tan or brownish, often darker toward the 

 center, smooth, convex to plane; stem 4-8 cm. by 4-7 mm., whitish or yellowish, 

 nearly smooth, stuffed or hollow, ring white ; gills adnexed, brownish or rust-brown, 

 crowded; spores rust-brown, ellipsoid, 8-12 X 6-7/i. The name refers to its 

 appearance in spring and summer. 



In grassland, pastures, lawns, etc., April to midsummer. 



Pholiota adiposa Sticky Pholiota 



Cap medium, 5-10 cm. w'ide, yellow, very sticky when moist, with spreading 

 or erect rust-brown scales, which sometimes disappear Avhen old, convex to plane ; 

 stem 5-15 cm. by 1-2 cm., yellow, paler above and darker, scaly below the more 

 or less imperfect tufted ring, solid or stuffed ; gills adnate, yellowish to rust- 

 colored, broad, crowded ; spores rust-colored, elliptic, 7-8 X 5/*. The name may 

 refer to the sticky cap. 



In clusters on stumps or dead trunks in woodland, late summer to frost ; edible, 

 but tlie cap should be peeled. 



Pholiota squarrosa Shaggy Pholiota 



Cap medium to large, 6-14 cm. wide, yellow to rust-color, dry, densely scaly 

 with crowded, more or less spreading scales, bell-shaped to convex or plane ; stem 

 8-20 cm. by 1-3 cm., yellow to rust-color, with crowded spreading darker scales 

 below the ring, attenuate downwards, stuffed, ring tufted; gills adnate but decur- 



