arisiug from the attucbment to it of fragmonts of the veil, but usually it is 

 ringless. 



The typical sj^ecies of Hyplioloma have the fleshy part of the cap con- 

 fluent with the stem, but in H. uieertnm the stem is not confluent and is 

 easily separated from the cap as in the Lepiotas. This mushroom was 

 iirst recorded by Peck in his early reports as the variety " incertus " of 

 the species Agaricus (Hypholoma) Candolliauus, but has since been re- 

 corded by Saccardo as a distinct species, Hypholoma incertum. 



Two species of Hypholoma have the same habit and sufficiently resem- 

 ble incertum to be taken for it, if not carefully examuied as to points of 

 difference. These are H. Candolliauinn, named in honor of A. De Can- 

 dolle, and H. uppendicnlatum. In the first named of these two species 

 the cap is whitish, the gills at first violet in color, changing to dark cinna- 

 mon browu. In H. appeudiculatum the pileus is rugose when dry, and 

 sprinkled with atoms. It is darker in color than that of H. incertum ; 

 Cooke says tawny or pale ochre ; Massee says bay, then tawny. The 

 gills are sub-adnate, in color resembling those of H. incertum ; stem 

 slender, smooth, and white. 



From the foregoing it will be seen that H. incerUmi agrees more nearly 

 with H. Candollianum in the color of the cap, but more nearly with H. 

 appendicidatUDi in the color of the gills. Saccardo recognizes the three 

 as " distinct species of the genus Hypholoma^ As all are edible, the 

 slight differences observed are interesting chiefly to the mycologist. The 

 mycophagist will And them equally valuable from a gastronomic point of 

 view. In taste they resemble the common mushroom. They are more 

 fragile, however, and require less cooking than the cultivated mushroom. 

 Broiled on toast or cooked for ten minutes in a chafiing dish, they make a 

 very acceptable addition to the lunch menu. 



The specimens figured in Plate IX were selected from a crop of thirty 

 or more growing in the author's garden, in very rich soil at the base of a 

 plum-tree stump. For several seasons past small crops have been gath- 

 ered from the same spot, as well as around the base of a flourishing peach 

 tree. Quantities of all three species have been gathered in the short grass 

 of the Capitol grounds for a number of seasons, and in the various parks 

 of the District of Columbia. Specimens have been received from western 

 New York and Massachusetts. Those growing upon soil very heavily 

 fertilized are apt to be somewhat stouter and shorter stemmed than 

 those coming up through the short grass in the parks. 



ANALYTICAL TABLE. 



The following compendious analytical table showing prominent charac- 

 [teristics of the leading genera and subgenera of the order Agariciui, ac- 

 1 cording to Fries, Worthington Smith, and other botanists, which appears 

 [in Cooke's Hand Book, revised edition, will be found helpful to the col- 

 I lector in determining the genus to which a specimen may belong. 



