THE GENUS CHITONIELLA. 121 



the LetLCOsporce. It may be noted that the description of 

 Lepiota c/iforospora, Copeland, exactly fits Chitoniella poderes,^ 

 except that no mention is made of a volva. Its pileus has a 

 central brown, entire or fissured cap, and is elsewhere covered 

 with pale brown scales and fibres ; the gills exhibit the same 

 colour change, and have the same large hyaline vesicles 

 (25-35 X 20f^) forming the edge ; the stalk is brown inside and 

 outside, with white pith. The only points which make the 

 identity doubtful are the lack of reference to any colour change 

 in the flesh of the pileus and stalk, and the colour of the spores. 

 Copeland says that the spores are hyaline green, each with a 

 single large globule containing the green pigment ; the colour 

 would fit the spores of Chitoniella poderes under a high magnifi- 

 cation, but not in mass ; and though the spores of the latter 

 have a single large globule, the green colouring matter is not 

 confined to it. On the whole, it seems questionable whether 

 Lepiota chlorospora is not Chitoniella poderes carelessly collected, 

 and thus corresponding with Psalliota trachodes. 



Ghlorophyllum esculentum has the cuticle broken into large 

 scales in the centre, and smaller ones near the margin ; its 

 spores are 7-8 X 5. C. molyhdites has the cuticle " ad medium 

 in squamas crustaceas secedente." C. morgani has " cuticula 

 brunneo-alutacea in squamas, excepto disco, fissa," but its 

 spores are 10-12 X 7-7"5. It appears therefore that the 

 peculiar cap in the centre of the pileus is common to all these 

 forms ; and to one who is aware of the errors which abound in 

 most descriptions of tropical fungi it seems probable that we 

 are dealing throughout with only one species. C. morgani is 

 possibly distinct. That an agaric which has a volva should be 

 gathered in such a condition that the volva is not evident is 

 not an unparalleled occurrence ; in Ceylon Chitoniella has 

 been misdescribed through this mishap, and an Amanita has 

 been assigned to Collyhia. 



Massee's genus Chlorospora includes one species only, viz., 

 Chlorospora Eyrei , Mass. , from the New Forest. The spores are 

 described as " Cyaneo-viridibus.'^ As Saccardo (Vol. XVI.) 

 points out, the name Chlorospora is preoccupied by Chlorospora, 

 Speg. 



7(6)08 (16) 



