5o8 



Bulletin 168. 



(48) 



between the lower scaly end of the stem and the smooth white 

 upper part. It is formed at the time of the separation of the 

 margin of the pileus from the stem, the connecting fibres being 

 pulled outward and left to mark the line of junction, while 

 others below give the scaly appearance. It is easily effaced by 

 rough handling or by the washing of the rains. A section of 

 a plant is illustrated by a photograph in figure 95. On either 

 side of the stem is shown the layer of fibres which form the 

 annulus, and this layer is of a different texture from that of the 

 stem. The stem is hollow as seen here also. In this figure one 

 can see the change in color of the gills just at the time when 

 they begin to diliquesce. This diliquescence proceeds much in 

 the same way as in the shaggy-mane, and sometimes the thin 

 remnant of the pileus expands and the margin is inroUed over 

 the top. 



III. — The Glistening Coprinus [Coprinus micaceus). 



The third species described here is the glistening coprinus 



(Coprmus micaceus). It received this name because of the very 



delicate scales which often cover the surface of the pileus, and 



glisten in the light like particles of mica. This plant is very 



common during the spring 

 and early summer though it 

 does appear during the au- 

 tumn. It occurs about the 

 bases of stumps or trees or in 

 grassy ^ or denuded places, 

 from dead roots, etc., buried 

 in the soil. It occurs in dense 

 tufts of ten to thirty or more 

 individuals ; sometimes as 



man}' as several hundred 

 spring up from the roots of a 



dead tree or stump along the 



streets or in lawns, forming 



large masses. More rarely 



it occurs on logs in the woods, 



and sometimes, the plants are 



scattered in lawns. From the different habits of the plant it 



96. — The ' * glistening coprinus, ' ' 

 Copri7ius micaceus ; yotcng stage 

 showi7ig annulus, on the pileus 

 the ''' mica'" particles. [^Natural 

 size. ) 



