THE GENUS LEPIOTA. 



Lepiota is a much larger and more heterogeneous genus 

 than Amanita, but nevertheless fairly well distinguished from 

 the adjoining genera (Amanita and Armillaria Fr.). The greatest 

 difficulty is to fix the boundary-line between L. and Armillaria; 

 and I do not think it possible to indicate any characters 

 whichever that can serve to bring about a natural and perfect 

 separation. 



As a leading character for the genus Lepiota Fries parti- 

 cularly emphazises that the tissue of the stem is distinct from, 

 not concrescent with that of the cap. And this certainly is the 

 case with L. procera and its allies; but in many especially of 

 the smaller species (f. inst. L. amianthina) the tissues of cap 

 and stem run absolutely into each other. — Likewise he describes 

 the genus Lepiota as having a universal veil, concrescent with 

 the cuticle of the cap, while the cap of the Armillarias has no 

 veil. This character fits very well when such species as L. 

 granulosa and L. hispida are kept in view, as here the universal 

 veil forms a peronate, squamulose coating on the stem, which 

 originally is continuous with a similar tissue on the cap. But 

 in L. rhacodes, cristata a. o. I can see no trace of such a universal 

 veil, the scales on the cap being simply formed by the cracking 

 of the — originally smooth — cuticle itself. 



In Lepiota the gills are usually free, often remote; but here 

 again exceptions are found, f. inst. L. amianthina, whose gills 

 are adnate, occasionally even subdecurrent. 



Schroeter (1. cit.) lays stress upon the difference in spore- 

 structure and says that in Lepiota the spore-membrane is rather 

 firm (the spore consequently of the same form when dry as 

 when soaked in water), while in Armillaria the spores have a 

 thin membrane and do not keep their shape when dry. — But 



