2 Dansk Botanisk Arkiv, Bd. 2. Nr. 11. 



Friesian classification is rather artificial — lumping plants of so 

 different a nature as f. inst. P. præcox, P. Vahlii, P. squarrosa 

 and P. mycenoides in one genus, merely because their spores are 

 rusty or brown and their stem annulate. My only reason for 

 not following Quélet are the practical difficulties of most inno- 

 vations. Mycologists are used to regard spore-colour as the leading 

 character of the main divisions of the Agaric family and will 

 find the new paths rather bewildering. Probably a total reclas- 

 sification of the whole family of Agarics had better be postponed 

 till we have acquired a more detailed and precise knowledge of 

 all the species (including their anatomy), while all we at present 

 know of innumerable species are brief diagnoses made up of a 

 few vague adjectives (partly contradictory in the different textbooks). 



But while thus maintaining the genus Pholiota in the Frie- 

 sian sense I cannot altogether approve the minor points of his 

 classification. Thus he places P. erebia in Eudermini although 

 its spore-colour decidedly refers it to Phaeoti. And the sharp 

 distinction which he tries to establish in the section Squamosi 

 between the pallid-gilled and the yellow-gilled species is hardly 

 valid. 



The proper delimitation of the genus is no easy task, even 

 when one does not attempt any great deviation from the Frie- 

 sian classification. Thus f. inst. some of the velaie Galeras have 

 a veil almost like that found in Lepiota seminuda (a mem- 

 braneous white one which, when the cap expands, forms a row 

 of marginal appendiculate teeth). But I refrain from including 

 them in Pholiota, restricting the genus to embrace the distinctly 

 annulate species. — Some sub-annulate Cortinarii may also easily 

 be mistaken for true Pholiotas. In most cases the want of 

 cystidia will serve as an indication of their true nature. Lastly 

 some sub-annulate Hebelomas may be mentioned as running into 

 Pholiota (and vice versa). In fact P. radicosa and P. erebia are 

 by some authors shifted to Hebeloma. 



Microscopic characteristics. Two-spored basidia 

 appear to be rare in this genus. The only cases within my 

 range of observation are P. erebia and a little Galera-like species 

 which I call P. teneroides. — The form and size of the spore 

 is not very variable within the genus; the extremes are 

 4—5 x 2Va u (P. flammans) and 12—14 X 7-8 (P. caperata). In 

 most cases the epispore is smooth, but in some species it is 

 rough or minutely warty. This is especially the case in species 



