158 BEPOBT OF THE STATE BOTANIST. 



wrapper which covers the young plant soon breaks up into small 

 fragments, those on the cap being carried up with it in the 

 growth of the plant and generally remaining on it in the form of 

 small wart-like protuberances. The part remaining behind at 

 the base of the stem is so fragile and fieeting that nearly all 

 traces of it soon disappear, and were it not for the warts on the 

 cap and the free lamella; the plant would scarcely be suspected of 

 being an Amanita. The warts on the cap are easily removable 

 and are sometimes washed off by rain, leaving the cap entirely 

 smooth. The margin of the cap is generally even, but some- 

 times, especially in fully matured individuals, it is more or less 

 striated. While the color is peculiarly duU and sordid it varies 

 considerably. The cap may be whitish tinged with pink or red, 

 brownish-red or dingy grayish-red. Sometimes it is not uni- 

 formly colored but has the margin paler than the center, or there 

 may be darker stains in some places. The flesh is white or 

 slightly tinged with red. Sometimes wounds of the flesh, gills or 

 stem slowly assume a dull reddish color, but this is not a constant 

 character. 



The stem has a membranous collar near the top and a bulb at 

 its base. In some cases this bulb is quite abrupt, in others it is 

 po nted below and gradually narrowed into the stem above. The 

 surface of the stem may be smooth in some plants, but generally 

 it is more or less adorned below the collar with minute scales or 

 mealy or branny particles. It is commonl}^ of a whitish or 

 dingy-white color, more or less stained with dull-red, especially 

 toward and at the base. The center of the stem is of a looser, 

 softer texture than the rest, and in mature plants it sometimes 

 becomes hollow. 



Cap tliree to five inches broad, stem three to six inches long, 

 and generally about half an inch thick. 



It grows either in woods or in open places, and may be found 

 from July to September. 



The Eeddish amanita, as found in New York, is generally of a 

 paler color than that indicated by most of the published figures 

 of the species. Frequently the cap is almost white, with but a 

 slight reddish or brownish-red tint. The strong distinguishing 

 character of the species is the almost entire absence of any 

 remains of the wrapper at the base of the stem. By this and by 



