THE 



JOURNAL OF BOTANY, 



BRITISH AND FOREIGN. 



Original 5»rtir(c5. " '' *' 



AGARfCUS (LEPIOTA) GEOliGINJi; A NEW SPECIES OF 



AGARICUS. 



Ey WORTHINGTON G. SMITH, E.L.S. 



(Plate CXII.) 



This elegant and curious Lepiota differs from any species hitherto de- 

 scribed. Its specific characters are sufficient to distinguish it from the 

 other Lepiotre, but with the exception of one or two plants of the group, it 

 may be readily recognized by its parasitic habit, the members of the sub- 

 genus, with the exceptions referred to, being all terrestrial. It is probably 

 exotic, perhaps of Eastern origin, as I have not met with it elsewhere 

 than in the cool fernery at Messrs. Veitch and Sons' Nursery, at Chelsea. 

 It does not come up in the stoves and hothouses like some exotic species 

 of Lepiota, but is confined exclusively to the cool fernery, where it may be 

 found all through the year on different species of Mosses which grow 

 amongst British Ferns and other hardy plants. Judging from its liabitat, 

 it seems reasonable to suppose that it may have been introduced with 

 some of Messrs. Veitch's extensive importations from Japan and neigh- 

 bouring territories. 



It comes into Fries's section " Clypeolarii," and its nearest allies are^. 



Badhami, B. and Br., and A. Melear/ris, Sow. One of its most striking 



peculiarities is its instantaneous change of colour from snow-white to 



blood-red when touched. So sensitive is it, that when gently laid with 



the pileus downwards on paper, the part of the surface in contact with the 



paper immediately changes colour, and if rolled over, it leaves a brilliant 



carmine stain wherever it touches. The portions of the gills nearest the 



^^ stem are usually crimson, merely from accidentally coming in contact with 



^i^ the stem to which they are closely approximated though free. The red 



■• — ' colour ultimately becomes dark brown, and after the lapse of a few hours 



from gathering, the Agaric loses its property of changing colour. Several 



other Lepiota change colour, but none have the remarkable sensitiveness 



,^^ of this species. 



^ AgaricHs(Lepiotce)Georgina;, sp.nov. Pi7f«5 white, slightly fleshy, fragile, 



^ at first carapanulate, then expanded, | in. to 1 in. across, covered with a 



minute, deuse, viscid pruinosity which, as well as the white flesh, instantly 



changes to crimson when touched ; margin at length striate. Stem slightly 



attenuated upwards, 1 in. to 2 in. long, also covered externally with miimte 



VOL. IX, [JANUARY 1, 1871. J B 



