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FAMILY I.— HYMENOMYCETES. 

 ORDER I.— AGARICINI. 



SEBIES I.— LEDCOSPORI (Spores white). 



Genus I.— Agabicus. Sub-Gents IV.— Tkicholoma. 



Stem fleshy ; gilU with a sinus behind. Veil obsolete, or if present floccose, and 

 adhering to the margin of the pilexis. 



Moist or vxxtery (hygrophanus) veil, if present, fugitive, pulverulent. 



AGAEICUS ;TBICHOIjOM:A) GAMSOSVS.— Fries. 

 THE TRUE ST. GEORGE'S MUSHROOM. 



BOTAXICAl CILUUCTERS. 



Pileus, thick and fleshy, convex at first often lobed, becoming undulated 

 and irregxilar, expanding unequally — the nargiu more or less involute, and at first 

 flocculose ; from three to four inches across ; of a light yellow colour in tho 

 centre, .fading to almost opaque white at the edges ; it is soft to the touch — 

 more or less tuberculated, and often presenting cracks. 



Gills, yellowish white, watery, narrow, marginate, annexed to the stem 

 with a little tooth ; they are very numerous and irregular, with many smaller 

 ones interposed, "lying over each other like the plaits of a frill " (from 5 to 11 

 Vittadini). 



Stem firm, solid, and white ffweUing at the base in yoxmg sjjecimens ; 

 but in older ones, though usually bulging, they are frequently of the same size, 

 and when in long grass they occasionally even taper downwards. 



They grow in rings ; have a strong smell ; and appear about St. GSeorge's 

 day (April 23rd), after the rains which usually fall about the third week in ApriL 

 They continue to appear for three or four weeks, according to the peculiarities 

 of the season. They are usually to be found on hilly pastures in woodland 

 districts. 



The Agaricus gambosus has been known by other names. It is called Ag. 

 prunulus by Dr. Badham and other authors ; the deep coloured variety is called 

 Ag. graveolens by Sowerby and "Withering ; Ag. mmiqeron by BuUiard ; Mouqeron 

 gris by Paulet and Persoon ; and the strong-scented Agaric from the strong odour 

 it exhales. Our general term " mushroom" is derived from the French name for 

 this particular agaric, Mouqeron (originally spelt Mousseron), from its growing 

 so frequently amongst moss on the continent. 



The illustration given represents a fungus of the ordinary size, although 

 every ring will probably contain larger specimens. It gives exactly the oolour of 

 the agarics sketched, but it is not light enough perhaps for its general appear- 

 ance. This agaric, indeed, is usually nearly white, smooth, soft, and firm, like 

 kid leather to the touch, and, as Berkeley has happily said, " in appearance it 

 very closely resembles a cracknel biscuit," 



