THE WHITE-SPORED AGARICS 43 



Amanita spreta. Pk. 

 Hated Amanita. Poisonous. 



Spreta, hated. The pileus at first is nearly ovate, slightly umbonate, then 

 convex, smooth, sometimes fragments of the volva adhering, the margin striate, 

 whitish or pale-brown toward and on the umbo, soft, dry, more or less furrowed 

 on the margin. 



The flesh is white, thin on the edges, and increasing in thickness toward the 

 center. Gills close, white, reaching the stem. 



The stem is equal, smooth, annulate, stuffed or hollow, whitish, finely striate 

 at the top from the decurrent lines of the gills, not bulbous at the base, the volva 

 rather large and inclined to yellowish coIot. The spores are elliptical. 



The plant resembles the dark forms of the Amanitopsis in having the marked 

 striations and the entire and closely fitting volva at the base, but can be easily 

 distinguished by its ring. I found it on Cemetery Hill in company with the 

 Amanitopsis. It does not seem to root as deep in the ground as the Amanitopsis. 

 It is very poisonous and should be carefully studied so that it may be readily 

 recognized and avoided. 



It is found in open woods from July to September. 



Amanitopsis. Roze. 



Amanitopsis is from Aminita and opsis, resembling; so called because it 

 resembles the Amanita. The principal feature wherein the genus differs from the 

 Amanita is the absence of a collar on the stem. Its species are included among the 

 Amanita by many authors. The spores are white. The gills are free from the 

 stem, and it has a universal veil at first completely enveloping the young plant, 

 which soon breaks it, carrying remnants of it on the pileus, where they appear as 

 scattered warts. It differs from the Lepiota in having a volva. 



Amanitopsis vaginata. Bull. 

 The Sheathed Amanitopsis. Edible. 



Vaginata from vagina, a sheath. The plant is edible but should be used with 

 very great caution. It is quite variable in color, ranging from white to mouse 

 color, brownish or yellowish. 



The pileus is ovate at first, bell-shaped, then convex and expanded, thin, quite 

 fragile, smooth, when young with a few fragments of the volva adhering to its 

 surface, deeply and distinctly striate. 



