132 MUSHROOMS, EDIBLE AND OTHERWISE 



It grows in decayed wood. Its smoky color, funnel-shaped pileus, and gray 

 short stem will distinguish it. I have some plants sent me from Massachusetts 

 which seem to be much smaller than our plants. 



Omphalia umbellifcra. Linn. 

 The Umbel Omphalia. Edibi.k. 



Umbellifera umbclla, a small shade ; ferro, to bear. Pileus one-half inch 

 broad, membranaceous, whitish, convex, then plane, broadly obconic, slightly 

 umbilicate even in the smallest plants, hygrophanous in wet weather, rayed with 

 darker striae. 



The gills are decurrent, very distant, quite broad behind, triangular, with 

 straight edges. 



The stem is short, not more than one inch long, dilated at the apex, of same 

 color as the pileus, at first stuffed, then hollow, firm, white, villous at the base. 



It is a common plant in our woods, growing on decayed wood or ground large- 

 ly made up of rotten wood. Decayed beech bark is a favorite habitat. Found from 

 July till October. 



Omphalia cccspitosa. Bol. 



Caespitosa means growing in tufts ; ccrspes, turf. The pileus is submem- 

 branaceous, very small, convex, nearly hemispherical, umbilicate. thin, sulcate, 

 light-ochre, margin crenate, smooth. 



The gills are distant, rather broad, shortly decurrent, whitish. 



The stem is curved, hollow, colored like the pileus, slightly bulbous at the 

 base. The spores are 6x5. 



This species is very much like Omphalia oniscus and they can only be dis- 

 tinguished by their habitats and color. It is found in August and September. It 

 delights in well rotted wood. I have seen millions in one place. 



Omphalia oniscus. Fr, 

 Bolton's Omphalia. Edible. 



Oniscus. a name given to a species of codfish by the Greeks, so named because 

 of their gray color. The pileus is flaccid, irregular, alxiut one inch broad, convex, 

 plane, or depressed, slightly fleshy, wavy, sometimes lobed, margin striate, dark- 

 cinereous, paler when dry. 



