254 



MUSHROOMS, EDIBLE AND OTHERWISE 



Leptonia. Fr. 



Leptonia means slender, thin. 



The spores are salmon-color and irregular. The pileus is never truly fleshy, 

 cuticle always torn into scales, disk umbilicate, and often darker than the margin 

 which is at first incurved. The gills are attached to the stem and easily separated 

 in old plants. The stem is rigid, with cartilaginous bark, hollow or stuffed, 

 smooth, shining, often dark-blue, confluent with the cap. 



Leptonia incana. Fr. 

 The Hoary Leptonia. 



Incana means hoary or grayish-white. 



The pileus is about one inch broad, somewhat membranaceous, convex, then 

 plane, depressed in the center, smooth, with a silky lustre, margin striate. 



The gills are attached to the stem, broad, somewhat distant, white, then 

 greenish. 



The stem is hollow, shining, smooth, brownish-green. The spores are very 

 irregular, dull-yellowish, pink, rough, 8-9^. 



It is frequently found in pastures after warm rains. They grow in clusters, 

 and have the odor of mice to a marked degree. 



Figure 207. Leptonia serrulata. 



