500 COPRINUS 



fleshy, cylindrical, 5-15 cm. high, then campanulate, the continuous 

 cuticle soon separating into adpressed, shaggy scales, the scales becoming 

 ochraceous at their apices, disc deep ochraceous, remaining persistently 

 entire, at length striate; margin often torn and unequal. St. 12- 

 25 x 12 cm., white, then dingy or lilac white, attenuated upwards 

 from the bulbous, rooting base, fibrillose, silky, shining. King white, 

 membranaceous, thin, torn, movable, fugacious. Gills white, then pink, 

 at length black and deliquescent, free, separate from the st., linear, 

 6-10 mm. broad. Flesh white, thick at the disc. Spores black, ellip- 

 tical, often with a lateral apiculus, 11-13 x 6-7 /x. Cystidia vesicu- 

 lose, 50-65 x 20-30/A. Taste mild. Edible. Woods, pastures, road- 

 sides, especially ground made up with night soil. April Dec. Com- 

 mon, (v.v.) 



var. ovatus (Schaeff.) Quel. Schaeff. Icon. t. 7. Ovatus, egg-shaped. 

 Differs from the type only in its smaller size and the ovate p. 



var. clavatus (Batt.) Quel. Schaeff. Icon. t. 8. Clavatus, club-shaped. 

 Differs from the type in the elongate elliptical p., the rootless st., the 

 shaggy volva-like ring, and the gills never becoming pink. 



1638. C. umbrinus Cke. & Massee. Umbrinus, umber. 

 P. 2-5-4-5 cm., dark umber, fleshy, conico-hemispherical, then almost 



plane, finally splitting at the margin and revolute, coarsely sulcate up 

 to the disc, universal veil generally remaining as a large white patch at 

 the apex, elsewhere covered with scattered, snow white, fioccose scales. 

 St. 10-15 cm. x 6-8 mm., dark umber, slightly and gradually at- 

 tenuated upwards from the bulbous, slightly rooting base, polished, 

 shining. Volva persistently white, sheathing the base of the st., and 

 free and reflexed about 2 cm. from the base. Gills becoming black, edge 

 persistently white, free, distant from the st., 3 mm. broad, thin, 

 crowded. Flesh umber, exceedingly thin. Spores sooty-black, elliptic- 

 oblong, obliquely apiculate, 17-18 x 9/u. Cystidia absent. Manured 

 ground. Aug. Rare. 



1639. C. sterquilinus Fr. Cke. Illus. no. 646, t. 660. 



Sterguilinum, a dung-pit. 



P. 2-5 cm., white, then silvery grey, disc tinged fuscous, submem- 

 branaceous, ovato-conical, then campanulate, scarcely expanded, 

 obtuse, fragile, deeply sulcate, the furrows forked, silky-villose, disc 

 squarrose with divergent, imbricated scales', margin at length split. 

 St. 8-15 cm. x 6-8 mm., white, attenuated upwards, fragile, fibrillose, 

 base bulbous, becoming blackish when touched. Ring white, membrana- 

 ceous, narrow, near the base and volva-like. Gills white, then pink, and 

 at length purplish umber, free, slightly ventricose, 5-6 mm. broad. 

 Flesh greyish, then whitish, very thin. Spores black, broadly elliptical, 



