COPRINUS. 329 



bay-brown, flesh very thin, splitting ; gills narrow, attached 

 to an obscure collar, pale, then black ; stem 2^-5 in. long, 

 2-3 lines thick at the base, becoming thinner upwards, 

 smooth, even, whitish, hollow ; spores elliptical, 7-8 X 6 JJL. 



Coprinus hemerobius, Fries, Hym. Eur., p. 332 ; Cke., Hdbk., 

 p. 234; Cke., Illustr. pi. 687A ; Bolton, t. 31. 



On roadsides. Distinguished amongst the very thin- 

 fleshed sulcate species by the bay-brown pileus being per- 

 fectly free from meal at all ages. Coprinus plicatilis, a nearly 

 allied species, common in pastures, has the gills distant from 

 the stem and attached to a distinct collar, disc of pileus 

 becoming depressed, and very large spores. The figures of 

 the present species given by Bolton have a longer stem than 

 those figured by Cooke, the base of the stem is also more 

 distinctly bulbous. 



The root is a little brown bulb, emitting brown fibres 

 from its bottom and sides. 



The stem is cylindrical, fistular, transparent, of a whitish- 

 colour, the thickness of a swallow's quill, and 4 or 6 in. 



igi 



The curtain is very delicate, vanishes when the plant is 

 about an inch high, but leaves a black vestige on the stem, 

 which abides for a little time, and then disappears. 



The gills are in two series, narrow, thin, transparent, and 

 of a grey colour, changing black in decay. 



The pileus is at first conical, smooth, and brown, after- 

 wards the rim begins to diverge, and to appear dimly striated, 

 with fine tender lines; the next stage a black ciliation 

 begins to appear round the rim, and as it advances in growth 

 the pileus expands, and what before appeared to be stria, 

 are now found to be actual plaits, the angles whereof are 

 alternately brown and lead- coloured ; the black ciliation is 

 divided into little tufts, which adhere to the extremities of 

 the brown angles, and give a pretty appearance to the rim 

 of the pileus. It is about 1| in. in diameter, of a tender 

 watery substance, and semitransparent ; in decay it dissolves 

 into a brown liquor. It grows up in one night, and perishes 

 next day. 



Grows in meadows where the soil is rich, in September 

 and October, about Halifax plentifully. (Bolton.) 



Pileus very thin, ovate, then campanulate, not gaping and 



