292 FUNGUS-FLORA. 



YOLVAEIA. Fries, (figs. 9, 10, p. 236.) 



When young, the entire fungus is enclosed in a universal 

 volva, which at maturity forms a loose, sheathing volva 

 at the base of the stem ; pileus regular ; stem central ; 

 secondary veil absent, hence there is no trace of a ring on 

 the stem ; gills free, pale flesh-colour or pale salmon-colour ; 

 spores smooth, salmon-colour. 



Volvaria, Fries, Syst. Myc., i. p. 277 ; Cke., Hdbk., p. 113 

 (as a subgenus of Agaricus). 



Distinguished by the presence of a volva, absence of 

 ring, and free gills. Volvaria corresponds in structure to 

 Amanitopsis in the Leucosporae, and to Chitonia in the 

 Porph y rosporae. 



ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIES. 

 * Pileus dry, silky or fibrillose. 

 ** Pileus more or less viscid, smooth. 



* Pileus dry, silky or fibrillose. 



Volvaria bombycina. Fr. 



Pileus 4-8 in. across, flesh rather thin, soft, white, at first 

 globose, even campanulate, at length convex and somewhat 

 umbonate, everywhere silky, often squamulose when old, 

 the disc rarely almost glabrous, everywhere whitish; gills 

 free, very crowded when young and almost coherent, ventri- 

 cose, broad, becoming pale flesh-colour ; stem solid, equally 

 attenuated, 3-6 in. long, \ in. or more thick at the base, 

 ven, glabrous, white, volva soon ruptured, large 23 in. 

 across, membranaceous, lax, laciniate, somewhat viscid, per- 

 sistent ; spores elliptical, smooth, 6-7 X 4 /A ; cystidia absent 

 or very rare. 



Agaricus (Volvaria) bombycinus, Fries, Epicr., p. 138; Cke., 

 Hdbk., p. 112; Cke., Illustr., pi. 293. 



On trunks. 



