ARMILLARIA. 229 



Exceedingly variable; usually densely caespitose when 

 growing at the base of trunks; larger when solitary or 

 almost so, among leaves on the ground. Sometimes the 

 stem and pilous are suffused with a yellow or orange tint, 

 which at other times is entirely absent, leaving the pileus 

 dingy ochraceous ; stem and pileus sometimes almost or 

 quite glabrous, especially when old. 



Tufted. Pileus 1-5 in. in breadth, hemispherical in its 

 young state, at length nearly plane, except in the centre, 

 where it is usually, but not invariably, more or less umbo- 

 nate, slightly striated, and often somewhat uneven at the 

 margin; surface unequally covered with dark or black- 

 pointed scales composed of bristly hairs, most numerous in 

 the centre ; the colour of the pileus is otherwise variable, 

 dull yellow, brownish-yellow, or reddish. Lamellae narrow, 

 whitish, at length partly reddish, rather distant, eight 

 in a series, adnate or even slightly decurrent. Stipes 

 2 to 8 in. high, robust, firm, somewhat fibrillose, generally 

 incrassated at the base, some shade of yellow, changing in 

 age to a reddish or olivaceous colour, solid, white and 

 spongy within. Annulus always present, spreading, large 

 and tumid. Spores white, copious, and when shed from 

 the uppermost pilei upon those below them giving them the 

 appearance of having been sprinkled with white powder. 

 There is scarcely a plant more apt to assume different 

 aspects under different conditions than the present one, 

 and yet, to an experienced eye, there is always a peculiarity 

 about it not easily expressed in words, which is sufficient to 

 distinguish it. (Grev.) 



Armillaria subcava. Schum. 



Pileus 1-1 i in. across, rather fleshy at the disc, thin else- 

 where, convex then expanded, striate to the middle, viscid, 

 umbonate, white except the umbo, which is brownish ; gills 

 decurrent, rather close; plane below, white; stem about 2 in. 

 long, 2 lines thick, equal, punctulate, smooth above the 

 distant, torn ring, hollow towards the apex, white. 



Agaricus (Armillaria) subcavus, Schum., in Flora Danica, 

 t. 1843 ; Cke., Hdbk., p. 23 ; Cke., lllustr., pi. 46. 



On the ground in pine woods, &c. 



Wholly white except the brownish umbo. Distinguished 



