AMANITA. 259 



scales or patches on the pileus ; stem central, its substance 

 usually distinct from the flesh of the pileus, furnished with 

 a ring ; gills free. 



Amanita, Fries, Syst. Myc., i. p. 12 ; Cke., Hdbk., p. 6 (as 

 a subgenus of Agaricus). 



The universal veil is quite distinct from the pileus. Most 

 nearly allied to Amanitopsis, which differs only in the absence 

 of a ring. Lepiota differs in the absence of a volva. 



All the species grow on the ground. 



ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIES. 



* Volva splitting at the apex or ctrcumscissile, limb free, 

 persistent. Pileus naked or with broad membranaceous 

 fragments of the pileus. 



** Volva distinctly circumscissile, margin persistent, the 

 upper portion broken up into thick warts by the expansion 

 of the pileus. 



*** Volva very friable, entirely broken up into wart-like 

 scales. Pileus with unequal mealy patches which soon 

 disappear, or with small, hard, polygonal warts. 



**** Volva almost obsolete, flocculose, entirely dis- 

 appearing. 



* Volva splitting or circumscissile; pileus naked or with 



irregular patches. 



Amanita virosa. Fr. 



Foetid. Entirely pure white; rarely with a tinge of 

 yellow on the pileus. Pileus 3-4 in. across, fleshy, at first 

 acutely conical, then campanulate, at length expanded, 

 naked, viscid in moist weather, shining when dry, margin 

 always even, but often unequally waved and incurved ; gills 

 free, thin, 2 lines broad, slightly broader in front, not 

 decurrent, crowded, margin minutely flocculose ; stem 4-6 in. 

 long, | in. thick at the base, slightly attenuated upwards, 

 apex often compressed, surface torn into squamules, entirely 

 stuffed, almost solid, ring near apex of stem, lax, silky, torn, 



s 2 



