26 STUDIES OF AMERICAN FUNGI. 



in September, 1899. The caps of these specimens measure 4 cm. in 

 diameter. 



Agaricus diminutivus Pk., is a closely related species. It is distin- 

 guished chiefly by its somewhat larger size, and purplish to reddish 

 brown hairs on the surface of the pileus, and by the somewhat larger 

 spores, which, however, are small. 1 have found it at Ithaca, the 

 surface of the pileus hairy, with beautiful, triangular, soft, appressed, 

 purplish scales. 



HYPHOLOMA Fr. 



In the genus Hypholoma the spores are purple brown, the gills 

 attached to the stem, and the veil when ruptured clings to the mar- 

 gin of the cap instead of to the stem, so that a ring is not formed, or 

 only rarely in some specimens. The stem is said to be continuous 

 with the substance of the cap, that is, it is not easily separated from 

 it. The genus is closely related to Agaricus (Psalliota) and Stropharia, 

 from both of which it differs in the veil not forming a ring, but 

 clinging to the margin of the cap. It further differs from Agaricus 

 in the stem being continuous with the substance of the cap, while 

 Stropharia seems to differ in this respect in different species. The 

 plants grow both on the ground and on wood. There are several 

 species which are edible and are very common. Peck gives a 

 synopsis of six species in the 49th Report New York State Mus., 

 page 61, 1896, and Morgan describes 7 species in Jour. Cinn. Soc. 

 Nat. Hist. 6:113-115. 



Hypholoma sublateritium Schaeff. Edible, bitter sometimes. The 

 name of this species is derived from the color of the cap, which is 

 nearly a brick red color, sometimes tawny. The margin is lighter 

 in color. The plants grow usually in large clusters on old stumps or 

 frequently appearing on the ground from buried portions of stumps 

 or from roots. There are from six to ten, or twenty or more plants 

 in a single cluster. A single plant is from 8-12 cm. high, the cap is 

 5-8 cm. broad, and the stem 6-8 mm. in thickness. 



The pileus is convex to expanded, smooth, or sometimes with 

 loose threads from the veil, especially when young, even, dry. 

 The flesh is firm, whitish, and in age becoming somewhat yellowish. 

 The gills are adnate, sometimes decurrent by a little tooth, rather 

 crowded, narrow, whitish, then dull yellow, and becoming dark from 

 the spores, purplish to olivaceous. The stem usually tapers down- 

 ward, is firm, stuffed, smooth, or with remnants of the veil giving it 

 a floccose scaly appearance, usually ascending because of the crowded 



