WHITE-SPORED AGARICS. 77 



spores are subglobose and ovate to elliptical, 6-7 fj. long. The stem is 

 cylindrical, even, hollow or stuffed, whitish or gray and very slightly 

 enlarged at the base into a small rounded bulb which is quite constant 

 and characteristic, and at first is covered on its upper margin by the 

 floccose matter from the volva. 



At Blowing Rock the plants occurred in sandy soil by roadsides 

 or in open woods. In habit it resembles strikingly forms of Amani- 

 topsis vaginata, but the volva is entirely different (Fig. 78). Although 

 A. vaginata was common in the same locality, I searched in vain for 

 intermediate forms which I thought might be found. Sometime: the 

 floccose matter would cling together more or less, and portions of 

 it remained as patches on the lower part of the stem, while depau- 

 perate forms of A. vaginata would have a somewhat reduced volva, 

 but in no case did I find intermediate stages between the two kinds 

 of volva. 



LEPIOTA Fr. 



The genus Lepiota lacks a volva, but the veil is present forming 

 a ring on the stem. The genus is closely related to Amanita, from 

 which it differs in the absence of the volva, or perhaps more properly 

 speaking in the fact that the universal veil is firmly connected 

 (concrete with) with the pileus, and with the base of the stem, so 

 that a volva is not formed. The gills are usually free from the stem, 

 some being simply adnexed, but in some species connected with a 

 collar near the stem. The stem is fleshy and is easily separable from 

 the cap. A number of the species are edible. Peck, 35th Report 

 N. Y. State Mus., p. 150-164, describes 18 species. Lloyd, Mycol. 

 Notes, November, 1898, describes 9 species. 



Lepiota naucina Fr. {Lepiota naucinoides Pk., Annularia Icevis 

 Krombh.) Edible. The smooth lepiota, L. naucina, grows in lawns, 

 in pastures and by roadsides, etc. It occurs during the latter part of 

 summer and during autumn, being more abundant in September and 

 early October, it is entirely white, or the cap is sometimes buff, 

 and in age the gills become dirty pink in color. It is from 8-12 cm. 

 high, the cap 5-10 cm. broad, and the stem 8-15 mm. in thickness. 



The pileus is very fleshy, nearly globose, then convex to nearly 

 expanded, smooth, or rarely the surface is broken into minute scales. 

 The gills are first white, free from the stem, and in age assume a dull 

 pink tinge. The spores are usually white in mass, but rarely when 

 caught on white paper they show a faint pink tinge. The spores 

 are elliptical to oval. The stem is nearly cylindrical, gradually 

 enlarging below so that it is clavate, nearly hollow or stuffed with 

 loose threads. 



