WHITE-SPORED AGARICS. 



131 



center. The species are very numerous. Peck, 23rd Report, N. Y. 

 State Mus., p. 124-126, describes 8 species. Morgan Jour. Cinn. 

 Soc. Nat. Hist. 6: 189-194, describes 17 species. 



Marasmius oreades Fr. Edible. This is the well known "fairy ring " 

 mushroom. It grows during the summer and autumn in grassy 

 places, as in lawns, by roadsides, in pastures, etc. It appears most 

 abundantly during wet weather or following heavy rains. It is found 

 usually in circles, or in the arc of a circle, though few scattered 

 plants not arranged in this way often occur. The plants are 7-10 

 cm. high, the cap 2-4 cm. broad, and the stem 3-4 mm. in thickness. 



The pileus is convex to expanded, sometimes the center elevated, 

 fleshy, rather thin, tough, smooth, buff color, or tawny or reddish, 

 in age, or in drying, paler. When moist the pileus may be striate 



Figure 129. Marasmius oreades. Caps buff, tawny, or reddish. 



on the margin. The gills are broad, free or adnexed, rounded near 

 the stem, white or dull yellowish. The spores are elliptical, 7-^ m 

 long. The stem is tough, solid, whitish. 



This widely distributed fungus is much prized everywhere by 

 those who know it. It is not the only fungus which appears in rings, 

 so that this habit is not peculiar to this plant. Several different 

 kinds are known to appear in rings at times. The appearance of the 

 fungus in rings is due to the mode of growth of the mycelium or 

 spawn in the soil. 



Having started at a given spot the mycelium consumes the food 

 material in the soil suitable for it, and the plants for the first year 

 appear in a group. In the center of this spot the mycelium, having 

 consumed all the available food, probably dies after producing the 



