34 AGARICUS. 



Tricholoma. I. Limacina (Umax, a snail, slimy). Pellicle of the pileus viscous when 

 damp, innately fibrillose or sguamulose, but not becoming torn. Pileus truly 

 and firmly fleshy, not hygrophanous, somewhat naked at the margin. 



* Gills not changing colour, nor at length rufescent. 



** Gills changing colour, commonly -with reddish spots. 



II. Genuina. Pellicle of the pileus never (with one exception) viscous (not 

 even moist by reason of the down upon it which absorbs the damp), but torn 

 into somewhat scaly fiocci or fibrils. Pileus with soft flesh, not hygrophanous, 

 the margin involute and somewhat tomentose at first. Species which have the 

 pileus fibrillose only from the veil must not be confounded with this section. 

 Odour not unpleasant or none. 



* Gills not changing colour, nor marked with rufous or black spots. 



'* Gills rufescent or becoming cinereous, the edge common 7 y at length marked 

 with rufous or black spots. 



III. Rigida (rigeo, to be stiff). Pellicle of the pileus rigid, punctato-granu- 

 late, or broken up when dry into smooth squamules, not viscous, floccoso-scaly 

 or torn into fibrils. Pileus rigid, in stout species hard, somewhat cartilaginous, 

 in the thinner ones very fragile, the margin (except that of A. macrorhizus 

 Lasch.) naked. Young specimens occur which are fibrillose, but from the veil, 

 and not from the laceration of the cuticle, as also other young and small ones 

 which are not broken up. Odour in the majority of species unpleasant. 



* Gills white or becoming pale, not rufescent, or becoming cinereous, nor 

 spotted. 



'* Gills changing colour, rufescent or becoming cinereous or spotted. 



IV. Sericella (sericeus, silky). Pileus (without a distinct pellicle) at the first 

 slightly silky, soon becoming smooth, very dry, neither moist, nor viscid, nor 

 hygrophanous, nor distinctly scaly. Pileus somewhat thin, opaque, absorbing 

 moisture, but the flesh of the same colour as the gills and not hygrophanous ; 

 stem in all the species fleshy-fibrous whereby the smaller ones are distinguished 

 from CollybifB which they resemble in appearance. A remarkable group, 

 whereof the species must not be confounded with others (as they are liable to 

 be) on account of the pileus having often become even, as if smooth. 



* Gills broad, rather thick, somewhat distant. Strong-scented. 

 ** Gills thin, crowded, narrow. Small and inodorous. 



Series B. Pileus even, smooth, neither villous nor scaly, nor viscous, but 

 moist in rainy weather, in the earliest stage (but rarely conspicuously) pru- 

 inose from the universal veil. Flesh soft, spongy, or very thin, watery and 

 hygrophanous. 



V. Guttata (gutta, a drop) or Prunuloidea (diminutive of prunum, a plum). 

 Pileus fieshy, soft, fragile, spotted as if by drops or rivulose, stem solid. Vernal, 

 occasionally but rarely met with a second time in autumn. Growing in troops 

 or csespitose (often forming rings). Fragrant especially when dried, anciently 

 reckoned among the most savoury. 



* Gills whitish. 



** Gills changing colour, rufescent or fuliginous. 



VI. Spongiosa (spongia, a sponge). Pileus compact then spongy, obtuse, even, 

 smooth, moist and not hygrophanous. Firm, appearing late in the year, grow- 

 ing in troops. Stem stout, commonly thickened at the base, fibroso-spongy. 

 Pileus absorbing damp, fleshy quite to the margin. Gills at length spuriously 

 (but sinuately) decurrent, so that old specimens may be easily mistaken for 

 Clitocybce. 



* Gills not changing colour. 

 ** Gills changing colour. 



