226 AGARICUS. 



Phoiiota. convexo-plane, obtuse, smooth, then cracked into patches, margin 

 even. Stem commonly curt, 5 cent. (2 in.) long, about 12 mm. 

 (/4 in.) thick, stuffed, even solid, hard, becoming silky-even, then 

 longitudinally cracked when dry, thickened at the apex, mealy 

 and more than usually widened into the pileus, varying ventri- 

 cose and irregularly shaped. Ring torn. Gills adnate, striato- 

 decurrent with a tooth, ventricose, 12 mm. (% in.) broad, livid 

 then fuscous-ferruginous. 



The stem is abundantly furnished with fibrillose rootlets at the base. 

 Although very closely allied to A. prcecox, it is readily distinguished by its 

 ferruginous or brown-ferruginous spores. 



In garden ground. Uncommon. Spring and Autumn. 



Spores gx 5 mk. W.G.S. Name durus, hard. From its compact nature. 

 Bolt. t. 67. /. i. Fr. Monogr. i. /. 304. Hym. Eur. p. 216. Berk. Out. p. 

 149. C. Hbk. n. 289. Illust. PI. 423. S. Mycol. Scot. n. 273. Quel. t. 7. f. 

 8. A. obturatus Krombh. t. 28. /. 14-22. 



497. A. praecox Pers. Pileus about 7.5 cent. (3 in.) broad, 

 whitish then tan colour, fleshy, soft, convex, soon plane, obtuse, 

 even, smooth, moist but not viscous in rainy weather, becoming 

 pale; flesh soft, white. Stem 7.5-10 cent. (3-4 in.) long, 6-8 

 mm. (3-4 lin.) thick, stuffed, hollow upwards, equal, even, fragile, 

 at first mealy with white flocci, then somewhat naked, white, 

 white floccose at the base. Ring entire, reflexed, white. Gills 

 rounded-adnexed, quaternate, 4 mm. (2 lin.) broad, crowded, 

 whitish, then becoming fuscous. 



Spores&rown inclining to fuscous. There is a var. much smaller by waysides : 

 pileus 2.5-4 cent - ( I-I K in.) broad; stem 2.5-4 cent. (i-iK in.) long, 2-4 

 mm. (1-2 lin.) thick, stuffed with a soft pith ; ring fugacious or only appen- 

 diculate. 



In pastures, waysides, &c. Common. Spring-Autumn. 



Ring striate above. Paler than A. durus, but it is very doubtful whether it 

 is really distinct. M.J.B. Spores sphasroid- ellipsoid, 8-13x5-7 mk. K. ; 

 8x6 mk. W.G.S. Nameprczcox, early. Pers. Syn. p. 420. Fr. Monogr. 

 i. p. 305. Hym. Eur. p. 217. Berk. Out. p. 149. t. 8./. i. C. Hbk. n. 290. 

 Illust. PL 360. S. Mycol. Scot. n. 274. Letell. t. 608. Krombh. t. 55. / n- 

 16. A. candicans Schce/. t. 217. Var. minor, Batt. t. 20. C. 



B. TRUNCIGENI. On wood, c., most frequently caispitose. 

 * yEgeritini. Pileus naked not scaly, &^c. 



498. A. radicosus Bull. Pileus 7-5-12.5 cent. (3-5 in.) broad, 

 somewhat clay-coloured, then spotted-rufous, fleshy, convexo- 

 plane, regular, naked and even, somewhat dry; flesh moderately 

 thick, whitish. Stem 7-5~io cent. (3-4 in.) long, 12 mm. (y 2 in.) 



