34 AGARICINI. 



Coprinus. grow on rich and highly manured places, often on dung, some- 

 times on decaying wood. Some are edible. 



Trib. I. Pelliculosi (pellicula, a thin skin). Gills covered above with a 

 fleshy or membranaceous cuticle, and hence the pileus does not open into 

 furrows along the gills, but becomes torn and revolute. 



* Comati (coma, hair : C. comatus). Furnished with a ring arising from 

 the volva, the cuticle torn into scales. 



** Atramentarii (atramentum, ink : C. atramentarius). Somewhat ringed 

 (but not with a volva), pileus dotted or spotted with minute innate squamules. 



*** Picacei (pica, a magpie, pied: C. picaceus}. Universal veil floccnlose, 

 at first continuous, then broken up into superficial scales which form patches on 

 the pileus. 



**** Tomentosi (tomentum, down : C. tomentosus). Pileus at first clothed 

 with distinct fiocci or lax villous down, which fall off and disappear. Ring 

 none. 



***** Micacei (mico, to glitter : C. micaceus). Pileus covered with small 

 micaceous scales or granules, which fall off and disappear. Ring none. 



****** Glabrati (glaber, smooth). Pileus smooth, without fioccose or mica- 

 ceoiis squamules. Veil none. 



Trib. II. Veliformes (velum, a veil ; forma, form). Pileus very thin, with- 

 out a pellicle, at length opening into furrows along the back of the gills, and 

 becoming plicato-sulcate. Stem thin, fistulose. Gills melting away into very 

 thin lines. 



* Cyclodei (KUKA.OS, a circle; etSos, appearance). Stem annulate or volvate. 

 ** Lanatuli (lanatus, woolly). Pileus clothed with superficial, separating 



fioccules, gills free. Ringless. 



*** Furfurelli (furfiireus, branny). Pileus micaceous or furfuraceous, 

 gills commonly adnate to the apex of the stem which (in some species) is dilated 

 into a- ring or collar. Ringless. 



**** Hemerobii (wepa, a day ; /Sios, life). Pileus always smooth. Ringless. 



I. PELLICULOSI. Cuticle fleshy or membranaceous. 

 * Comati. With a ring arising from the volva, &^c. 



1. 0. comatus Fr. Pileus white, slightly fleshy, at the first 

 cylindrical, 7.5 cent. (3 in.) high, and continuous, soon expanded, the 

 cuticle separating into adpressed shaggy scales, the darker vertex 

 remaining persistently entire, at length striate (but never sulcate) ; 

 margin often unequal. Stem 20 cent. (8 in.) and more long, 12 

 mm. ()4 in.) and more thick, hollow but with spider-web threads 

 within, radiato-bulbous when young, then attenuated upwards, 

 fibrillose, shining, dingy or lilac-white. Ring comparatively thin, 

 torn, moveable, at length vanishing. Gills free, separate from 

 the stem, 6 mm. (3 lin.) broad, linear, white then becoming purple, 

 and at length black and deliquescent. 



Spores globose. Ring sometimes persistent at the base in the form of a 

 volva : Bolt. t. 54. In drier weather it becomes whiter as do also the gills : 

 Paul. t. 128. 



On rich soil near roads, houses, &c. Frequent. April-Oct. 



