XEROTUS. 



161 



A very striking species. Name after Rev. John Stevenson. 

 1796. S. Mycol, Scot. n. 656. 



B. &> Bi: 



GENUS XVII. Xerotus (frpts, dry; o5s, an ear). Xerotus. 



Fr. Elench. i. p. 48. 



Hymenophore continuous with the stem, descending into the 

 trama which is homogeneous with the coriaceous pileus. Gills 

 coriaceous, broadly plicaeform, cli- 

 chotomous, edge quite entire, ob- 

 tuse. Rigid, persistent, analogous 

 with the Cantharclli, but differing in 

 the whole structure. Fr. Hym. Eitr. 

 P- 49i- 



1. X. degener Fr. Pileus date- 

 brown-grey when moist, when dry 

 grey, somewhat zoned, coriaceo-mem- 

 branaceous, very thin, but very tough, 

 plano-infundibuliform, striate whe7i 

 moist, flocculose when dry. Stem 

 not 2.5 cent, (i in.), often only 4-6 

 mm. (2-3 lin.) long, 2 mm. (i lin.) 

 thick, very tough, solid or floccoso- 

 stuffed at the apex, equal, fuscous, 



somewhat white-velvety. Gills decurrent, few, very distant, when 

 rightly developed thin, rather broad, whitish-grey, edge acute, 

 flaccid. 



When dry the pileus is zoneless in smaller specimens. When the gills are 

 less fully developed, they resemble the ribs of Cladoderris, the edge being very 

 obtuse. They vary, sometimes all equal, simple, sometimes simply dichoto- 

 mous, with shorter alternate ones. They are the most widely distant of any 

 of the species of Agaricini. 



L VI. Xerotus degener. One- 

 half natural size. 



Glamis, Warren, 1877. 



On peaty soil among short grass. 

 Jan. 



This extremely rare species has hitherto been recorded as British by Sowerby 

 only. My specimens, in the opinion of Berkeley were nearest Schceff. t. 243. 

 Spores elliptical, irregular, 8-12x4-6 mk. B. Name degener, degenerate. 

 Fr. Monogr. ii. /. 243. Hym. Eur. p. 491. Berk. Out. p. 227. C. Hbk. n. 

 693. S. Mycol. Scot. n. 657. Ag. Scha-ff. t. 243. A. turfosus Sow. t. 210. 



VOL. II. 



