5() TWESTY-THlRD REPORT OX THE StATE CABINET. 



Order— AGAEICINI. 



Hymenium inferior, spread over the surface of distinct gill- 

 like processes, which are easily divisible into two plates. 

 BerTc. Outl. p. 89.* 



The Agaricini are cellular, flowerless plants, consisting essen- 

 tially of an expanded suborbicular part {pileus or Jiymeno- 

 pTiorum) bearing on its lower surface thin vertical plates {lameUcB 

 or gills) radiating from a central or marginal point, and either at- 

 tached to its place of growth by a part of its margin, or sup- 

 ported upon a central or lateral stem {stipe). The lamellse or 

 gills consist of two separable membranes {hymenium) applied, 

 one on either side, to an intermediate stratum {trama) and pro- 

 ducing minute reproductive bodies {spores) on their exterior sur- 

 faces.-}- They may be attached by their inner extremity to the 

 stem and extend a little distance down it {decurrent\ nearly or 

 quite reach the stem without being attached to it {free\ or ter- 

 minate at a considerable distance from it {remote). They may 

 have the edge broadly curved, so that they appear bent like a 

 bow {arcuate)^ or shortly curved near the inner extremity, and 

 at the same time be slightly decurrent, so as to appear hook-like 

 {uvcinate)., or they may have the edge rough with little pro- 

 jections or teeth {serrate), or simply notched near the inner ex- 

 tremity {emarginate). 



The stem may be of the same diameter in every part {equal)., 

 or be thicker in the middle, tapering toward either extremity 

 {nentricose). It may be hollow, or have its center of different 

 texture from its exterior {stuffed), the center in such case being 

 either cottony or spongj^^, or it may be of uniform texture 

 throughout its diameter {solid). Its base may be coated or 

 fringed with minute entangled filaments {myceliwn), the immedi- 

 ate product of the spores, while toward its top there is often 

 seen a flabby, lacerated, membranaceous ring {annulus) girding 

 it. Sometimes the young plant is completely enveloped by a 

 submembranaceous wrapper {volva) which it bursts as it in- 

 creases in size, and in other cases the envelope may be only par- 

 tial, and even composed of little flocks or fibres which are 

 scarcely conspicuous. Both the stem and the pileus may be 

 wholly or partiall}^ sprinkled with fine, meal-like poAvder 

 {farinaceous), or coated with little hbres {fihrillose), or rough, 

 with distinct scales or scale-like tufts of fihY*^^ {squamose), which 

 are sometimes quite minute {squamulose). The surface of the 

 pileus in some species is sticky to the touch {viscid), in others it 

 may be in moist weather covered with a gelatinous substance 

 {glutinous). The flesh of some, when moist, presents a more 

 watery appearance and a greater depth of coloring than 



* This and the generic and subgeneric characters hereinafter given are taken 

 from Berkeley's Outlines of British Pungology. 



t Tlie lamellfB are rarely branched, and in a few instances reduced to obtuse, 

 vein-like elevations. 



