No. 104.] 67 



others. The pileus is attached by a grayish villosity. la drying it 

 sometimes becomes nearly black. It is then so small and shriveled 

 that it is easily overlooked. 



CLAUD OPUS, Smitli. 



Pileus eccentric, lateral or'resupinate. Spores pinkish. 



The species of this genus were formerly distributed among the Pleii- 

 roti and Crepidoti, which they resemble in all respects except in the 

 color of the spores. The genus at first was made to include species 

 with lilac-colored as well as pink spores, but Professor Fries limited it 

 to species with pink spores. In this sense we have taken it. The spores 

 in some species are even, in others rough or angnlated. The stem is 

 either entirely wanting or is very short and inconspicuous, a charac- 

 ter indicated by the generic name. The pileus is often resupinate and 

 attached by a dorsal point when young, but it becomes reflexed with 

 age. The species are few and infrequent. All inhabit decaying 

 wood. 



Sijnopsis of the Species. 



Pileus yellow (7. nidulans. 



Pileus white or whitish 1 



1 Spores even C. varinhilis. 



1 Spores augulated C. depluens. 



Pileus gray or browu .... 2 



2 Pileus striatulate wheu moist C. Oreigensis. 



2 Pileus not striatulate C. hyssisedus. 



Claudopus nidulans. 



Nestling Agaric, 

 Agaricus nidulans, Pers. 



Pileus one to three inches broad, sessile or rarely narrowed behind 

 into a short stem-like base, often imbricated, suborbicular dimidiate 

 or reniform, tbmentose, somewhat strigose-hairy or squamulose-hairy 

 toward the margin, yelloio or hnff color, the margin at first involute"; 

 lamellae rather broad, moderately close or subdistant, orange-yellow ; 

 spores even, slightly curved, .00025 to .0003 in. long, about half as 

 broad, delicate pink. 



Decaying wood. Sandlake, Catskill and Adirondack mountains. 

 Autumn. 



This fungus was placed by Fries among the Pleuroti, and in this he 

 has been followed by most authors. But the spores have a delicate 

 pink color closely resembling that of the young lamellas of the com- 

 mon mushroom, xigaricus campestris. We have, therefore, placed it 

 among the Claudopodes, where Fries himself has suggested it should 

 be placed if removed at all from Pleurotus. Our plant has sometimes 

 been referred to Panus dorsalis, Bosc, but with the description of 

 that species it does not well agree. The tawny color, spathulate 

 pileus, paler floccose scales, short lateral stem and decurrent lamellae 

 ascribed to that species are not well shown by our plant. The snb- 

 stance of the pileus, though rather tenacious and persistent, can 

 scarcely be called coriaceous. The flesh is white or pale yellow. The 

 tomentum of the pileus is often matted in small tufts and intermingled 

 with coarse hairs, especially toward the margin. This gives a squa- 



