CLASSIFICATION 165 



rather distant, deeper coloured than the cap ; stem even, smooth, 

 pale yellow, very fragile, hollow, usually wavy, whitish when dry, 

 about 2 in. long. 



Somewhat resembling H. ceraceus, differing in the deeply decur- 

 rent gills, bright lemon-yellow, becoming whitish when dry, and 

 plicate edge of the cap. 



Among grass in fields, etc. 



H. ceraceus. — Cap convex, then expanded, obtuse, slightly viscid, 

 fragile, waxy yellow and shining, pellucidly striate, about i in. 

 across ; gills slightly decurrent, almost triangular, broad, yellow ; 

 stem often unequal and wavy, smooth, hollow, coloured like the 

 cap, 1-2 in. long. 



Fragile. Readily known from all other species by the unchange- 

 able, wax-yellow colour. 



In pastures. 



H. coccineus. — Cap convex, then plane, often irregular, at first 

 viscid, even, bright crimson, then pale, i-2| in. across ; gills 

 broadly adnate, with a decurrent tooth, distant, connected by veins, 

 soft and watery, base purplish, middle pale yellow, edge glaucous 

 when adult ; stem often flattened, not slimy, crimson above, base 

 always pale yellow, hollow, about 2 in. long. 



Size very variable. Differs from H. puniceits in the broadly 

 adnate gills and yellow base of stem, and from H. miniatus by its 

 larger size, yellow base of stem, and glabrous cap. 



Among moss and grass in open places. 



H. miniatus. — Cap convex and obtuse, then imibilicate, at first 

 even, smooth, crimson, becoming pale and squamulose, ^-i in. 

 across ; gills adnate, not at all decurrent, distant, rather thick and 

 firm, yellow or sometimes tinged crimson ; stem smooth, shining, 

 crimson, i|-2 in. long. 



Very fragile. Much smaller than the other red species. Cap 

 umbilicate, bleached and squamulose when old. 



Among grass in pastures, woods, etc. 



H. citrinus. — Cap up to i in. across, becoming expanded, citron- 

 yellow, viscid, edge striate ; gills adnato-decurrent, yellowish 

 white ; stem up to i in. long, solid, viscid, yellowish downwards. 



Distinguished by the citron-yellow cap with darker coloured striae, 

 and the viscid, solid stem. 



On the ground. 



H. reai. — Cap up to i in. across, becoming plane, scarlet, edge 

 yellowish ; gills broadly adnate, broad, flesh-colour, then orange, 

 edge yellow ; stem T-\-2\ in. long, viscid, orange-scarlet to yellow. 



Distinguished by its bitter taste and viscid stem from H. coc- 

 cineus, H. miniatus and H. turundus. 



In pastures. 



