CLASSIFICATION 185 



C. tabescens. — Cap rather fleshy, convex or conico-campanulate, 

 then expanded, and more or less umbonate or gibbous, tawny 

 honey-colour or tinged brown, the disc more or less covered with 

 darker squamules, 2-3 in. across ; gills somewhat crowded, de- 

 current, tinged ochraceous flesh-colour ; stem fibrillosely squamu- 

 lose, becoming almost smooth, pallid or dingy ochre, 3-5 in. long. 



Growing usually in fairly dense tufts. Superficially very closely 

 resembling Armillaria mellea, but there is no trace of a ring. 



On the ground around stumps, etc. 



C. ampla. — Cap fleshy at the disc, cartilaginous and tough when 

 young, convex, then plane, somewhat giblious, unequal, wavy, lax 

 \\'hen old, smooth, rarely with longitudinal wrinkles or virgate, sooty 

 when young and moist, then livid, hoary or silky when dry, 3-6 in. 

 across ; gills often rounded and more or less adnate in one part, 

 and decurrent in another, broad, rather distant, serrulate, smoky 

 horn-colour, then whitish ; stem stout, often twisted, smooth, 

 white, apex downy, up to 6 in. long, fibrous internally, surface 

 somewhat cartilaginous. 



Usually very large, often up to 9-12 in. across in exceptionally 

 well-grown specimens. 



In woods among moss, etc., gregarious or in small clusters. 



C. aggregata. — Cap thin, flaccid, convex, then expanded, often 

 gibbous, often wavy and irregular, minutely longitudinally wrinkled, 

 greyish livid or pale j^ellowish rufescent, becoming pale, 2-4 in. 

 across ; gills unequally decurrent, crowded, broad, pinkish yellow 

 or pallid ; stem somewhat fibrillose, thinner at the base, pinkish 

 yellow or whitish, several often grown together at the base. 



Differs from C. decastes in the fibrillose stem, coloured gills, 

 flaccid and often excentric cap. 



In oak woods on the ground ; on sawdust, etc. 



C. elixa. — Cap fleshy at the disc, umbonate, then flattened or 

 depressed, edge more or less wavy, downy and streaked, disc smoky 

 buff, edge paler, marked with dingy spots, 2-4 in. across ; gills 

 decurrent, distant, whitish ; stem stout, almost equal, coloured 

 like the cap, i-ij in. long. 



Solitary. Cap becoming pale and silky when dry. 



On the ground in woods. 



C. fumosa. — Cap with a fleshy disc, convex, often gibbous when 

 young, regular or wavy, smooth, sooty brown, soon livid or grey 

 when dry, 1-3 in. across ; gills adnate when the cap is regular, but 

 sometimes decurrent, crowded, distant, greyish white ; stem often 

 twisted and curved, smooth, dingy white, apex mealy, fibrous, 2-3 

 in. long. 



Known from C. elixa by the obtuse cap, which is never vu'gate 

 or streaked. Smell none. 



In woods. Gregarious or somewhat clustered. Tough. 



