CLASSIFICATION 221 



Differs from P. concliatus in the densely downy stem, which is 

 often more or less tinged violet, as is also the cap. Very variable 

 in shape ; flesh thicker than in P. concliatus. 



Common on dead birch trunks, stumps, etc. 



P. rudis. — Clustered, cap depressed, reddish tan, bristling with 

 small tufts of hairs, 1-2 in. across, gills narrow, running down the 

 short, downy stem. Smell spicy. On wood. 



** Stem lateral, or springing from the edge of the cap. 



P. stypticus (PI. XVIII, fig. 7). — Thin, pliant, more or less 

 kidney-shaped, cinnamon or yellowish buff, cuticle broken up into 

 mealy granules, |-ii in. across ; gills narrow, rather crowded, 

 connected by thin ridges, cinnamon, radiating from the point of 

 attachment of the flattened stem ; stem lateral, very short, 

 flattened. 



Usually densely imbricated, the short stems being crowded 

 together. Taste hot and pungent. 



On decaying stumps, trunks, etc. 



P. albido-tonientosus. — Cap semicircular, horizontal, sometimes 

 wavy, thin and pliant, pale umber and densely covered with short, 

 whitish, velvety down, scanty towards the incurved edge, 

 about I in. across ; gills radiating from the point of attachment, 

 honey- coloured ; stem lateral, very short or entirely absent. 



On trunks, etc. Often growing in imbricated clusters. 



P. farinaceiis. — Rather smaller than P. stypticus, dusky cinna- 

 mon, broken up into greyish white scurf, which falls away ; gills 

 free, distinct, pale ; stem short, lateral. 



On wood. 



** Cap resupinate, sessile or produced to a point of attachment 

 behind. 



P. patellaris. — Cap |-| in. across, attached by its back, gills 

 uppermost, narrow, cro\\'ded, yellowish, radiating from a nearly 

 central point. 



Grows flat and pressed to dead wood. 



P. stevensoni. — Cap spoon-shaped, yellow with an olive tinge ; 

 gills narrow ; stem dilated above, convex, golden, downy ; flesh 

 greenish yellow. 



A minute fungus, growing on dead wood. 



Xerotus 



Cap dry, thin, tough ; gills very narrow, resembling folds, 

 forked, edge entire, thick ; stem central or excentric ; spores 

 white. 



The very thin, leathery cap, and narrow, forked, fold-like gills 

 mark this from every other British genus of agarics. Most closely 

 allied to Cantharellus, and resembling the smaller species of 

 Crater elliis. 



