CLASSIFICATION 341 



PSILOCYBE 



Cap regular, smooth, edge at tirst incurved ; gills and spores at 

 length brownish or purplish ; stem central, often rooting. 



Differs from Psathyra by having the edge of the caj) incurved 

 when young, and from Agaric its and Stropharia by the absence of 

 a ring. 



I. Cap xvith a pellicle that is viscid iclien moist ; stem firm, tough, 

 often coloured. 



* Gills broadest in the middle, not decurrent. 



P. sarcocephala. — Cap 2-4 in. across, fleshy, convex, then ex- 

 panded, dry, pale tawny, becoming pale ; gills adnate, very broad, 

 greyish fiesli-colour, then sooty ; stem 3-5 in . long, usually curved 

 or wavy, \\-hitish. 



Distinguished from every other species of the genus by its large 

 size and fleshy cap. 



Round stumps, etc. Clustered or solitary. 



P. ericcBa. — Cap up to i| in. across, conico-convex, then ex- 

 panded, then plane or depressed, viscid when moist, rusty or bay, 

 pale yellowish and shining when dry ; gills adnate, pallid, then 

 black ; stem 3-4 in. long, usually wavy, tough, pallid. 



In damp or swampy pastures. Gregarious. 



P. snhericaa. — Cap 1-2 in. across, soon plane, even, brown, then 

 pale ; gills sinuate, adnexed, pallid, then blackish ; stem 1-2 in. 

 long, smooth, yellowish, distinctly hollow. 



Differs from P. ericceits in the adnexed, sinuate gills and yellowish, 

 hollow stem. 



In grass fields. 



P. lidus. — Cap up to I in. across, convex, then plane, wrinkled, 

 tawny bay, then yellowish ; gills whitish, then purplish ; stem 

 3-5 in. long, fibrillose, pale above, rusty below. 



In swamps among Sphagnum, etc, 



P. canofaciens. — Cap up to i in. across, bell-shaped, then ex- 

 panded, with a fleshy disc, bay-brown, everywhere covered with 

 delicate white fibrils which soon disappear at the disc, veil white, 

 at first attached to the edge of the cap ; gills umber ; stem 2-3 in. 

 long, colour of cap and covered with white fibrils. 



On rotten straw. 



P. areolata. — Cap 1-3 in. across, convex, then expanded, minutely 

 fibrillose, breaking up into angular patches, ochraceous or rufous ; 

 gills blackish with a purple tinge, edge whitish ; stem 2-3 in. long, 

 dingy white, fibrillose. 



On the ground in gardens, etc. Tufted. 



P. virescens.- — Cap up to li in. across, convex, then expanded, 

 bright dark brown, cracked into angular patches, the interstices 

 clear pale green, then yellowish ; stem about 2 in. long, upper part 



