Agaricaceae 

 Trichoioma. III. Rio'iDA. Pileus rigid, cuticle broken up into smooth scales, etc. 



* Gills white or pallid, not becoming spotted with red or gray . 

 Not represented. 



** 'Gills becoming reddisJi or grayish, spotted, etc. 



T. sapona'ceum Fr. sapo, soap. Strong, smelling of an undefina- 

 ble soap. Cap 24 in. across, involute at first, convex then flattened, 

 dry, glabrous, moist in wet weather, never viscid, brownish, more or 

 less spotted or having the skin cracked into scales, occasionally covered 

 with dark fibrils. Flesh firm, whitish becoming reddish when wounded. 

 Gills emarginate, with a hooked tooth (uncinate) thin, distant, pale 

 white. Stem 2-4 in. long, about ,4 in. thick, often unequal, base 

 sometimes long and rooting, usually smooth, at times reticulated with 

 black fibrils, or is scaly. Distasteful. 



The species is variable in size and color. Stevenson remarks: 

 "Scarcely any species has been more confounded with others." It may 

 always be safely distinguished by its odor, by its distant gills, by the 

 smooth cuticle of the cap cracking into scales, and by the change of 

 color to reddish when bruised. 



West Virginia mountains. August to frost. 1881-85. New Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania. Mcllvaine. 



This fungus is not extremely unpleasant when eaten like T. sulphu- 

 reum, but no one will care to eat it. There is nothing in the flavor to 

 recommend it or to inspire a cultivation of taste for it. 



IV. SERICEL'LA. Pileus slightly silky, soon smooth, etc. 

 * Gills broad, rather thick, somewhat distant. 



T. sulplm'reum Bull. sulphur, brimstone. Odor strong, fetid or 

 like gas tar. Cap 1-4 in. across, subglobose, then convex and plane, 

 slightly umbonate, sometimes depressed, fleshy, margin at first involute. 

 Color dingy or reddish sulphur-yellow, at first silky, becoming smooth 

 or minutely tomentose. Flesh thick., yellow. Gills rather thick, nar- 

 rowed behind, emarginate or acutely adnate, sometimes appearing arcu- 

 ate from shape of cap. Stem 2-4 in. long, 3-5 lines thick, equal or 



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