Melanosporae 



This little Coprinus is a valuable species when found. A patch of it Coprinus. 

 about a tree or stump is treasure trove. Patches of it appear in July 

 and bear until October. The not-particular observer would mistake it 

 for C. micaceus. 



*** Furfurel'li. Piletis micaceous or scurfy, etc. 



Pileus 2 in. broad, 



(Plate CVI.) 



C. domes'ticus (Pers.) Fr. damns, a house, 

 fuliginous, disk date-brown, thin, ovate 

 then bell-shaped, covered with small 

 branny scales, then opening into furrows 

 and flattened, undulately silicate, disk 

 obtuse, even. Stem 23 in. long, 23 

 lines thick, fistulose, slightly firm, at- 

 tenuated upward, adpressedly silky, be- 

 coming even, white. Gills adnexed, at 

 first crowded, distant when the pileus is 

 split, linear, white then reddish, at length 

 brownish-blackish . 



A larger and more remarkable species 

 than all the neighboring ones. Fries. 



Spores 14-16x7-81". Massee. 



On much decayed wood, damp car- 

 pets, in cellars, etc. Often in clusters. 



Mt. Gretna, Pa., Prof. M. W. Easton, 

 July, 1898; West Virginia, New Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania, Mcllvaine. 



C. domesticus is the largest of its sec- 

 tion and is sometimes of remarkable growth. I have seen it start from 

 under a board in a cellar and prolong its stems for over a foot to get its 

 caps to air and light. Under such conditions the stems are twisted in 

 a confused mass. 



It is very tender with a decided mushroom flavor. Cook at once. 



C. silvat'icus Pk. Pileus membranaceous, with a thin fleshy disk, 

 convex, striate in folds on the margin, dark-brown, the depressed 

 striae paler. Lamellae subdistant, narrow, attached to the stem, brown- 

 ish. Stem fragile, slender, smooth, hollow, white. Spores gibbous- 

 ovate, 12.//A long. 



38i 



COPRINUS DOMESTICUS. 

 Natural size. 



