Melanosporaa 



PSATHYREL'LA. 



Gr. fragile. 



PileilS membranaceous, striate, margin straight, at first pressed to the Psathyreiia. 

 stem, not extending beyond the gills . Veil inconspicuous. Gills sooty- 

 black, not variegated. Spores black. 



Closely resembling Psathyra in appearance, but separated by the 

 spore color. 



In the black-spored series Panaeolus and Anellaria are distinguished 

 by their pilei not being striate and Coprinus by its deliquescent gills. 



The species are small and can seldom be gathered in quantity. But 

 those tested have the full mushroom flavor and are valued for the flavor 

 they give to less gifted species when cooked with them. 



P. gra'cilis Fr. slender. Pileus 3^-1 in. broad, sooty, livid, etc., 

 when dry, tan, rosy or whitish, hygrophanous, membranaceous, bell- 

 shaped, obtuse, smooth, even, slightly and pellucidly-striate only round 

 the margin. Stem 3 in. and more long, scarcely I line thick, tubular, 

 remarkably tense and straight , equal, naked, smooth, whitish, not rooted ', 

 wJiite-villons at the base. Grills wholly adnate, commonly broader be- 

 hind (rarely linear), almost distant, distinct, at first whitish, then cin- 

 ereous-blackish with the black spores, edge rose-colored. Fries. 



When dry the pileus is soft to the touch. Gregarious, fragile. Very 

 similar to A. corrugis, and there is a variety corrugated. Stevenson. 



Spores ellipsoid, 13-14x7-8^ K.; 5xi2/u- W.G.S.; 7x3-3.5/4 Mas- 

 see; 14x8/4 Morgan. 



New York, Peck, Rep. 23 ; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 

 common, rich ground, June to October. Mcllvaine. 



A common and beautiful fungus, growing in patches on rich ground. 

 It is decidedly prim. Its conical cap is regular as an extinguisher. It 

 pays to gather it for flavoring other species. I have not seen the 

 corrugated form mentioned by Fries. P. graciloides Pk. lacks the rosy- 

 edged gills; gills are whitish. 



3*9 



