SOME COMMON BRITISH FUNGI 



M II scar i a. or 

 Agaricus Miis- 

 cariits (Linn.)- 

 The former 

 manner deter- 

 mines the ad- 

 ditional fact of 

 the species be- 

 longing to the 

 A m a nitecv, a 

 sub-division of 

 the large order 

 of the Agarics. 



It is a very 

 showy plant, 

 and common in 

 our birch and 

 fir woods. The 

 pileiis, or cap. 

 is a vivid blood- 

 red at the first 

 stage of expan- 

 sion, becoming 



more orange later, and paling in colour 

 when old. Its early form is globose, then 

 convex, and lastly flattened, with frag- 

 ments of the white volva, or universal 

 wrapper, scattered on the surface. Be- 

 neath the outer skin the flesh is white, 

 together with the stem, which at an early 



Common in grass. 



THE "PRICKLY C.'VP." 

 Shown growing on a tree trunk. Its colour is yellow, with bright tan scales. 



THE "SCARLET HOOD." 

 The cap is scarlet above, shading to orange and yellow below. 



stage is filled with fibrils, but soon becomes 

 hollow. The base is bulb-like, with rings 

 of scales running round it. The "ring" 

 is large, soft, and torn in shape, inserted 

 at the apex of the stem and hanging 

 down upon it. The illustration unfortu- 

 nately fails to show this ring owing to 



the surrounding 

 mosses. The gills 

 are what is 

 termed free in 

 character, but 

 touch the stem ; 

 t h e colour is 

 white, though 

 rare instances of 

 yellow may be 

 met with. The 

 average breadth 

 of the pilcns is 

 from 3 to 7 in. ; 

 the stem 2 to 

 () in. ; although 

 some have writ- 

 ten of specimens 

 measuring 20 in. 

 across tlie cap 

 and standing J 

 It. high. 



it is a poison- 

 ous s])ecies, the 

 narcotico-acid 

 producing intoxi- 



