32 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



distinct. The volva, or cup, is very fragile, and usually dis- 

 appears as the plants approach maturity. The color of the 

 whole plant is a dull red-brown, often changing with age to a 

 fawn-color, thus very different from the brilliant red tints of 

 A. Cacsarca. When bruised or broken the flesh is quickly dis- 

 colored and changed to red. The cap is quite large, ranging 

 from three to five inches in diameter, and before maturity is 

 covered by dense white scales, the remains of the universal veil. 

 During rainy weather and frequently at maturity these scales 

 disappear, leaving the surface smooth. The stem is often four 

 or five inches long and frequently an inch thick, somewhat 

 enlarged at the base, and surrounded at the top by the large 

 white membranous ring, the remains of the partial veil. The 

 gills are white or whitish, quickly discolored in handling, and 

 are free from the stem. The species occurs in large numbers 

 during the summer and autumn months. 



Amanita strobiliformis Vitt. This species has never been 

 collected by the writer, but is listed by Mr. C. C. Hanmer in 

 his collection at East Hartford. The chief characters of the 

 plant are a thick stem, enlarged at the base into a long, solid, 

 scaly bulb resembling a beet ; the cap appearing small at first, 

 but gradually enlarging as maturity is reached. The flesh is 

 white, with a strong odor of chloride of lime. This has been 

 pronounced edible by Peck, Mcllvaine, and Curtis. 



AMANITOPSIS Roz. 



In the genus Amanitopsis there are no species reported 

 poisonous, but there is danger of mistaking some species of 

 Amanita for Amanitopsis. Amanitopsis has the volva or cup at 

 the base of the stem, but lacks the ring which is always present 

 in Amanita, although in some species of Amanita it is so fragile 

 that it quickly disappears, the plants at maturity therefore 

 resembling Amanitopsis. The chief point for caution lies in 

 determining whether or not a ring has been present on the stem 

 before pronouncing any specimen an Amanitopsis. But one 

 species is found in sufficient quantities to make the plants of much 

 value for food. 



Amanitopsis vaginata (Fr.) Roz. (Plate II) is one of the 

 most frequent species, and is abundant in open woods from June 



