46^ CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



CLITOCYBE Fr. 



From early spring until late fall some members of this genus 

 may be found growing in leaf -mold or on fallen logs in the 

 forests. The plants vary much in color and size. The colors 

 range from pure white through the various shades of purple 

 and violet, and a few are yellow. Many species have a depres- 

 sion in the center of the cap which gives them a more or less 

 funnel-formed appearance. The stem is composed of rather 

 stout fibers, so that it is not easily broken when the plants are 

 pulled from the ground ; and these fibers, extending into the cap, 

 closely connect the two, so that the stem and cap are not easily 

 separable as in Lepiota. 



Clitocybe odora Bull. (Plate XVII, Bull. No. 3.) As the 

 specific name signifies, this species is characterized by a strong 

 odor which is not unlike the fragrance of water-lilies. It occurs 

 abundantly throughout the season. The plants are small, the 

 cap rarely being over two inches in diameter. It is pale green 

 in color, with a thick, tough flesh. The gills are broad and close, 

 similar to the cap in color. The stem is slender, shorter than the 

 diameter of the cap, and dingy white in color. 



Clitocybe laccata Scop. This is an exceedingly common 

 species, occurring from early spring until late fall. The char- 

 acteristics of the species are so striking that it is not likely 

 to be mistaken for any non-edible species. The plant is very 

 variable, however, in its characters, and Dr. Peck has described 

 several varieties. The cap is thin, convex, the margin often 

 becoming uprolled and torn at maturity, giving the plant an 

 abnormal appearance. The surface of the cap is smooth, but 

 sometimes it is densely covered with fine fibers. The color of 

 the cap is usually lighter than that of the gills, the latter being 

 often deeply tinged with purple or lavender. In moist weather 

 the whole plant becomes more or less water-soaked. The gills 

 frequently extend down the stem in the immature plant, but as 

 the cap expands they are torn away from the stem and also 

 become more or less torn otherwise. They frequently have a 

 distinct tooth where they join the stem, and in this respect the 

 plant resembles Tricholoma. The stem varies in height from one- 

 to four inches, is slender, and yellow-white in color. 



