66 [Assemble 



prolonged fit the base into a short grayish-tomentose stem, Uachish- 

 brownor black, the tomentum grayish or cinereous, the tliin margin 

 slightly striate when moist ; lamelU^ rather broad, dose, blackish-brown 

 or black, whitish on the edge; sjiores subelHjHical ; .0003 to .00035- 

 in. long, .00016 to .0002 broad. 



Decaying wood and bark, both of frondose and aoerose trees. Fort 

 Edward, K C. Howe. Buffalo. G. W. ClMoti. Maryland, Helder- 

 berg and Adirondack mountains. June to October. 



Our plant is closely related to Pleurotus appJicatus, and it is with 

 some hesitation that I have described it as distinct. But unless the 

 figures and descriptions of that species are erroneous, our fungus is 

 easily distinguished from it by its larger size, darker color and closer 

 blackish lamellas. P. ajjplicaius is described as dark cinereous, cupu- 

 lar, two to three lines broad, villose at the base, sessile or attached by 

 a prolongation on the back and with the lamella? distant and paler 

 than the pileus. In the American plant these characters do not hold 

 good. The pileus is often clearly attached by a lateral stem or stem- 

 like base and the villosity is found everywhere except on the margin, 

 and the lamellte are always, so far as I have seen, as dark as or even 

 blacker than the pileus. The jilant is flexible and revives on the ap- 

 plication of moisture, thus indicating an affinity with the genus 

 Panus. I have seen no description of the spores of P. aijplicatus. 



Pleurotus niger, Schw 

 Black Agaric. 



Pileus submembranous, two to four lines broad, subresupinate, pul- 

 veraceous, black, j^Ucate on the margin ; lamella? broad, radiating, blacky 

 cinereous on the edge ; spores subglobose, .0002 to .00025 in. broad. 



Decaying wood. Helderberg mountains, June. This apparently 

 rare fungus has been found in our State but once. The pileus is at- 

 tached by a tuft of black hairs, and in the largest specimens these ex- 

 tend to the disk and there have a pulverulent appearance. The black 

 color, black villosity and more coarsely striate or plicate margin dis- 

 tinguish this species from the next, which it otherwise closely resem- 

 bles. 



Pleurotus striatulus, Fr. 



Slightly-striate Agaric. 



Agaricus membranaceus, Scop. Agaricus striaio-jjellucidus, Pers. 



Pileus membranous, very delicate, two to four lines broad, resupin- 

 ate or subcupular, then reflexed, sometimes obconic and pendulous, 

 sessile, slightly siriate when moist, strongly striate or corrugated when 

 dry, flaccid, glabrous, scattered or gregarious, persistent, cinereoiis 

 or brown; lamella? few, distant, whitish or cinereous; spores subglo- 

 bose, .0002 to .00025 in. broa,d. 



Much decayed wood of pine and hemlock. Fort Edward. E. C. 

 Hoioe. Buffalo. G. W. Clinto7i. Greeubush and Adirondack moun- 

 tains. July and October. 



This is the smallest of our Pleuroti, Like the three preceding 

 species, it revives on the application of moisture, and with them it 

 forms a peculiar group worthy of distinction and separation from the 



