290 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



a^aia under the inflaence of moisture. The gills are thin and 

 have an acute edge. They are rather tough and flexible like the 

 cap. The spores are white. 



Marasmius Oreades Fr. 

 Fairy-eing Mushroom. 



Plate 14. Figs. 12 to 81. 



Pileus fleshy, tough, glabrous, convex or nearly plane, often 

 somewhat umbonate, reddish or tawny red, becoming paler with 

 age or in drying ; lamellee broad, distant, rounded behind or free, 

 whitish or yellowish ; stem slender, tough, solid, coated with a 

 close dense villosity, whitish ; spores nearly elliptical, white, 

 .0003 to .00035 in. long. 



The Fairy-ring mushroom has received this name because of 

 its tendency to grow in rings or circles. In France it is called 

 False mousseron and in England, Scotch bonnets. It is also 

 called Fairy ring champignon. When young and moist its cap 

 is reddish, tawny-red or pale yellowish-red, but it becomes paler 

 with age or as the moisture disappears. "When dry it is gener- 

 ally pale-yellow or buff, as shown in figures 16 and 17. Some- 

 times it is slightly striated on the margin, especially when moist, 

 as shown in figure 12. Often it is prominent in the center as if 

 broadly umbonate. This is seen in figures 13 and 14. The 

 flesh is rather thin, white and inclined to be tough. 



The gills are rather broad and wide apart. They are rounded 

 at the inner extremity and scarcely or but slightly attached to 

 the stem. They are whitish or yellowish. 



The stem is rather slender but solid and quite tough. It is 

 covered with a fine close villosity or tomentum which can be 

 scraped away, revealing the smooth surface of the stem baneath. 

 Its color is whitish or pale grayish. 



Cap one to two inches broad, stem one to two and a half inches 

 long, scarcely one -fourth of an inch thick. 



Common in pastures, lawns and grassy places by roadsides. 

 May to October ; appearing in wet weather or after heavy rains. 

 It usually grows in groups, sometimes in arcs of circles or in 

 complete circles or even in lines. It sometimes forms clusters. 



It has long been esteemed as edible, but owing to its small size 

 and somewhat tough substance it has not gained the general 





