GENERA AND SPECIES OF MUSHROOMS 



The plants if dry and shrunken, revive under the influence 

 of moisture. The cap varies much in color but commonly 

 has a dull russety tinge when moist, sometimes approaching 

 bay red. It fades in drying and becomes grayish white. The 

 stem is long in proportion to the width of the cap. Peck. 



Collybia dryophila ; Collybidium dryophilum ; oak-loving 

 mushroom. Plate VII, Species 33. 



On ground or rarely on decayed wood; in woods and pas- 

 tures; in groups or slightly tufted; May to October; edible 

 (Murrill). Taste nutty. 



Cap pale or dark tan, yellowish or chestnut; rather tough; 

 convex to nearly plane, sometimes depressed at the center; 

 edge often wavy, turned in when young; surface smooth and 

 dry; flesh thin, white, >2 to 2 inches broad. 



Gills adnexed (adjacent to but not attached to stem) or 

 with a bend or tooth near the stem; whitish or rarely yellow- . 

 ish; rather near together. 



Stem cartilaginous (like gristle); smooth; brown; hollow, 

 or stuffed (pithy) in lower portion; sometimes bulbous at 

 base; i to 3 inches long. 



Spores white; elliptic or egg-shaped; smooth glassy (hya- 

 line) ; 5-7 X 4-5 microns in diameter. 



An edible species of good quality. The early spring form 

 is smaller than the more common summer and autumn form. 

 Murrill. 



The oak-loving collybia is one of our most common mush- 

 rooms. It occurs in woods, groves, open places and pastures 

 and appears at any time from early spring to late autimin 

 when there is a sufficient degree of warmth and moisture. A 

 favorite place of growth is among fallen pine leaves or under 

 pine trees. It also grows on decaying wood. When it oc- 

 curs in dense tufts the caps are usually very irregular on ac- 



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