GENERA AND SPECIES OF MUSHROOMS 



nearly plane; smooth; dry; flesh whitish or yellowish, taste 

 commonly bitter; sometimes mild; i to 3 inches in diameter. 



Gills extending to the stem or attached to it (adnexed or 

 adnate); close together; whitish or yellowish white, becoming 

 tinged with green when mature, and later, purplish-brown 

 (from the ripened spores). 



Stem cylindric or tapering toward the base; occasionally 

 several stems grow from a common base; smooth or slightly 

 fibrous; stuffed; some becoming hollow when old; rust- 

 colored; 2 to 3>^ inches long. 



Spores purplish-brown; 6-8X3-4 microns in diameter. 



Murrill considers this species to be identical with Hy- 

 pholoma perplexum. The gills are quickly attacked by 

 insects which leave their excrement upon portions not eaten 

 and thus, perhaps, may be found an explanation of the 

 occasional bitter taste. Specimens that are collected after 

 frost has checked the ravages of insects, are found to be free 

 from any bitter taste. 



The genus Inocybe 



Mushrooms belonging to the rusty spored genus Inocybe 

 are generally of small or medium size with some shade of 

 brown as their color and most of them grow on the ground. 

 The gills extend to the stem but are rarely attached to it. 

 Their caps are darker in color when young than when old. 

 The stem is not easily detachable from the cap. The spores 

 are brownish-rust colored, with even, angular or rough con- 

 tours. 



Mushrooms of this genus are difficult to identify. It is 

 often necessary, even for experts, to make use of the micro- 

 scope in distinguishing the species. The resemblance of some 

 of the Inocybes to others of their genus or to mushrooms of 

 other rusty-spored genera is so close that microscopic examin- 

 ation of the spores cannot be safely omitted. 



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