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32 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
flavor was satisfactory and the species is deemed worthy of a 
place in our edible list even though the European plant has been 
published by some writers as poisonous. 
Pholiota vermiflua Pk. 
WORMY PHOLIOTA 
PLATH 86, Fic. 13-20 
Pileus convex or nearly plane, glabrous or occasionally floccese 
squamose on the margin, sometimes areolate rimose in the center, 
white, occasionally slightly tinged with yellow; lamellae close, 
adnexed, white becoming ferruginous brown, generally minutely 
eroded on the edge; stem hollow, equal, striated at the top, white, 
the annulus more or less floccose on the lower surface, lacerated 
or evanescent, white; spores elliptic, ferruginous brown, .0005 of 
an inch long, .0003 broad. 
The wormy pholiota is closely related to the early pholiota, 
from which it may be separated by its larger size, thicker flesh, 
stouter stem, whiter color and the tendency of its pileus to crack 
into areas in the center. It is very liable to be infested by the 
larvae of insects and this is suggestive of the specific name. 
The cap in the young plant is very convex or hemispheric but 
with advancing age it expands and becomes nearly or quite plane. 
The central part of the surface often cracks into areas giving it 
a scaly appearance. It also sometimes splits on the margin. It 
is smooth or occasionally slightly floccose scaly on the margin 
from the remains of the veil. The flesh is white. The gills are 
at first white but they become rusty brown with age. They are 
closely placed, excavated at the stem end and often whitish and 
minutely eroded on the edge. The stem is nearly cylindric, hollow, 
smooth, white and often striated at the top. Its collar is also 
white, somewhat floccose on the lower surface, often slight, lacer- 
ated and disappearing in mature plants, leaving the stem without 
a collar. ; 
The cap is 2-4 inches broad; the stem 2-3 inches long, 3-5 lines 
thick. The plants are usually found in rich soil in grain fields, 
waste places and about manure piles and occur from June to 
August. When sound and well cooked the flavor is excellent and 
the mushroom is a fine addition to our table delicacies. 
