REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST I906 4I 



becoming hollow, paler than the moist pileiis ; spores globose, verrti- 

 cose, .0003-.0004 of an inch broad. 



The amethyst elitocybe is a small species, gregarious in its mode 

 of growth and slightly tough. European mycologists have gener- 

 ally considered it as a mere form or at most a variety of C 1 i t o - 

 cybe laccata (Scop.) Fr. Berkeley and Broome instituted 

 a new genus, Laccaria, for the reception of C. laccata and allied 

 species with tough substance, hymenophorum confluent with the 

 stem, and thick gills powdered with white globose spores. They re- 

 mark that the amethyst colored form usually referred to Agari- 

 cus laccatusis probably distinct. Their genus has not yet been 

 generally accepted but there is good ground for its establishment 

 and it probably will be recognized in due time. Their remark con- 

 cerning the amethyst colored form of C. laccata appears to 

 us to be worthy of acceptance and it is therefore accepted here as a 

 distinct species. It is easily recognizable both in its fresh and dried 

 state from the paler and more common form usually referred to 

 C . 1 a c c a t a. It is very constant in its characters and no inter- 

 mediate forms occur to connect them. It is quite as good as an 

 edible mushroom. In drying, the gills retain their violaceous color 

 longer than the cap. 



Clitocybe ochropurpurea Berk. 



PURPLISH OCHER CLITOCYBE 



PLATE 1 06, FIG. 7-II 



Pileus subhemispheric, becoming convex with a decurved margin 

 or nearly plane and slightly centrally depressed, fleshy, tough, com- 

 pact, hygrophanous, purplish brown when moist, grayish or pale 

 alutaceous when dry, unpolished ; lamellae thick, distant, broad, 

 narrower outwardly, adnate or decurrent, purple ; stem variable, 

 short or long, equal, or sometimes thicker in the middle, sometimes 

 at each end, fibrous, solid, colored like or paler than the pileus ; 

 spores globose, white, verrucose, .0003-.0004 of an inch broad. 



The purplish ocher clitocybe is related to such species as 

 the laccate clitocybe, C . 1 a c c a t a , and the amethyst clitocybe, 

 C. amethystina. From both it is easily separated by its 

 purple gills and larger size. It is found in wet weather from July 

 to September. It grows in open grassy places and is sometimes 

 quite irregular in shape. Its cap is often 3-4 inches broad and its 



