REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST I914 53 



study will probably show that more of our American species are 

 common to both continents. In a few instances where there has 

 been confusion of names, American names have been retained for 

 species which are apparently found in Europe also. 



A more complete account of the North American species of 

 Marasmius is to be found in vol. 9, pt. 4 of the North American 

 Flora (1915). 



A few species, as M. nigripes (Schw.) Fr. and M. f oeti- 

 d u s (Sow.) Fr., are somewhat gelatinous when they are fresh and 

 moist. They have therefore sometimes been considered as belong- 

 ing to the genus Heliomyces. Since the species of Heliomyces are 

 practically confined to the tropics and the above-named species 

 resemble species of Marasmius more than they resemble the typical 

 species of Heliomyces, they are here retained in the genus Maras- 

 mius. 



The Fresian system of classification has not been found to be 

 entirely practicable for our species. The general arrangement of the 

 species from the large Collybia-like forms down to the small forms 

 with the tough bristlelike stipe is very similar to the usual arrange- 

 ment. Rather more attention, however, has been paid to the stipe 

 with respect to its surface, whether rough and hairy or smooth and 

 shining, than to the character of the pileus. At its best any system 

 of classification is more or less artificial. The present arrangement 

 will serve its purpose if it helps the student to identify the species 

 of Marasmius as he finds them. 



Maramius Fries 

 Gen. Hymen 9. 1836 



Pileus tough, fleshy to membranous, either continuous with the 

 stipe or of a different texture, surface often sulcate or striate, not 

 zonate, dry, glabrous or rarely minutely tomentose or pruinose, 

 margin involute or straight in young plants, becoming broadly con- 

 vex, plane or uplifted with the disk elevated or depressed, rarely 

 umbilicate ; context more or less tough and dry, sometimes soft 

 fleshy but not brittle, dry plants reviving when moistened : lamellae 

 dry, rather thin, often of unequal length, often interveined, but 

 seldom forking, developing slowly, rarely remaining very narrow, 

 almost veinlike ; color varying from white to yellow, reddish or 

 purplish, often changing in dry plants ; stipe central, seldom fleshy, 

 tough, horny, stuffed or hollow, often slender or capillary, some- 

 times solid, glabrous or more or less tomentose, hairy, or strigose ; 



