Keport of the State Botanist. 151 



much in size in the different species and afford, in several instances, 

 excellent specific characters. A. procerus has very large spores, A. 

 cristatus small ones and A. metulwsporus long ones. 



Several of the species occur in woods and are especially fond of a 

 loose soil composed chiefly of decayed vegetable matter, others grow 

 in open grassy places, in fields, gardens and cultivated grounds. A 

 few are occasionally found on old stumps and much decayed wood. 

 A. acutesquamosus, A. cepcestipes, and some others are sometimes found 

 growing in conservatories. 



None of our species are reputed to be poisonous, yet only two, A. 

 procerus and A. naucinoides, have been reported edible. 



Fries divides this subgenus into two primary sections, the first con- 

 taining the species with a dry pileus, the second, those with a viscid 

 pileus. The first section, which has by far the greater number of 

 species, is subdivided into five groupg, all but one of which are repre- 

 sented in our flora. Of the Mesomorphi, " smaller, slender species 

 with a hollow stem, a dry pileus and an entire, not granulose lacerated 

 cuticle," we have not yet detected any representatives. 



We have followed the system of Fries in our arrangement of the 

 species. 



Synopsis of the Species. 



1 . Pileus dry 2 



2. Pileus with the margin even . 3 



3. Annulus movable, stem more than five inches long. . . A. procerus. 

 3. Annulus not movable, stem less than five inches long, 4 



4. Pileus smooth, lamellae becoming pinkish-brown. . A. naucinoides. 



4. Pileus rough with erect acute scales . 5 



5. Lamellae crowded, some of them forked A. Friesii. 



5. Lamellae close, simple . . A. acutesquamosus. 



4. Pileus with fibrillose, floccose or appressed scales . . 6 



6. Scales reddish or reddish-brown * 7 



7. Scales soon disappearing from the margin A. cristatus. 



7. Scales everywhere persistent A. rubrotinctus. 



6. Scales blackish or blackish-brown 8 



8. Stem short, bulbous A. fuscosquameus . 



8. Stem rather long, not bulbous A. felinus. 



6. Scales pale yellow A. alluviinus. 



4. Pileus with granular, branny or mealy scales 9 



9. Pileus rusty-yellow or reddish-yellow, lamellae 



adnexed A. granulosus. 



9. Pileus ochraceous-yellow, lamellae adnate A. amianthinus. 



9. Pileus dingy-white or brownish A. pusillomyces. 



9. Pileus white ' A . cristatellus. 



2. Pileus with the margin striate or substriate 10 



10. Stem enlarged above the base 11 



11. Plant becoming brownish-red in drying A. Americanus. 



11. Plant not becoming brownish-red in drying ... A. cepaestipes. 

 10. Stem not enlarged above the base A. metulaesporus. 



1. Pileus viscid 12 



12. Pileus white A. illinitus. 



12. Pileus alutaceous or dingy -yellow A. oblitus. 



