Report op the State Botanist. 161 



A. naucinus, A. Schulzeri and A. holosericeus. If we may rely upon the 

 published descriptions of these three species, the first one may be dis- 

 tinguished from our plant by its globose spores and granulated cuticle; 

 the second by its ovate spores, small annulus, umbonate pileus and 

 nauseous taste; the third by its silky- fibrillose pileus and solid stem. 

 Some discrepancies exist in the published descriptions and figures of 

 A, naucinus, to which our plant was first referred. See Eeport23, p. 

 72, and Report 29, p. 66. In Berkeley's Outlines of British Fung- 

 ology, page 94, the spores are characterized as "very large," but their 

 shape is not given. In Cooke's Mycological Illustrations they are rep- 

 resented as globose, but small; in Epicrisis, page 34, they are described 

 .as globose, and in Michelia, Vol. VII, p. 229, their dimensions indi- 

 cate a length greater than their breadth. It is probable, therefore, 

 that two or more species have been confused by authors. 



As an edible species, the smooth Agaric is not at all inferior to the 

 common mushroom. Indeed, in some respects it is superior to it. It 

 is as large, and its flesh is as thick and white, and no less tender and 

 savory. Its keeping qualities are better, for in the common mush- 

 room the lamellae soon become blackish and repulsive, while in this 

 one they retain their white color a long time, and do not become so 

 dark-colored when they do change. It is also less liable to be in- 

 fested by the larvae of insects, and, growing as it generally does, among 

 short grass, it is more clean and attractive in appearance. If it can 

 be cultivated as easily as the common mushroom, it will make a very 

 desirable and more marketable substitute for that species. 



GRAJVULOSI. 



The universal veil of the pileus and stem continuous, when rup- 

 tured forming a slight annulus. 



The species of this tribe are mostly rather small, and have the 

 pileus and stem coated with minute warts, granules or branny parti- 

 cles, rather than with ordinary scales. The lamellae, in some of the 

 species, reach the stem and are slightly attached to it. Such species 

 serve to connect this subgenus with the following one. 



Agaricus granulosus, Batsch. 



' Granular Agaric. 



Pileus thin, convex or nearly plane, sometimes almost umbonate, 



rough with numerous granular or branny scales, often radiately 



wrinkled, rusty-yellow or reddish-yelloiu, often growing paler with age, 



flesh white or reddish tinged; lamellae close, rounded behind and 



[Sen. Doc. No. 38.] 21 



