140 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



from Newark, Wayne co. where it was found growing in a culti- 

 vated field. 



The species is well marked by the peculiar character of its collar. 

 On the upper surface are miniature gills which radiate from the 

 stem to the margin of the collar. These are narrow, white and un- 

 even or dentate on the margin. They are sometimci* stained by the 

 spores, but these have probably fallen from the true gills above. In 

 some instances the inner extremity of the false gills extends upward 

 on the stem and appears to connect with the gills above. This pecu- 

 liar character of the collar seems to be shown in Stropharia 

 c o r o n i 1 1 a (Bull.) Fr. and forcibly suggests the thought that 

 our plant is specifically the same as the European. The two cor- 

 respond in several other characters and were there not several dis- 

 crepancies between the American plant and the description of the 

 European there could be no doubt of their specific unity. The fol- 

 lowing comparison shows the differences. 





AMERICAN 



EUROPEAN 



Pileus 



white or yellowish 



Tawnj, ochraceous 



Stem 



solid or hollow, equal, 

 or tapering upward 



Stuffed, tapering downward 



Collar 



broad, white, gills on 



Narrow with radiating violaceous 





the upper surface 



striae or upper surface sulcate 

 plicate 



Gills 



without cystidia 



With cystidia 



Spores 



10-12 /jt X 6-8 ;i 



10 tx X 5 IX 



On account of these differences it has seemed best to consider 

 our plant distinct from the European, though it must be acknowl- 

 edged that the similarity in the peculiar and unusual character of 

 the gills almost outweighs the discrepancies between our- plant and 

 the descriptions of the European. 



The cap is white or yellowish, glabrous, obtuse, the flesh is white 

 and our plant, like the European, has a peculiar or radishlike odor. 

 The mature gills are purplish brown with a white edge. The stem 

 is commonly solid, but in large or old specimens it is sometimes 

 clearly hollow. It is equal in diameter or tapering upward. 



- Boletus niveus Fr. 



SNOWY BOLETUS 



PLATE 113, FIG. 1-5 



Pileus fleshy, convex, becoming broadly convex or nearly plane, 

 glabrous, white or grayish white, flesh white; tubes nearly plane in 



