66 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



when moist, cinereous when dry, densely downy-pubescent, base 

 often tawny, 2.5 cm long, 1 mm thick. 



Under coniferous trees. Infrequent. 



Peck (N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 67, p. 25. 1903) says: " The 

 species is closely related toM. subnudus, (Ell.) Pk. but the 

 plant is much smaller, the pileus is usually umbilicate and the stem 

 not inserted. The mycelium binds together a mass of dirt and 

 needles which adhere to the base of the stem when the plant is 

 taken from the ground. In some groups nearly all the pilei are 

 campanulate, in others they are nearly plane. This feature is sug- 

 gestive of the specific name." A comparison of types and descrip- 

 tions forces one to the conclusion that M . b i f o r m i s and M . 

 l'ongistriatus are too nearly identical to be regarded as dis- 

 tinct species. 



19 Marasmius contrarius Peck 



N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 150, p.34. 199. 



Pileus submembranous, tough, broadly convex or nearly plane, 

 gregarious, 4-10 mm broad; surface often uneven, glabrous, 

 whitish or white with brown center, becoming grayish or sub- 

 alutaceous in drying; lamellae adnate or slightly decurrent, sub- 

 distant, thin, sometimes branched or irregular, interspaces slightly 

 venose, whitish; spores 7-9 by 4-5 /*; stipe slender, white within, 

 solid, grayish-tawny, downy, tomentose at base, 2-3 cm long, 1-1.5 

 mm thick. 



Damp mossy places under spruce and balsam trees. Not common. 



20 Marasmius velutipes Berk. & Curt. 



Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. Ill, 4:295. 1859. 



Pileus submembranous, tough, plane or umbilicate, gregarious, 

 8-20 mm broad, surface dull chestnut to ochraceous brown, lighter 

 or pallescent at the center, smooth ; margin at first involute, thin, 

 even, smooth, often becoming striate ; context thin, tough, white or 

 whitish ; lamellae white, becoming yellowish, narrow, close, adnate ; 

 spores 6.5 by 4-4.5 /x ; stipe reddish brown, covered above with 

 whitish tomentum, below with tawny yellow to brown hairs, flex-n- 

 ous, equal or swollen and spongy below, hollow, often rooting, 3-5 

 cm long, 1-2 mm thick. 



Among (\c;\(\ leaves of deciduous trees. Rather common. 



