White-spored Series 



room {Agaricus campestris), which has darker gills, a persistent 

 collar, and a stem tapering at the base. No harm can come from 

 confusing these for edible purposes. Great care should be taken 

 to be sure that a specimen thought to be a smooth lepiota has no 

 volva or wrapper at the base, for the absence of a volva is the 

 most marked difference between it and the poisonous vernal 

 amanita (Amanita verna). The gills of the smooth lepiota turn 

 a dingy brown or pink, and those of the vernal amanita remain 

 white ; and the cap of the smooth lepiota has not the moist 

 smoothness and the brilliant whiteness of the vernal amanita, 



Lepiota Friesii 



Cap or Pileus — Rather thin, convex, or nearly plain, with soft, 



tawny fibres forming small patches over the surface. 1-4 



inches wide. 

 Stem or Stipe — Tapering toward the cap, slightly bulbous at the 



base. The lower part of the stem coloured like the cap, and 



with similar fibrils. Hollow. Powdery white above the 



ring. 2-5 inches long. 

 Ring or Annulus — Present and pendulous. 

 Gills or Lamella — 'Narrow, crowded, free from stem ; white ; some 



forked. 

 Spores — White. 



Flesh — Soft, white, with a slight odour when bruised. 

 Ring or Annulus — Well developed, drooping. White above, and 



tawny or scaly below. 

 Habitat — Soft, loose soil in bushy places. 

 Time — ^July to September. 



GENUS MARASMIUS 



The genus Marasmius belongs to the white-spored series. 

 The plants are small, and wither and shrivel in dry weather, to 

 revive again when wet. The gills are thin, and have acute 

 edges. 



The generic name comes from the same Greek word as the 

 word marasmus, the name applied to a disease from which the 

 patient wastes away without any apparent cause. The signifi- 

 cance of the name will be apparent to one who watches the 

 fleshy little plant shrink away when the sun shines. 



Fre'-st-I Ma-rSs'-ml-iis 



? 65 



