Fungi with Gills 



Fairy-ring Mushroom (Edible) 



Marasmius oreades 



Cap or P/Zfaj— Fleshy, tough, smooth, convex, or nearly plane, 

 often with the centre higher than the space between it and 

 the rim. Reddish ; fading, as it ages or dries, to pale yellow 

 or buff. 1-2 inches broad. 



Gills or Lamellm — Broad and wide apart, creamy or yellowish, 

 rounded at the stem end, unequal. 



Stem or Stipe — Whitish, slender, tough, solid, coated with dense 

 woolly hairs. 1-2^ inches long. 



Ring or Annulus — None. 



Spores — White. 



Flesh — Thin, white, tough. 



Time — May to October. 



Habitat — In circles or groups. 



Dangerous fungi somewhat resembling the M. oreades, and 

 found in company with it, may be distinguished by their darh- 

 coloured spores. 



GENUS COLLYBIA 



The members of this genus have white spores, and the 

 lamellae with thin edges attached to the stem by their inner ex- 

 tremity. The stem has a cartilaginous rind ; that is, it is hard and 

 of a tough texture. The genus contains fifty-four American 

 species, some of which are regarded as edible, while others are 

 regarded as deleterious. The velvet-stemmed collybia, or Col- 

 lybia velutipas, is edible, and remarkable for its habit of growing 

 long after the frosts of winter have come. It is easily recognised 

 by its yellowish and viscid cap, and its habit of growing in tufts, 

 and developing on the stem a dense coat of velvety hairs. The 

 rooted collybia, Collybia radicata, may be recognised by the char- 

 acter of its stem, as the lower part is like a slender tap root, gener- 

 ally penetrating the earth to a depth equal to the length of the 

 stem above' the surface. 



O-re'-a-des C61-lyb'-I-S 



66 



