EDIBLE FUNGI 117 



or with scales (Fig. 10). The gills are broad, crowded, white, 

 later pinkish, finally black and changing into an inky fluid. 

 The stem is smooth, shining, whitish, and hollow. The annulus 

 or ring about the stem may disappear. They become liquid 

 or deliquesce when old and never dry naturally. The members 

 of this group are frequently found growing in abundance on 

 decaying vegetative matter and on manure piles. Various forms 

 have been described and are given below. The descriptions 

 given have been taken primarily from those by Copeland.* 



COPRINUS ATER Copel. 



Coprimts ater has a pileus which at first is obtusely conical, 

 later becoming plane. It is 14 millimeters broad with a tawny 

 disk, varying from the periphery from dark gray to very black. 

 Minute, deciduous, dark-brown scales are produced on the top. 

 The flesh is thick, with gills free, narrow, and black. The 

 spores are black, 15 by 9 microns, and are exstipitate. The 

 stipe is fistulose, smooth, white, equal or narrowed upward, 

 and at most 5 centimeters high, and 1.5 millimeters thick, but 

 most often 2.5 centimeters high and 0.8 millimeter thick. The 

 fungus is odorless with a fairly agreeable taste and grows on 

 horse manure. 



COPRINUS BRYANTI Copel. 



Coprinus bryanti has a pileus which passes from white 

 through brown to black, and is smooth, campanulate, 6 to 8 

 millimeters high and 5 millimeters wide. Its gills are free, 

 but touching the stipe, from 1 to 1.5 millimeters deep, dark 

 brown, and obtuse. The stipe is straight, white and solid, from 

 2.5 to 3 centimeters high and 1.5 millimeters thick. It is thick, 

 equal, smooth, substriate at the top, with the base scarcely 

 thickened and surrounded by white hairs 1.5 millimeters long. 

 The veil is obsolete. The spores are smooth, brown, 8 by 4.5 

 microns, with hyaline truncate apexes. The cap is thin, odorless, 

 and fine flavored. This species may grow on rotted wood, being 

 collected from a rotted Ficus trunk. 



COPRINUS CONCOLOR Copel. 



Coprirms concolor is characterized by a conical pileus with 

 spreading margin, about 2.5 centimeters high and wide. It is 

 subfleshy, brown, very smooth, naked, and deliquescing first 

 at the lacerate margin. The disk is brownish and subumbonate, 



* Copeland, Edwin Bingham. II. New species of edible Philippine fungi. 

 Department of Interior, Bureau of Government Laboratories Publication 

 No. 28, pages 141-146, July, 1905. 



