GILL FUNGI 29 



Key to the Species 



1. Plant with a strong alkaline odor M. alcalina 



2. Plant without a strong alkaline odor 



a. Cap bright-colored, rose, lilac, blue or yellow M. fiira 



b. Cap gray, yellowish or brown 



(1) Cap 1-5 cm. wide 



(a) Cap striate to the disk, conic bell-shaped; gills 



more or less tinged with pink M. galericulata 



(b) Cap slightly striate at margin, convex; gills 



white M. prolifera 



(2) Cap 4-9 mm. wide M. vulgaris 



Mycena alcalina Strong Mycena 



Cap small, 2-5 cm. wide, whitish, grayish, yellowish or brownish, smooth, 

 shining when dry, deeply striate, bell-shaped; stem slender, 5-8 cm. by 2-4 nmi., 

 grayish or yellowish, smooth, shining, woolly at base, hollow ; gills adnate, whitish 

 to yellowish; spores subglobose, 8-10 X 5-7ju. The name refers to the character- 

 istic alkaline odor. 



In clusters on stumps, trunks and even on leaves, but rarely if ever on the 

 ground, late summer and autumn; probably edible but to be tested with care. 



Mycena pura Color Cap 



Plate I : 6 



Cap small, 2-4 cm. wide, rose, lilac, blue, yellow or rarely pure white, smooth, 

 margin finely striate, bell-shaped to convex or almost flat; stem slender, 5-10 cm. 

 by 2-4 mm., usually of the color of the cap, smooth, somewhat hairy at the base, 

 hollow ; gills adnate or sinuate, rose, lilac or white, connected by veins ; spores 

 ellipsoid, 6-8 X 4/"- T^ie name refers to the bright color of the cap. 



Solitary or in groups or clusters on the ground, common in moist woods in 

 late summer and autumn ; probably edible. 



Mycena galericulata Cowl Mycena 



Cap small, 1-5 cm. wide, gray, yellowish-gray to brown, varying greatly, 

 smooth, distinctly striate to the disk, conic-bellshaped ; stem slender, 5-12 cm. by 

 2-4 mm., whitish, graj'ish or brownish, smooth, shining, hairy and rooting at the 

 base, hollow; gills adnate, white, tinged with pink or red, connected by veins; 

 spores subglobose, 9-10 X 6-8/t. The name refers to the cowl-shaped cap. 



Usually in clusters on stimips, logs and twigs, the stems held together by 

 matted hairs at the base, during summer and autumn; said by Mcllvaine to be 

 pleasant. 



