GILL FUNGI 21 



from which it differs solely in the way the gills run down the stem. Some species 

 can be placed as readily hi one genus as the other, and one, C 1 i t o c y h e 1 a c c a t a, 

 does not belong properly in this genus at all. Clitocybe consists almost wholly 

 of edible species, though one or two are injurious to certain people. The name 

 refers to the decurrent gills. 



Key to the Species 



1. Cap gigantic, often 2-3 dm. (8-12 inches) 



a. Gills slightly decurrent, branched and connected by 



veins, yellowish or reddish C. gigantea 



b. Gills long-decurrent, separate, wliitislr C. maxima 



2. Cap small or medium to large, rarely more than 12 cm. 



(5 inches) 



a. Gills decurrent 



( 1 ) Cap bright yellow, orange or green 



(a) Cap bright yellow or orange C. ill ii J ens 



(b) Cap green or olive; odor of anise C. odora 

 (2) Cap white to tan or brown 



(a) Cap typically white or whitish, not gray, tan or 



brown 

 X. Small, 2-3 cm. wide 



(x) Fragrant, smelling like anise C. jragrans 

 (y) Fragrance slight or none 

 m. Stem cartilage-like, hollow, rooting at base C . candicans 



n. Stem fibrous, stuffed C . dcalbata 



y. Medium to large C. rohusta 



(b) Cap gray, tan or brown, rarely reddish 



X. Gills purple or purplish ; cap pale yellow C . ocliropurpurt'a 



V. (Jills not purple 



(x) Cap usually funnel-form 

 m. Cap dark brown or smoky C. cyathiformis 



n. Cap tan or reddish C. injiindihulijonnis 



(y) Cap convex or plane, or slightly depressed 

 m. Plants densely crowded 



(m) Cap convex, grayish or pale tan 

 (n) Cap flat or depressed, honey-colored 

 to brownish 

 11. Plants rarely densely crowded 



(m) Cap gray; gills narrow, crowded 

 (n) Cap brownish; gills broad, not crowd- 

 ed 



b. Gills adnate 



( 1 ) Cap watery, rose, reddish or bluish 



(2) Cap green or olive 



