4 INTRODUCTION 



and Impoliti. They divided subgenus Hygrocybe into section Pseudo- 

 camaroplujllus which was further divided into Laevi and Squamulosi. 

 Section Eu-Hygrocybe was divided into Conici and Obtusi. Section 

 Viscidipedes was divided into Laeti and Obscuri. 



Singer (1951) attempted to bring order out of this maze of in- 

 frageneric categories and recognized the following: Hygrophorus 

 sensu stricto (Limacium Fries) divided into section Candidi which 

 was further subdivided into subsections Chrysodontini, Pallidini, and 

 Eburnei. Section Pudorini he divided into subsections Erubescentes 

 and Fulvoincarnati. Section Discoidei was not subdivided. Section 

 Colorati he divided into subsection Olivaceoumbrini and Tephroleuci. 

 The genus Camarophyllus he did not subdivide. Hygrocybe was di- 

 vided into section Tristes, section Coccineae with subsections Cocci- 

 neae, Squamulosae, and Inopodes; section Conicae with subsections 

 Conicae and Obtusae; section Subglutinosae; and section Laetae with 

 subsections Laetinae and Obscurinae. 



A PROPOSED SYNOPSIS 



In the present work, for the first time we have given serious 

 thought to the establishment of infrageneric categories in conformity 

 with the International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature. This necessi- 

 tates some changes due to the Rules having been changed since Singer 

 (1951) published his classification, and other changes because the 

 arrangement we are proposing here differs from previous classifications. 

 Early authors, such as Fayod and Bataille, did not indicate the in- 

 frageneric category for most of their groups. We have attempted to 

 use the earliest names and have recognized them at a level which we 

 believe to be consistent with their classification in which they were 

 proposed. The following is an outline of our classification: 



Hygrophorus Fries ( 1835 ) 

 Type species: H. eburneus Fr. 



I. Subgenus Pseudohygrophorus Sm. & Hes. (1942) 



Type species: H. angelesianus Sm. & Hes. 

 II. Subgenus Hygrophorus 



1. Section Camarophyllopsis Hes. & Sm. 

 Type species: H. pratensis Fr. 

 a. Subsection Camarophyllopsis 



(1) Series Virginei 



Type species: H. virgineus (Fr.) Fr. 



(2) Series Viscidi 



Type species: H. subviolaceus Pk. 



