132 SECTION HYGROCYBE 



Observations — The gray-brown to brown disc of the pileus, white 

 to pallid gills, green-corn odor which is very distinct, and change to 

 pinkish when bruised are the outstanding characters. In dry weather, 

 however, we have found the odor to remain constant, but the color 

 change of the flesh to develop slowly or to be entirely absent. It is 

 most closelv related to H. acutus and H. odorus. It differs from 

 H. streptopus Fries in being viscid, and in usually turning red when 

 bruised. The color change reminds one of H. metapodius and 

 H. ovinus, and it is, indeed, very close to H. metapodius, but is of 

 strikingly different stature, there is no blackening following the change 

 to red, and the spores are non-amyloid. 



65 



Hygrophorus acutoides var. pallidus, var. nov. 



Pileus 5 cm lotus, conicus, plerumque albidus, disco pallido- 

 cinereus, margine fulvus, salmoneo colore contusus, glaber, sub- 

 viscidus; caw crassa, alba, perfragilis; odor suavis, gustus mitis; 

 lamellae adnexae, colore ut flos lactis, colore pallido-salmone con- 

 tusae, densae, modice latae; stipes 7.5 cm longus, 10 mm crassus, 

 albus, constans, appresso-fibrillosus; sporae 6-8 X 4-5(6) /*, ellipsoi- 

 deae demum subovoideae. Specimen typicum in Herb. Univ. Mich.; 

 ledum Milford, Mich., Sept. 17, 1940, A. H. Smith 15421. 



Pileus 5 cm broad, disc obliquely conic, dominantly whitish, disc 

 pale cinereous, margin dingy, changing to pale salmon color where 

 bruised, glabrous, subviscid, margin slightly recurved and tending to 

 split. Context thick, white, not changing color readily when cut, very 

 brittle; odor fragrant, taste mild. 



Lamellae adnexed, creamy white, staining pale salmon where 

 bruised, not blackening, close, medium broad, strongly veined. 



Stipe 7.5 cm long, 10 mm thick, white, unchanging, base narrowed 

 slightly, glabrous but with appressed fibrils. 



Spores 6-8 X 4-5(6) ti, ellipsoid to subovoid, smooth, yellow in 

 Melzer's reagent. Basidia 38-42 x 5-7 p. Pleurocystidia and cheilo- 

 cystidia none. Gill trama subparallel, hyphae 5-10 \x broad. Cuticle of 

 appressed, non-gelatinous hyphae, or more rarely a few hyphae at 

 surface somewhat gelatinous, at times a few hyphae more or less erect. 



Habit, Habitat, and Distribution — Singly, on soil, under aspen, 

 Michigan, September. 



Material Studied — Michigan: Smith 15421 (type, Milford, 

 Sept. 17, 1940). 



Observations — Var. pallidas differs from var. acutoides in its 

 pallid pileus with less development of a gelatinous epicutis. 



