158 SECTION HYGROCYBE 



42490, 50458, 53765, 57204, 57308, 57625, 61245, 61348; Thiers 2742, 

 2757, 2870, 2960, 2992, 3117, 3206, 3440, 3922. Montana: Mains 6028. 

 new jersey: Ellis 303. new york: Smith 662, 804. north Carolina: 

 Hesler 4408, 8067, 14338; King 9455; Sharp 4416; Sharp & Hesler 

 12746; Smith 10827; Smith & Hesler 11775. Oregon: Gruber 691; 

 Smith 7911, 19029. Tennessee: Hesler 4431, 4437, 7975, 8201, 9154, 

 9565, 10934, 11605, 12201, 12833; King 9397; Smith 7475, 9738, 9870, 

 9895, 10098, 10744. Washington: Imshaug 1097; Slipp 1003; Smith 

 16474, 17176, 17546, 18035, 18074, 30880, 30989, 31035, 39512, 48306, 

 49131, 49132, 49247. Canada: (Ontario) Groves 11229; Jackson 3748; 

 Kelly 765; Smith 26313, 26314, 26287; (Nova Scotia) Smith 651a; 

 (Quebec) Bigelow 6171. west indies: Dennis, Isle of Rhum, July 18, 

 1951. Denmark: J. P. Jensen (Hesler 23941, 23942); Belgium: 

 Heinemann (Hesler 23993). 



Observations — Hesler has taken the following color notes on 

 specimens from Tennessee: Pileus "dragon's blood red," "scarlet red," 

 "flame scarlet," "rufous," "ochraceous orange," "orange," "pinkish buff," 

 or "salmon buff," fading to "light orange-yellow" or paler. Lamellae 

 "ochraceous buff" to "apricot orange." Thus it may be said that the 

 colors are variable. It is not always possible to determine whether one 

 has truly fresh material or specimens that have been remoistened. 



The attachment of the gills also varies considerably. One would 

 naturally assume that a mushroom with adnexed, ventricose gills was 

 distinct from one in which the gills were truly decurrent. However, 

 after studying many collections we are inclined to doubt the validity 

 of maintaining such a distinction. The gills of the species are typicallv 

 bluntly adnate. From this condition they may become ventricose and 

 adnexed if the pileus does not expand completely, or subdecurrent if it 

 does. 



Hygrophorus constans Murr. was said by its author to retain its red 

 color on drying and thereby be distinct from H. miniatus. In Oregon, 

 Smith has collected specimens answering to Murrill's description but 

 was unable to distinguish them from H. miniatus. The type of H. con- 

 stans has been studied and no distinctive characters found. The 

 pileus trama and the hyphae forming the surface-covering of the cap 

 are similar to those of H. miniatus. As a result of the above observa- 

 tions we consider H. constans to be synonymous with H. miniatus. 



Hongo (1958a) reports it from Japan. He found 2- and 4-spored 

 basidia, and thus he accounts from variability in spore-size which he 

 gives as 8-10.5(11) X 4.5-5.5 fi, basidia 35-54 X 6-7 fi. He says it 

 occurs in Japan, India, Europe, North America, and Australia. 



