228 SECTION HYGROCYBE 



8-9(10) x 4—5(5.5) /a, ellipsoideae. Specimen typicum in Herb. Univ. 

 Mich.; ledum in Prairie Creek State Park, Calif., Dec. 5, 1956, 

 A. H. Smith 56310. 



Pileus 2-4 cm broad, obtusely conic with an incurved margin, 

 expanding to plano-umbonate, "Gobelin blue" on margin and disc 

 "Hay's brown," becoming "mineral red" with a paler disc, "Pompeian 

 red" at times fading out to yellowish, some olive showing at times, 

 entirely glutinous, margin striate when moist. Context thin; odor and 

 taste none. 



Lamellae depressed-adnate to nearly free, vinaceous buff with a 

 bluish cast when voung, soon "light vinaceous fawn" to "fawn color," 

 gradually yellowish, subdistant, broad, ventricose. 



Stipe 6-9 cm long, 3.5-6 mm thick, apex bluish to bluish-vinaceous, 

 pale orange downward but first passing through yellowish, equal or 

 slightly enlarged downward, glutinous, tubular, and cartilaginous. 



Spores 8-9(10) X 4-5(5.5) fx, ellipsoid, smooth, pale yellowish in 

 Melzer's reagent. Basidia 42-60 X 7-9 fx, 2- and 4-spored. Pleurocystidia 

 and cheilocystidia none, Gill trama subparallel to slightly interwoven, 

 hyphae 6-15 \x broad. Cuticle (an ixotrichodermium ) of narrow 

 (2-3.5 fx) gelatinous. No hypodermium differentiated. Pileus trama of 

 radial hyphae. Clamp connections none or rare and small, on the 

 cuticular hyphae. 



Habit, Habitat, and Distbibutiox — Gregarious under conifers, 

 California, December. 



Material Studied — caiifornia: Smith 56310 (type, Prairie Creek 

 State Park, Dec. 5, 1956), 56523. 



Observations — This variety is distinguished from the typical 

 H. psittacinus by its blue colors and larger basidia. Smith has collected 

 a form (57304) from Michigan which is blue in age and which may 

 belong here. 



134 



Hygrophorus laetus (Fr.) Fr. 



Epicr. Myc, p. 329. 1838 



Agaricus laetus Fr., Syst. Myc. 1: 102. 1821. 

 Hygrocybe laeta (Fr.) Kummer, Fiihr. in Pilzk., p. 112. 1871. 

 Hygrophorus peckii Atk., Jour. Myc. 8: 114. 1902. 

 Hygrophorus davisii Pk., Torrev Bot. Club Bull. 33: 214. 1906. 

 Hydrocybe davisii (Pk.) Murr., North Amer. Flora 9: 382. 1916. 

 Hydrocybe roseiceps Mmr., Lloydia 5: 138. 1942. 

 Hygrophorus roseiceps Murr., Lloydia 5: 157. 1942. 



Illustrations: 



Figs. 66 and 67; also 2g. 

 Bresadola, Icon. Myc, tab. 340. 



