232 SECTION HYGROCYBE 



1.5-2 ijl. Gill trama of subparallel hyphae. Cuticle of loosely interwoven, 

 gelatinous hyphae, 1.5-2 /x broad. Clamp connections rare on the 

 cuticular hyphae. 



Notes on the type of H. davisii Pk.: Spores 5.5-7 X 3.5-4.5 /x, 

 ellipsoid, smooth, yellowish in Melzer's reagent. Basidia 29-48 X 

 5.5-7 fx 2- and 4-spored. Pleurocystidia none; cheilocystidia 32-65 X 

 1-2 fx, clustered, cylindric-filamentous, at times slightly branched. 

 Gill trama subparallel, hyphae 4-10 p broad. Cuticle of gelatinous 

 hyphae. Clamp connections present on the cuticular hyphae. 



H. laetus is variable in many characters. On material from 

 Michigan the spores from deposits measure 5-6 X 3-3.5 fx. On speci- 

 mens from Tennessee they were 6-8.5 X 4-5 [x. An examination of a 

 series of specimens, however, showed considerable intergradation; 

 consequently we do not regard difference in spore size as significant. 

 Fresh specimens vary in color, but there is intergradation, and when 

 dried all collections are uniformly and characteristically a beautiful 

 "flesh color" to "orange pink," and all exhibit the typical filamentous 

 cheilocystidia. 



Orton (1960) has described H. xanthochrous from England, a 

 species which is related to H. laetus, but differs in its colors and in its 

 lack of cheilocystidia. Hygrophorus houghtonii Berk. & Br. is listed as a 

 synonym by Dennis, Orton, and Hora (1960). 



135 



Hygrophorus laetus f. pallidus Sm. 



Papers Mich. Acad. Sci., Arts and Letters, 38: 59. 1953 



Pileus white. Lamellae decurrent, distant, pallid. Stipe glutinous, 

 pallid, same size as in type variety. 



Habit, Habitat, and Distbibution — On soil, Michigan, August. 



Matebial Studied — Michigan: Smith 37616 (type from Pellston, 

 Aug. 11, 1951; collected by Harry Thiers). 



Obsebvations — The microscopic characters all agree with those of 

 H. laetus, and the typical disagreeable odor was also present. Young 

 stages were found, and the pallid pileus, gills, and stipe were charac- 

 teristic, so that there is no possibility of the carpophores being merely 

 faded fruiting bodies. 



136 



Hygrophorus nitidus B. & C. 



Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. II (12): 424. 1853 



Hydrocyhe nitida (B. & C.) Murr., North Amer. Flora 9: 378. 1916. 



