254 SECTION HYGROPHORUS 



Cuticle of gelatinous, narrow ( 3-6 fx ) hyphae which are repent but of- 

 ten with a few to many erect or ascendant free ends. No hypodermium 

 differentiated. Pileus trama of interwoven hyphae, radially disposed. 

 Clamp connections present. 



Habit, Habitat, and Distribution — On soil, mostly in coniferous 

 woods, thickets, and grassy areas, Canada, Massachusetts, New York, 

 North Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan, Colorado, Idaho, California, Or- 

 egon, and Washington, August-January; also Europe. 



Material Studied — California: Eastwood 2, 3; McMurphy 58, 

 139; Pusateri 61; Smith 8303, 8630. idaho: Smith 54348. Massachu- 

 setts: Bigelow 8773; Murrill & Thompson, Stockbridge, Oct. 1911. 

 Michigan: Bailey 105; Smith, Oct. 14, 1931, 1146, 4968. north Caro- 

 lina: Beardslee 15214. Oregon: Gruber 229; Murrill 832, 887; Morton E. 

 Peck, Salem, Jan. 1911; Sipe 87, 88, 465, 8788; Smith 8089, 8909, 9087, 

 9098, 55423. Tennessee: Hesler 9578, 10907, 13052, 17253. Washington: 

 Smith 2759, 18012, 31843, 40182, 40187, 40573, 40925. Canada: (On- 

 tario) Kelly 746; Smith 4634; (Quebec) Groves F8764; (British Colum- 

 bia) Waugh DAOM 39340. Europe: Bresadola, Oct. 1899; Romell, 

 Sept. 19, 1912. Netherlands: Bas, Oct. 5, 1953. Denmark: J. P. Jensen 

 (Hesler 23955). Belgium: Heinemann 2959. Switzerland: Huijsman, 

 July 9, 1960. 



Observations — This is perhaps the commonest species of the sec- 

 tion in the United States. In Michigan it has been collected in beech 

 woods, and in addition Kauffman ( 1918 ) reported it from thickets and 

 grassy areas. In Tennessee, it grows in both conifer and hardwood for- 

 ests, and in Oregon and California the same wide range of variability 

 has been observed. In southern Oregon it has been found in exception- 

 ally large quantities in mixed forests of oak and pine. Murrill (1912a) 

 and Zeller ( 1922 ) have both commented on the abundance of this spe- 

 cies on the West Coast, and it is reported in most of the floristic studies 

 on agarics in this country. The numerous descriptions in the literature 

 agree very well on the important diagnostic characters. 



Ordinarily pilei which are not overmature will remain almost pure 

 white if properly dried. Occasionally old specimens may become yel- 

 lowish or sordid in drying, and if any material is overheated a change 

 in color is almost certain to take place. The base of the stipe nearly al- 

 ways dries darker, especially if water-soaked. Kauffman (1918) recog- 

 nized H. eburneus var. unicolor ( Pk. ) Kauff ., but it is believed that this 

 is H. chnjsaspis Metrod. H. eburneus var. decipiens (Pk. ) Kauff. we 

 have not seen. Kiihner (see Kiihner and Romagnesi, 1953, p. 58) has 

 described a new variety, var. carneipes, which is distinguished by a 

 slightly flesh tint of the lamellae and stipe. H. eburneus should not be 



