268 SECTION HYGROPHORUS 



1911); Smith 8087. Washington: Flett, Bremerton, Dec. 18, 1939; 

 Smith 3253. 



Observations — The collections by Smith listed above agree with 

 the type. This species is related to H. discoideus but differs in its size 

 and in the more yellowish-brown colors. It also resembles H. laurae in 

 certain respects, but the color changes in drying separate the two at 

 once. When properly dried the gills of H. laurae do not become red- 

 dish brown. H. arbustivus Fr. sensu Rea is apparently the nearest Euro- 

 pean species. Rea's (1922) description is very suggestive of Murrill's 

 species. The outstanding character of H. arbustivus is said to be that 

 the apex of the stipe is covered by white free mealy granules. Murrill 

 described the stipe as pulverulent, and the veil as represented bv a few 

 short brownish fibrils at the center of the stipe. A study of Murrill's 

 type, however, shows that it is the species we have described above in 

 spite of any apparent discrepancies in the original description. The 

 glutinous veil may be present only around the base of the stipe and 

 under unfavorable conditions might be easily overlooked. The differ- 

 ence between the pruinose to furfuraceous particles on the stipe of one 

 and the free mealy granules on the other might easily be a difference 

 of interpretation. However, in the absence of specimens of H. arbusti- 

 vus for comparison, and due to conflicting opinions as to its characters 

 among European investigators, we prefer to use the name given to the 

 American material. 



Notes on the type: Spores 7-8.5 X 4.5-5.7 /a, ellipsoid, smooth, pale 

 yellow in Melzer's reagent. Basidia 34-48 X 5-6 fx, 2- and 4-spored. 

 Pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia none. Gill trama divergent. Cuticle 

 fibrillose, hyphae loosely interwoven, gelatinous. Clamp connections on 

 the hyphae of both gill trama and cuticle. 



160 



Hygrophorus virgatulus Pk. 



N. Y. State Mus. Ann. Rept. 26: 64. 1874 



Pileus 2.5-5 cm broad, convex or expanded, whitish with a brown- 

 ish disc, minutely virgate with innate blackish fibrils, viscid when moist. 



Lamellae arcuate-decurrent, distant, medium broad, white. 



Stipe 6-10 cm long, 4-6 mm thick, solid, viscid, equal or tapering 

 downwards, with a few small white floccose scales at the top. 



Spores 7-9 X 3.5-5 /x, ellipsoid, smooth, pale yellow in Melzer's rea- 

 gent. Basidia 32-54 X 5-7 n, 4-spored. Pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia 

 none. Gill trama divergent, hyphae 4-8 fi broad. Cuticle of gelatinous, 

 fuscous, radial, repent to more or less erect, thick-walled hyphae which 



