SUBSECTIOX HYGROPIIORl'S 299 



Tennessee: Hesler 4444. 13161. 17222. 19360. 22721. 23538; Hesler & 

 Sharp 4465. 



Observations — This species can be briefly characterized as a gray 



to fuscous H. eburneus. In Oregon both were collected in the same oak- 

 pine woods and were scarcely distinguishable when young. The fus- 

 cous color is usually present at least on the disc at maturity, however, 

 and soon spreads throughout the fruiting body as the specimens begin 

 to dry. In Michigan and Tennessee it has been found in oak-pine 

 woods and in stands of oak and hickory. When dried the specimens 

 are often tinged with tawny brown and small ones somewhat resemble 

 specimens of H. discoideus. The small spores should separate it readily 

 from H. limacinus, H. lividoalbus, and H. fuscoalbus. It is possible that 

 reports of H. limacinus for North America are based on this species. 

 Niiesch's (1922) description of L. mesotephrum fits our species in most 

 important characters, but again the spore size is not the same ( 10-12 X 

 5-8 fi). Rea (1922) giyes the spores of the latter as 9 X 6 p, and em- 

 phasizes yellowish stains on the stipe in addition to the small size ( 2—3 

 cm broad). All of these are characters which our specimens did not 

 show. 



181 



Hygrophorus mesotephrus Berk. & Br. 

 Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 13 ( 2nd Series 1 : 402. 1S54 

 Illustration : 

 Fig. 91. 



Pileus 1.5-4 cm broad, convex becoming plane or slightly de- 

 pressed, surface glabrous and glutinous, pale drab on disc and cinereous 

 near the margin, in age the margin "tilleul buff' and center pale 

 avellaneous. Context thin, soft, white, odor and taste not distincti\e: 

 KOH orange-yellow on pileus. fading to dingy yellow, no reaction 

 with FeSOu. 



Lamellae distant, broad, broadly adnate, rarely slightly decurrent. 

 waxy, white and unchanging, edges even. 



Stipe 4-7 cm long. 4-S mm thick, equal, solid, white, white- 

 punctate at apex and punctae staining orange-yellow in KOH. ap- 

 pressed fibrillose below and with a very thin gelatinous coating from 

 remains of an outer gelatinous veil; slime layer leaving yellowish 

 stains in age at times, stipe soon dry and not otherwise discolored. Xo 

 fibrillose inner veil present. 



Spores 8-11 X .5-6 u. smooth, ellipsoid, non-amyloid: basidia 

 4-spored. 4.5-60 X S-10 u. narrowly clavate. Pleurocvstidia and cheilo- 

 cystidia none. Gill trama dixergent. Epicutis of pileus a trichodermium 



