320 SECTION HYGROPHORUS 



Habit, Habitat, and Distbibution — Scattered in an upland beech 

 woods, Michigan, October. 



Material Studied — Michigan: Smith 50625 (type, from near 

 Warren Dunes State Park, Oct. 1, 1955). 



Obsebvations — The rather tough consistency, small spores, lack of 

 any veil, and refractive hyphae of the pellicle distinguish it from any 

 other Hygrophorus known to us. The gills become dark brown in 

 drying as do those of H. bakerensis and a few other species in the 

 section Hygrophorus. The stature is that of H. eburneus. 



193 



Hygrophorus pseudochrysaspis, sp. nov. 



Illustration: 

 Fig. 100. 



Pileus 3-6 cm latus, albus deinde obscuro-coriaceus vel subflavtis, 

 paulum glutinosus, mox siccus, aquoso-pellucidus contusus; came albus, 

 odore paulum amygdalino; lamellae decurrentes, cremeo-albae demum 

 obscuriores, deinde atro-rufo-brunneae siccae, subdistantes, latae; stipes 

 4—11 cm longus, 4-10 mm crassus, deorsum angustior vel subaequalis, 

 mollo-floccosus cum hyalino aut subflavo humore, velum gelatinosum 

 nullum, apice scabiosus, punctae prompte atro-brunneae in KOH; 

 sporae 6.5-8(9) X 4-5 /x, ellipsoideae. Specimen typicum in Herb. 

 Univ. Mich.; ledum in Mich., Sharron Hollow, Sept. 15, 1961, 

 A. H. Smith 64266. 



Pileus 3-6 cm broad, obtuse with an inrolled margin, expanding to 

 plane or nearly so, sometimes convex, at other times with a low broad 

 umbo, snow white at first slowly becoming dull white and gradually 

 dingy buff or more yellowish, injured areas soon watery-translucent, 

 surface thinly glutinous but soon dry, margin at times faintly sulcate. 

 Context white, thin; odor like that of H. agathosmus but weaker, taste 

 mild. KOH soon dark yellow-brown; FeS0 4 , no reaction. 



Lamellae decurrent, subdistant, broad, creamy white becoming 

 dingy cream color, not spotting when bruised but becoming dark 

 reddish brown in drying, edges perfectly even and concolor with the 

 gill-faces. 



Stipe 4-11 cm long, 4-10 mm thick at apex, narrowed downward 

 or nearly equal solid, firm, surface at first covered by a soft flocculence 

 which exudes droplets of a hyaline to yellowish liquid, no gelatinous 

 veil present in the youngest buttons, but stipe feeling slimy when the 

 droplets are present, appearing yellowish and water-soaked where 





