42 



CIRCULAR 14 3, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



PSATHYRELLA 



The species comprising the genus Psathyrella are all fragile, having 

 thin membranaceous, striate caps. When young the margin of the 

 cap lies against the stem, but never extends beyond the gills. 



PSATHYRELLA DISSEMINATA. (EDIBLE) 



The cap is thin, oval to bell-shaped, yellowish, gray or grayish brown, minutely 

 scaly, becoming smooth, sulcate or plicate, margin entire; the gills are broad, 

 adnate, white, then gray, later black ; the stem is hollow, slender, fragile. 



The cap is about one-half inch broad; the stem is 1 to iy 2 inches long and 

 1 to iy 2 lines thick. 



This is a delicate little species, appearing in densely cespitose clusters on 

 decaying wood or about old roots of trees. It occurs from May until frost, often 

 intermittently from the same center This species is edible, but has too little 

 substance to render it a popular article of diet. 



Figure 39. — Panaeolus retirugis 

 PANAEOLUS 



In the genus Panaeolus the cap is slightly fleshy and the margin 

 nonstriate, always extending beyond the gills, which are gray and 

 mottled from the falling of the black spores. The stem is without a 

 ring and polished. The two nearest related genera are Psathyrella 



