KEPOBT OF THE STATE BOTANIST 



249 



stem central or eccentric, solid, glabrous, colored like the pileus ; 

 spores elliptical, .0003 to .0004 in. long. 



The Involute paxillus is somewhat variable in color and exhib- 

 its a strange admixture of gray, ochraceous, ferruginous and 

 brown hues, sometimes one being more prominent, sometimes 

 another. It is apt to be viscid when moist and shining when 

 dry. The margin is rolled inwards in the young plant, and is 

 adorned with a grayish tomentum or villosity. It sometimes ex- 

 hibits short markings as in figures 20 and 21. The flesh is not a 

 clear white, but tinged with gray. 



The gills are at first whitish, but they become yellowish or 

 rust colored with advancing age and assume brownish or red- 

 dish brown stains where cut or bruised. They are decurrent and 

 a little wavy and reticulately connected where they run down on 

 the stem. The interspaces between them are marked with veins. 



The stem is generally shorter than the diameter of the cap and 

 solid. It is colored nearly like the cap and is sometimes adorned 

 with a few darker spots. 



Cap two to four inches broad, stem one to three inches long, 

 one-third to one-half an inch thick. 



The Involute paxillus grows in woods either on the ground or 

 on decayed wood. It grows singly or in groups and seems to 

 like damp mossy soil well filled with vegetable matter. It is 

 common in cool hemlock or spruce woods, but occurs also in 

 mixed woods, and along the borders of marshes. When grow- 

 ing oh old decayed stumps or the prostrate moss-covered trunks 

 of trees the stem is sometimes eccentric, but in other cases it is 

 generally central. It appears from August to November. 

 . It is sometimes called the Brown chantarelie, but it is scarcely 

 a rival of the true chantarelie. Most authors record it as edible 

 but they do not praise it highly. Richon and Roze say it is 

 edible but scarcely to be recommended. Letellier on the other 

 hand says it can be employed as food with much advantage It 

 is also said to be held in high estimation in Russia. With us it 

 is scarcely available except to people living near damp woods or 

 swamps. 



Rhodosporae. 



The name of this section, w T hich in some works bears the name 

 Hyporhodii, indicates that the spores are red, but their color is 

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