BEPORT OF THB STATE BOTANI8T 



273 



The gills also are thin and white or whitish and rather closely 

 placed. They run down on the stem in the mature plant, ending 

 in a narrow point. 



The stem is quite smooth and generally tapers upward from 

 the base. It is sometimes white, but more often is colored like 

 the cap. Usually a soft white down or felt is noticeable at its 

 base. This is its mycelium which spreads in the soil or among 

 the fallen leaves in which it grows. 



The cap is two to three inches across, the stem is two to three 

 inches long and one-fourth to nearly one-half an inch thick in the 

 largest specimens. 



It is not uncommon in woods in summer and autumn. Like 

 many other species it is more abundant in wet weather. It 

 delights especially to grow among fallen leaves in mixed woods, 

 and though generally single or scattered in its mode of growth it 

 sometimes forms clusters, in which case the cap is apt to be more 

 or less irregular. 



Although small in size and thin in flesh it affords a very deli- 

 cate and delicious food. 



When once known it is easily recognized, and I do not know of 

 any hurtful mushroom in our flora with which it is likely to be 

 confused. 



Clitocybe laccata Scop. 

 Laccate Clitocybe. Waxy Clitocybe. 



Plate 26. 



Pileus thin, convex or nearly plane, sometimes umbilicate, 

 hygrophanous, glabrous or minutely scurfy- squamulose ; lamellae 

 broad, distant, adnate or slightly decurrent, more or less tinged 

 with flesh color ; stem slender, equal, fibrous, stuffed, colored like 

 the pileus; spores globose, rough, .0003 to .0004 inch broad. 



The Laccate clitocybe is a small but very common species which 

 has a very wide range and is sometimes very abundant. It is 

 also very variable, but easily recognizable when its peculiar 

 characters are understood. It is thin in flesh, not highly flavored 

 and apt to be tough, but because it has been classed among the 

 edible species of Europe and because of its abundance and avail- 

 ability it is here admitted. 



The cap is convex or nearly plane, even or umbilicate, smooth 

 or with a slight scurfy roughness, When moist it has a watery 

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