Murrill : Dark-Spored Agarics 



263 



ance alone is considered, but the lamellae and spores are totally 

 distinct. 



9. Deconica bullacea (Bull.) Sacc. Syll. Fung. 5: 1058. 1887 



Agaricus bullaceus Bull. Herb. Fr. pi. 566, f. 2; hyponym. 1791 ; 

 Pers. Syn. Fung. 412. 1801. 



Pileus convex-hemispheric, sometimes umbonate, gregarious, 

 0.5-2 cm. broad; surface glabrous, viscid, smooth, slightly striate 

 at times, bay-brown when fresh and moist, paler with age or on 

 drying ; context brownish-pallid, mild ; lamellae adnate-decurrent, 

 plane, very broad, triangular, subdistant, dark-purplish-brown at 

 maturity with whitish edges ; spores broadly-ellipsoid to ovoid, 

 usually tapering at both ends, apiculate, smooth, varying from 

 ochraceous to dull-ferruginous or darker under the microscope, 

 purplish-brown in mass, 10-12 x 8-9 stipe cylindric, equal, pale- 

 brownish, subfibrillose, solid or stuffed, 3-5 cm. long, 1-2 mm. 

 thick ; veil slight, evanescent. 



Type locality : France. 



Habitat : Usually on horse manure in pastures and along roads. 



Distribution : Eastern United States, south to Mississippi, and 

 west to Michigan; also in Europe; abundant in tropical America. 



Illustrations : Bull. Herb. Fr. pi. 566, f. 2; Cooke, Brit. Fungi 

 pi 608 B (600 B) ; Pat. Tab. Fung. /. 235. 



This species was first figured by Bulliard from specimens col- 

 lected in France. While probably widely distributed, it has not 

 often been reported from this country. The spores of excellent 

 specimens collected in Jamaica are ovoid, smooth, opaque, um- 

 brinous by transmitted light under the microscope, 11-12 x 6-8 /x. 

 They are darker than spores from specimens found in New York 

 City. 



Doubtful Species 



Deconica atrorufa (Fries) Sacc. Syll. Fung. 5: 1059. 1887. 

 {Agaricus atrorufus Fries, Syst. Myc. 1: 293. 1821.) Dr. 

 Kauffman reports this species (as Psilocybe) from more than one 

 locality in Michigan, growing gregariously on the ground in woods. 

 His spore measurements agree with those made by Karsten, being 

 5-8 x 4-5.5 /x. Fries got his name from Schaeffer, but some think 

 he wrongly interpreted Schaeffer's plant. 



