Murrill: Illustrations of Fungi 



99 



related to Omphalia montana Peck, a depauperate form of 0. 

 Gerardiana Peck collected on Mt. Marcy. 



Laccaria laccata (Scop.) Berk. & Br. 

 Waxy Mushroom 



Plate 40. Figure 4. X 1 



Pileus convex or plane, sometimes depressed at the center, 

 usually gregarious, 1.5-5 cm - broad; surface glabrous or nearly 

 so, hygrophanous, pale-red to flesh-red or darker, fading to gray- 

 ish on drying, striate in certain thin varieties ; lamellae broad, 

 distant, adnate, subdecurrent, or slightly emarginate, pale flesh- 

 red, occasionally deep-violet, dusted at maturity with the abundant 

 spores, which are globose, roughly echinulate, 8-10 /x; stipe slen- 

 der, equal, fibrous, glabrous, concolorous with the pileus, 2.5-7 

 cm. long, 3-6 mm. thick. 



As the description indicates, this species is very variable in 

 form, size, and color; but, after all, it is so different from most 

 other mushrooms that it is easily recognized. It is widely dis- 

 tributed throughout temperate regions and is one of the most 

 common species met with, both in woods and fields. All authors 

 pronounce it harmless, and, although poor in quality, it is often 

 eaten. The accompanying figure is drawn from small specimens 

 collected in a low, shady place on a lawn. A larger species, Lac- 

 caria ochro purpurea, found in woods, is also edible. It differs 

 from L. laccata chiefly in size and is by some considered only a 

 variety of that species. 



Psilocybe Foenisecii (Pers.) Quel. 

 Harvest Mushroom 



Plate 40. Figure 5. X 1 



Pileus conic or campanulate to convex, gregarious, 1-2.5 cm. 

 broad ; surface glabrous, hygrophanous, smoky-brown or reddish- 

 brown, paler when dry, often variegated ; lamellae adnate, ventri- 

 cose, not crowded, brown ; spores subellipsoid, smooth, brown, 

 12-15X6-7/*; stipe slender, equal, hollow, fragile, glabrous or 

 slightly pruinose, pallid to brownish, 5-8 cm. long, 2 mm. thick. 



The harvest mushroom is small but very abundant and may 

 therefore be considered for use as food, although it cannot be 



