OBSERVATIONS ON SOME SPECIES OF NEAPOLITAN FUNGI. Ill 
description made by Battarra is incomplete. The latter neglected, 
in fact, to mention the irregularity of the pileus, although this 
irregularity is not constant, as Yittadini, speaking of the A. 
Eryngii , says only “ di forma bene spesso irregolare ” (Vitt. Fung. 
Mang , p. 71) ; and Fries himself says — “ Pileus.. . .varians cen- 
tralis et lateralis ” (Fr. Hym. Eur., p. 171). Battarra does not 
speak of the slight roughness of the pileus ; but also Yittadini, at 
the l.c., says — “ la superficie e un pb scabra e tal fiata 
aflatto liscia.” If the skin is denoted as “ crassa secernibile ” in 
the diagnostic phrase of Fries (Hym. Eur., p. 80), Yittadini him- 
self says, speaking of the Eryngo Agaric at the l.c., p. 72, that 
“ l’epidermide e grossa e difficilmente sollevabile dalla carne sotto- 
posta.” There remains only, therefore, the proof of the sub- 
stratum, on which the A. caxdarella lives. But, if Battarra does 
not speak of the root of the Eryngo (which abounds at Rimini 
and along all the Adriatic), we ought to remember that in autumn, 
if the root after the rains becomes rotten, the whole fungus may be 
gathered without any trace of the root, on which it grew, remain- 
ing attached to it. Moreover, the common name of Cardarella 
nostrana quoted by Battarra is sufficient to show us, that he is 
speaking exclusively of the Eryngo Aqaric. In fact the said name 
in the Abruzzo and on all the Adriatic coast is given to that 
Agaric which lives on herbaceous plants with prickly leaves like 
those of the thistle. We have no doubt, therefore, that the species 
named A. cardarella, Fr., ought to be put between the synonymous 
names of the A. Eryngii , DC. — To the A. Eryngii , DC., marked 
with the No. 608 in the t( Clavis. Hym.,” p. 49 (Cooke et Quelet), 
follows, with the No. 606, the A. nebrodensis , Inz., and with the 
No. 607, T A . ferulee, Q. Concerning this last species we refer 
entirely to what we have written in N.B. at p. 20 of our publica- 
tion. Therefore we believe that this species might be considered 
as a variety of the A. Eryngii , DC. But observing also that 
Cooke and Quelet, in l.c., suspect that the 4. ferulee is a variety of 
the A. nebrodensis (“ an varietas prioris ? ”), and that Fries retains 
it as a synonymous name (Fr. Hym. Eur., p. 703), therefore it 
seems that the A. Eryngii , DC., assumes a larger size when it 
lives on the other larger Umbelliferse, as the Ferula communis , L., 
Fragnos ferulacea , DC., Opoponax chironium , Koch., Eleoselinum 
Asclepium, Bert. ; therefore the A. ferulee and the A. nebrodensis 
represent the largest form of the common A. Eryngii, DC. For this 
reason we have considered this form as a variety of the A. Eryngii , 
DC. ; that is why we believe that it is not an independent 
species (Fung. Nap., p. 20). 
5. A. Aegirita. Brig. — Fasc. I. di funghi litogr. Nap., 1824, 
tab. 1. Ejusd. Hist. fung. Neap., p. 68, et p. 131, tab. 32-33. 
This species has been quoted under the name of the A. Aegerita , 
Fr. (Fr. Hym. Eur., p. 219,- Ejusd. Epicr., p. 164. — Cooke et 
Quelet, l.c., p. 67, No. 840.) In our publication at p. 28, we have 
evidently demonstrated the priority of the name given by Briganti. 
