34 
CONTROVERTED AGARICS. 
A. piceus , Kalch. Fr. Hym. Eur., 761. 
Pileus submembranaceous, conic then campanula te, papillate, 
without strke, smooth, pitch-colour, umber when dry ; stem fistu- 
lose, rather tough, short, even, delicately pruinose, of the same 
colour ; gills emarginate, with a decurrent tooth, ventricose, rather 
distant, white then flesh-coloured. Odour of cucumber, or fish. In 
grassy places in moist woods. Spores 10-12 X 4. 
Ag. cucumis , Pers. Fr. Hym. Eur., 949. Sacc., 3410. 
Pileus rather fleshy, broadly campanulate, smooth, fuscous bay 
when moist, paler about the margin ; stem thin, firm, smooth, 
fuscous turning black, thickened at the apex, hollow, pruinose ; gills 
slightly adnexed, ventricose, pallid then saffron-yellow. Odour of 
cucumber. Pileus lin. broad, but occurs smaller. Amongst 
chips. Spores 9-10 x 5-6. 
The following is the condensed form which the descriptions 
would take if reduced to one species : — 
Agaricus ( Nolanea ) nigripes, Trog. 
Pileus submembranaceous, conic then campanulate, obtuse, 
without stride, floccose or velvety, brown : stem fistulose, straight or 
flexuous, becoming black, smooth, sometimes pruinose and paler 
at the apex. Gills adnexed, nearly free, thin, ventricose, gilvous 
then flesh-colour. Smell of putrid fish or cucumber. 
(a) Typica. Stem flexuous, wholly black, pileus clad with 
paler flocci. In swamps. 
( b ) Pisciodorus. Stem straight, pruinose, paler at the apex, 
rather velvety ; gills becoming fulvous. Spores ovoid-oblong. 
Pileus fulvous-cinnamon. On chips. 
(c) Cucumis. Stem straight, pruinose, firm, thickened above. 
Pileus smooth, fuscous-bay when moist, paler at the margin ; gills 
pallid then saffron yellow. Spores 9-10 X 5-6. On chips. 
(d) Piceus. Stem short, straight, thicker than in the type, 
pruinose. Pileus papillate, pitchy brown when moist, umber when 
dry, paler at the margin ; gills emarginate with a decurrent tooth, 
white then flesh -colour. Spores 10-12 x 4. In moist grassy 
places. 
It must be observed that the only one of these forms which 
departs from the type in any feature which would warrant specific 
distinction is the last, which is the only truly aberrant form, in 
virtue of the robust stem, papillate pileus, and emarginate 
gills. 
If I might venture an opinion, based on the belief that Ag. 
cucumis is not really a good Naucoria , but rather a Nolanea , I 
should suggest that Agaricus nigripes , pisciodonis, and cucumis are 
varieties of one species, call it by whatever name you please, and 
that Ag. piceus has distinctive features which might warrant its 
retention as a fairly-good species. At any rate, it is an open 
question, which merits investigation in the light of these sugges- 
tions. 
Another question of doubt often presents itself to my mind in 
