AGARICUS GIGANTEUS AND A. MAXIMUS. 
43 
now been expressed in the following words : “ Dr. Cooke has 
wrongly named them in his Illustrations (see Plate 135, where 
A. giganteus is figured under the name of A. maximus, and Plate 
106, where A. Paxillus is figured under the name of A. giganteus. 
Let us first dispose of the last sentence, anent a confusion of 
A. Paxillus with A. giganteus. Referring to ‘ Fries Hymeno- 
mycetes Europaei,’ p. 224, we discover that the only Agaric 
therein called Agaricus Paxillus is a species of Pholiota , of a 
wholly cinnamon colour, with cinnamon spores, belonging therefore 
to the series Dej'mini, whereas the figure of A. giganteus is not 
cinnamon, has no ring, as A. Paxillus should have, but on the 
contrary is yellowish white, and leucosporous, or with nearly 
colourless spores. Perhaps, however, in assuming to correct one 
error another has been made, and that instead of writing A. 
Paxillus as a contraction of Agaricus Paxillus it should have 
been, ‘ a species of Paxillus is figured under the name of A. 
giganteus and, if so, it may be assumed that the writer intended 
Paxillus giganteus (Sow.) according to Fries Hym. Eur., p. 401. 
Thus stated it would have amounted to this, ‘ on Plate 106 
Paxillus giganteus is figured as Agaricus giganteus .’ And here 
we are ready to admit that the Paxillus giganteus of Fries Hym. 
Eur., p. 401, is possibly the same as the Agaricus giganteus of 
Fries’ ‘ Epicrisis,’ p. 67, although not cited by Fries as a 
synonym. Sowerby’s figure 244 is quoted, however, under both 
names.” Our sole error, then, appears to be that we have 
followed Fries in his “ Epicrisis ” in retaining Agaricus giganteus 
under the genus Agaricus , instead of accepting his more recent 
transposition to the genus Paxillus (Fries Hym. Eur., p. 401). 
We do not care to go all over the question as to whether the 
Agaricus giganteus of Sowerby is a true Agaric, or a species of 
Paxillus , or how Agaricus giganteus and Agaricus maximus are 
confused in the “ Handbook,” but will take the two species as 
they stand — Agaricus giganteus , Fries Epicrisis, p. 67, and 
Agaricus maximus , Fries Hym. Eur., p. 401 — leaving out of the 
question, for the present, Sowerby’s fig. 244. 
Agaricus (Clitocybe) giganteus, Fries Fpic. p. 67. Mon. i., 118. 
Paxillus giganteus, Fr. Hym. Fur. 401. Letell. t . 682. Sver. 
Svam. 86. Sow. t. 244 (?). 
Broad, rather caespitose, wholly tan-white. Pileus at first de- 
pressed, then broadly or flatly infundibuliform, thin, but equally 
fleshy, soft, not flaccid, but easily splitting from the margin towards 
the centre, as much as a foot broad, often excentric, and for the most 
part sinuately lobed, when fresh moist and adglutinately villose, 
when dry delicately flocculose, and cracked into scales. Margin at 
first involute, pubescent ; soon spreading, smooth, and at length 
revolute, sulcately channelled, or radiately rugose. Stem solid, 
* In an advance proof of a review sent to the publishers of “ Edible 
Fungi.” 
