NOTES ON A FEW ASHEVILLE FUNGI 
H. C. Beards lee 
(With Plate 121, Containing 2 Figures) 
The occurrence of Amanita porphyria Fr. in the United States 
has been justly considered very doubtful. It has been reported 
sevaral times, but these reports have seemed open to grave doubts. 
Lloyd, in his paper on the Volvae, expressed the opinion that it 
does not occur in this country, and in Mycologia for March, 1913, 
the same opinion is expressed. In view of this uncertainty, it 
seems worth while to give the facts upon which my report of its 
occurrence was based. 
In 1905, in company with Mr. Lloyd, I found this species in 
abundance in Sweden. As is well known, it is quite distinct in 
appearance, whatever may be thought of its validity as a species. 
Its brown pileus and the annulus, which forms a peculiar sooty 
ring on the stipe as the plant matures, at once distinguish it 
from all its relatives. We learned to recognize it at once. 
Two years later, while collecting in Maine, I found what seemed 
to be the same plant. The pileus was the same color as those we 
had seen in Sweden and the same sooty ring was formed on the 
stipe. It was found in spruce woods near Harpswell, under con- 
ditions which were closely similar to those in the woods near 
Stockholm where we had observed it. When compared with 
Swedish specimens, no difference in microscopic structure could 
be found. It is, of course, easy to err in identifications of the 
fleshy fungi, as our literature amply shows, but I feel quite cer- 
tain of the identity of these plants, especially as the species was 
already well known to me. I have never seen it in North Caro- 
lina. Perhaps, with the station accurately known, its occurrence 
may later be verified by some collector. 
Two other species of Amanita mentioned in the March 
Mycologia may also be worth a brief mention. 
Our Amanita russuloides belongs to a group of four species 
which have been described in Europe. A. junquillea Quel., A. 
88 
