OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
09 
Hymenium pulverulent. 
LACCARIA B. and Br. 
(Lac, a resinous secretion left by the lac insect.) 
“ Pileus fleshy, regular or irregular. Stem central, externally fibrous. Gills 
adnate with a decurrent tooth, pulverulent. Spores white, globose or elliptical, 
echinulate or verrueose. Growing on the ground or on wood.” — Rea. 
This genus is included by many in Clitoi’ybe. The gills are decurrent and 
acutely adnate and coloured reddish, violet or yellow. The spores are white and 
warty; clinging to the surface of the gills they give these a glaucous appearance 
with the ground colour showing through. Laccaria lacoata is one of our 
commonest fungi. 
41). Laccaria laccata (Scop.) B. et Br. (Italian lacca , the reddish resinous 
lac exudate). — Pileus usually 4 to lin, (1.2 to 5 cm.), convex or irregularly 
convex, sometimes depressed in the centre, edge usually striate when moist, 
surface dull, smooth, sometimes slightly mealy, innately fibrillose to subscaly when 
dry, Cinnamon Rufous to Hazel (xiv. ) when moist, Light Olivaceous Buff (xv.) 
or Light Pinkish Cinnamon to Cinnamon Buff (xxix.) when dry. Gills adnate 
with a decurrent tooth, tending to lie distant, with short ones interspersed, 
slightly ventricose, rather broad, thickish, a little paler than Vinaceous Russet, 
near Buff Pink, or AHnaeeous Pink to Japan Rose (xxvm.), becoming pruinose 
with the spores. Stem 1 to 2Jin. (2.5 to 6.2 cm.), slender (Jin., 3 mm. thick), 
equal, often rather flexuous, fibrillose, base not white or villous, solid or slightly 
hollow, coiicolorous with the pileus. Spores subspherieal, warty, 7 g, 7.5 x 5.5 g, 
8.5 x fi n. Single, gregarious or subeaespitose, usually on sandy loam. South 
Australia — Mount Lofty Range, National Park, Willunga Hill, Mount Remarkable, 
Mount Burr (S.E.). New South Wales. Victoria. May to August. (Plate IV. 
Upper right figure.) 
Australian plants differ from Rea’s description of British ones in being smaller, 
in Hit 1 frequent striatum of the periphery of the pileus and in file absence, in some 
specimens at least, of a white villous base to the stem. 
This is a very common and rather variable species, relatively small, of a 
general rufous-flesh colour when moist, more pallid when dry. The best way to 
recognise it in the field is by noting the whitish pruinose appearance of the gills 
due to the white warty spores. From the colour of the gills, beginners are apt 
to look for the species amongst the genera with coloured spores. The edibility 
of the Australian form has not yet been tested. 
Hymenium waxy. 
HYGROPHOROUS Fr. 
(Gr., hygros, moist; phero, 1 bear.; 
“Pileus fleshy, regular, viscid or dry. Stem central, fleshy. Gills decurrent 
or adnat'o-decurrent. Spores white, very rarely slightly coloured; elliptical, 
oval, globose, clavate, pip-shaped or oblong-elliptical; smooth or continuous. 
Cystidia present' or absent. Growing on the ground, very rarely on wood.” — Rea. 
The genus ITygnpp'howts is characterised by the waxy consistency of the 
hymenium which covers the gills, so that when mature this becomes soft and 
can easily be rubbed off the trama or main support of the gills. The gills are 
also usually distant or subdistant and whilst' the edge is acute they become 
thicker towards the attachment so as to be rather triangular in section. The 
pileus is often white or brightly coloured red, orange or green. It is often viscid. 
The flesh is somewhat waxy or watery. Many species are edible. 
Several species are known for Australia. Not uncommon on our foothills is 
the white exceedingly glutinous Hygrophorux eandidus. if. conicus, red, orange- 
yellow or yellowish-green, turning black in drying, may be found on one of the 
lawns in the Botanic Gardens in May and June. II. coccvncm is a beautiful 
scarlet species with conico-convex cap. 
