Harper—Additional Species of Pholiota. 393 
incertum, cutifractum, madiodiscum, hymenocephalum, floc- 
culentum, longipes, Stropharia irregularis, longistriata, etc. 
The situation in Europe is the same as here. In each of the 
groups I have mentioned the well known species are the 
same. Pholiota dura, praecox, aegerita and curvipes, Stro¬ 
pharia stercoraria and semiglobata and Hypholoma appendi- 
culatum, candolleanum, sublateritium and velutinum are 
all reported as common species in the floras of the British 
Isles, France, Germany, Bavaria, etc. There are also num¬ 
erous more local forms in the same groups in each flora. 
For example in the floras of the British Isles Hypholoma 
lanaripes, appendiculatum, var. lanatum, leucotephrum, 
egenulum and piluliforme are given in the appendicula- 
tum-candolleanum group. It is difficult to determine the 
relationship of many of these forms to those listed in the 
same group from France or described by Britzelmayr from 
Bavaria and still more difficult to determine their connec¬ 
tion with the minor forms in the group in this country. 
Similar difficulties arise in the study of each group. What is 
the relation of Pholiota sphaleromorpha to Pholiota how- 
eana or duroides?. Of Stropharia longistriata to Stropharia 
spintrigera? etc. Specific descriptions in the traditional 
form do not enable us to answer these questions and yet 
these questions are of the highest significance if the varia¬ 
tions and geographical relations of the plants are to be 
understood. What is the use of continuing to write descrip¬ 
tions until these questions are answered? It only makes the 
problem more complex. 
A concrete example of the need of grouping the agarics 
is before me as I write. I have just collected a species of 
Lepiota about one inch broad and two inches high. The 
pileus is floccose, smooth and lemon yellow on the umbo and 
striate plicate on the margin. The gills are broadly free. 
The stem is white and somewhat bulbous with a median 
annulus. It evidently belongs among the smaller forms of the 
Lepiota cepaestipes group. A look through the literature 
shows that a large number of similar forms have been de¬ 
scribed by European mycologists and in this country Peck 
has described several, Morgan two and Clements two. The 
species in this country are said to be known only from the 
single collections. That they all belong to one group is 
