Harper—Species of Hypholoma . Il4& 
\J‘ ?fj Qf 
Fascicularia, Velutina and Appendiculata are natural divi¬ 
sions and contain three distinct groups of plants. Viscida and 
Flocculosa are not natural divisions. Few species have been 
referred to them and viscid and floccose plants are found in the- 
other sections. We have retained them only because we did not 
wish to burden the other sections with unrelated forms. Our 
first aim has been to place all closely related species and var¬ 
ieties in natural groups. Our purpose is to encourage obser¬ 
vation and to this end we seek to accomplish three things: (a) 
To place the agarics in groups large enough to be easily recog¬ 
nized so that observers can identify their plants without too 
much labor and with a good degree of certainty, (b) To place 
in the groups all recorded species and forms that need to be¬ 
taken into account if one is to recognize the significance of the 
form he has collected, (c) To open up the lines of variation 
so that observation may be intelligently directed. We hope 
that such grouping will help in securing a phylogenetic arrange¬ 
ment which is the only final and scientific classification. 
The groups are based on the common well known species.. 
Almost everyone of these species is surrounded by a number of 
forms which have been described as species but whose exact af¬ 
finities need further observation. There are four large groups; 
in the genus Hypholoma: The brick tops in the section Fas- 
cicularia constitute the first. Our common species is easily dis- 
tinguished and we have associated with it the forms which need 
to be especially studied in relation to it. There are two^ 
groups in the section Velutina. One of the scaly forms based 
on Hypholoma lacrimabundum and another based on Hypholo¬ 
ma velutinum, a group which appears to be well characterized 
by the peculiar spores. All of the common hygrophanous forms 
in the section Appendiculata. with a single exception, have been 
placed in one group. The few remaining plants which appear 
to be without evident affinities are in the sections Viscida and 
Flocculosa. 
Two groups, the Hypholoma sublateritium group and the 
Hypholoma candolleanum-appendiculatum group are valuable* 
as food plants. The species are common and edible. The 
plants in the other groups are more rare. 
