192 
CRYPTOGAMIA. FUNGI. Agaricus. 
(Violet-coloured Agaric. E.) Ag. violaceus and amethystinus. SchsefF. 
Ag. araneosus violaceus. Bull. Ag. violaceus. Bolt. (Pers. Purt. E.) 
Woods near Bath. Major Veliev. Powick near Worcester. Mr. Stack- 
house. Edgbaston and Barr plantations. Oct.—Dec. 
Var. 2. nudus. Without a curtain: gills very irregular. 
Bolt. 147— Bull. 439. A— Schesff. 34— {FI. Dan. 1133. E.) 
Gills violet coloured, irregular in disposition, two, three, or four in a set, 
turning brown with age. 
Pileus pale brown with more or less of a violet tinge, smooth, convex, and 
bossed, when fully expanded concave, half to two or three inches dia¬ 
meter. 
Stem solid, pale brown, with a violet tinge, scored, cylindrical upwards, 
but thickening into a bulb at the base, one and a half to two inches and 
a half high, and a quarter to half an inch diameter. 
This plant varies much in size, and the violet tints are very evanescent. 
Ag. bulbosus. Huds. Ag. caerulescens. Schteff. Ag. nudus. Bull. Barr, 
Staffordshire. Edgbaston, pastures. Oct. 
It is often found in similar situations with the preceding; nor can I con¬ 
sider with Mr. Bulliard that the absence of the curtain ought alone to 
constitute a different species.f 
(Are Ag. violaceus and Ag. cyaneus really distinct species ? E.) 
Ag. cya'neus. (Bull.) Gills brown lilac, numerous, eight in a set: 
pileus bluish green, gently convex, edge a little turned down: 
stem bluish green, scored, crooked : curtain white. 
Bull. 170. and 530—Bolt. 30. 
Gills fixed, brown lilac, white within, generally eight in a set, but in some 
large specimens the two longer series of gills divide towards the edge of 
the pileus, and then the small gills are not to be found. 
Pileus conical when young, at ffill growth, nearly flat, but a little turned 
down at the edge ; cracldngin the centre with age; bluish green, viscid, 
two to three inches over. Flesh white. 
Stem solid, bluish green, whitish with scurf when young, crooked, scored, 
two to three inches high, a quarter to half an inch diameter. Root bul¬ 
bous. Curtain white, cottony. 
It is remarkable, that when the green viscid mucilage is scraped off the 
pileus, or wears off in its more advanced age, the real colour appears, 
which is nearly that of copper. Also that the gills are white when their 
cover of purple paint is removed. The whole skin of the pileus easily 
strips off and shows the white flesh underneath. 
(Cyanean Agaric. Ag. ceruginosus. Purt. E.) Ag. cyaneus. Bull. Ag. 
politus. Bolt. Rookery, in Edgbaston Park. Oct.—Nov. 
*Ag. toutilis. Gills brown, changing to purplish flesh-colour, few, 
four in a set: pileus red brown, convex, turning up with age : 
stem brownish or dusky flesh-colour. 
Bolt. 41. A. 
+ (Ag. violaceus requires much broiling, after which, when well seasoned, it is as 
delicious as an oyster. Encyc. Brit. This species is sold in Covent-Garden market under 
the name of Blewits , for making catsup. Sowerby. E.) 
