Pascuense, pertaining to pastures; referring to its habitat.

The pileus is convex, becoming nearly plane, viscid when moist, obscurely innately fibrillose; brownish-clay, often darker or rufescent in the center, the margin in the young plant slightly whitened by the thin webby veil; the margin of the cap more or less irregular, flesh white, the taste mild, odor weak.

The gills are close, rounded behind, adnexed, whitish, becoming pale ochraceous.

The stem is short, firm, equal, solid, fibrillose, slightly mealy at the top, whitish or pallid.

The spores are pale ochraceous, subelliptical. I found the plants in Figure 222 on Cemetery Hill late in November. It is a very low plant, growing under the pine trees and keeping close to the walks. The whitened margin of the young plant is a very good ear-mark by which to know this species.

Pluteolus. Fr.

Pluteolus means a small shed. It is the diminutive of pluteus, a shed or penthouse, from its conical cap.

The pileus is rather fleshy, viscid, conical or campanulate, then expanded; margin at first straight, adpressed to the stem. Stem somewhat cartilaginous, distinct from the hymenophore. Gills free, rounded behind.

Pluteolus reticulatus. Pers.

Reticulatus means made like a net; from rete, a net, so called from the net-like appearance of veins on the cap.

The pileus is slightly fleshy, campanulate, then expanded, rugoso-reticulate, viscid, margin striate, pale violaceous.

The gills are free, ventricose, crowded, saffron-yellow, to ferruginous.

The stem is one to two inches long, hollow, fragile, fibrillose, inclined to be mealy at the top, white.

I have found only a few plants of this species in our state. It seems to be rare. The anastomosing veins on the cap and its pale violaceous color will mark the species. I have always found it on decayed wood. Captain McIlvaine speaks of finding it in quantities on the stems of fallen weeds and says it was tender and of fine flavor. September.

Galera. Fr.

Galera means a small cap. The pileus is more or less bell-shaped, margin straight, at first depressed to the stem, hygrophanous, almost even, atomate when dry, more or less membranaceous.

The gills are attached to the stem or with a decurrent tooth, as in Mycena.

The stem is cartilaginous, hollow, confluent with, but different in texture from the cap. The veil is often wanting, but when present is fibrous and fugacious. The spores are ochraceous ferruginous.

Galera hypnorum. Batsch.

The Moss-Loving Galera.

Hypnorum means of mosses; from hypna, moss.

The pileus is membranaceous, conic, campanulate, smooth, striate, watery when moist, pale when dry, cinnamon.

The gills are attached to the stem, broad, rather distant, cinnamon-colored, whitish on the edge.

The stem is slender, wavy, same color as the pileus, pruinose at the apex. This plant is very like G. tenera, only much smaller, and of a very different habitat. Found in mosses from June to October.

Galera tenera. Schaeff.

The Slender Galera. Edible.

Tenera is the feminine form of tener, slender, delicate.

The pileus is somewhat membranaceous, at first cone-shaped, partially expanded, bell-shaped, hygrophanous, ochraceous when dry.

The gills are attached to the stem, crowded, rather broad, ascending, cinnamon-brown, the edges whitish, sometimes slightly serrate.

The stem is straight, hollow, fragile, rather shining; three to four inches long, equal or sometimes inclined to thicken downward, of nearly the same color as the pileus. The spores are elliptical and a dark rust-color, 12–13×7µ.

You will frequently meet a variety whose cap and stem are quite pubescent but whose other characteristics agree with G. tenera. Prof. Peck calls it G. tenera var. pilosella.

Found in richly manured lawns and pastures. It is quite common. The caps, only, are good.

Galera lateritia. Fr.

The Brick-Red Galera. Edible.

Lateritia means made of brick, from later, a brick; so called because the caps are brick-colored.

The pileus is somewhat membranaceous, cone-shaped, then bell-shaped, obtuse, even, hygrophanous, rather pale yellow when wet, ochraceous when dry.

The gills are almost free, adnexed to the top of the cone, linear, very narrow, tawny or ferruginous.

The stem is three to four inches long, hollow, slightly tapering upward, straight, fragile, white pruinose, whitish. Spores are elliptical, 11–12×5–6µ.

This plant resembles G. ovalis, from which it can be distinguished by its linear ascending gills and the absence of a veil.

Found on dung and in richly manured pastures, from July to frost.

Galera Kellermani. Pk. sp. nov.

Kellermani is named in honor of Dr. W. A. Kellerman, Ohio State University.

The pileus is very thin, subovate or subconic, soon becoming plane or nearly so; striatulate nearly to the center when moist, more or less wavy and persistently striate on the margin when dry, minutely granulose or mealy when young, unpolished when mature, often with a few scattered floccose squamules when young, and sometimes with a few slight fragments of a veil adhering to the margin which appears as if finely notched by the projecting ends of the gills; watery-brown when moist, grayish-brown when dry, a little darker in the center; taste slight, odor faint, like that of decaying wood.

The gills are thin, close, adnate, a delicate cinnamon-brown becoming darker with age. The stem is two and a half to four cm. long, slender, equal, or slightly tapering upward; finely striate, minutely scurvy or mealy, at least when young; hollow, white. The spores are brownish ferruginous with a faint pinkish tint in mass, elliptic, 8–12×6–7µ. Peck.

Dr. Peck says the distinguishing features of this species are its broadly expanded or plane grayish-brown pileus, with its granulose or mealy surface, its persistently striate margin, and its very narrow gills becoming brownish with age. I have seen the plant growing in the culture beds in the greenhouse of the Ohio State University. It is a beautiful plant. Plants of all ages are shown in Figures 224 and 225.

Galera crispa. Longyear.

Crispa means crisped; the specific name is based on the peculiar character of the gills which are always crisped as soon as the pileus is expanded.

The pileus is 1.5 to 3.5 cm. broad, membranaceous, persistently conico-campanulate, subacute, uneven and somewhat rivulose, ochraceous-brown on disk, lighter toward the margin which becomes crenulate and upturned in older specimens; slightly pruinose at first, rugulose and a little paler when dry.

The gills are adnexed, not crowded, rather narrow, interspersed with anastomosing veins; much crisped; at first nearly white, then becoming ferruginous from the spores.

The stem is 7 to 10 cm. long, tapering from a somewhat bulbous base, yellowish-white, pruinose at base, hollow, fragile. The spores are 8–10µ broad, 12–16µ long. Longyear.

They are found in grass on lawns and in pastures, June and July.

Dr. Peck, to whom specimens were referred, suggested that they may be a variety of G. lateritia, unless the peculiar character of the gills proved to be constant. Prof. Longyear has found the plant frequently in Michigan and it was found by him in the City Park, Denver, Col., in July, 1905.

Its distinguishing characteristic is sufficiently constant to make the recognition of the species a matter of ease. The plants in Figure 226 were photographed by Prof. B. O. Longyear.

Galera ovalis. Fr.

The Oval Galera.

The pileus is somewhat membranaceous, oval or bell-shaped, even, watery, dusky-rust color, somewhat larger than G. tenera.

The gills are almost free, ventricose, very broad, rust-colored.

The stem is straight, equal, slightly striate, nearly of the same color as the cap, about three inches long. Found in pastures where stock has been. I have found it in the Dunn pasture, on the Columbus pike, Ross County, O.

Crepidotus. Fr.

Crepidotus is from a Greek word meaning a slipper. The spores are dark or yellowish-brown. There is no veil. The pileus is excentric, dimidiate or resupinate. The flesh is soft. The stem is lateral or wanting, when present it is continuous with the cap. They generally grow on wood.

Crepidotus versutus. Pk.

This is a very modest little plant growing on the underside of rotten logs or bark, thus, no doubt, escaping the attention of many. Sometimes it may be found growing from the side of a log, in which case it grows in a shelving form. When growing under the log the upper side of the cap is against the wood and it is said to be resupinate.

The pileus is kidney-form, quite small, thin, pure white, covered with a soft whitish down.

The gills are radiate from the point of attachment of the cap, not crowded, whitish, then ferruginous from the spores.

Crepidotus mollis. Schaeff.

Soft Crepidotus.

The pileus is between subgelatinous and fleshy; one to two inches broad; sometimes solitary, sometimes imbricated; flaccid, even, smooth, reniform, subsessile, pallid, then grayish.

The gills are decurrent from base, crowded, linear, whitish then watery cinnamon. The spores are elliptical, ferruginous, 8–9×5–6µ.

This species is widely distributed and quite common on decayed logs and stumps, from July to October.

Naucoria. Fr.

Naucoria, a nut shell. The pileus is some shade of yellow, convex, inflexed, smooth, flocculent or scaly. The gills are attached to the stem, sometimes nearly free, never decurrent. The stem is cartilaginous, confluent with the cap but of a different texture, hollow or stuffed. The veil is absent or sometimes small traces may be seen attached to the rim of the pileus, in young plants in the form of flakes. The spores are of various shades of brown, dull or bright. They grow on the ground on lawns and rich pastures. Some on wood.

Naucoria hamadryas. Fr.

The Nymph Naucoria. Edible.

Hamadryas, one of the nymphs whose life depended upon the tree to which she was attached.

The pileus is one to two inches broad, rather fleshy, convex, expanded, gibbous, even, bay-ferruginous when young and moist, pale yellowish when old.

The gills are attenuated, adnexed, almost free, rusty, slightly ventricose, somewhat crowded.

The stem is hollow, equal, fragile, smooth, pallid, two to three inches long. The spores are elliptical, rust-color, 13–14×7µ.

This is quite a common species, often growing alone along pavements, under shade trees, and in the woods. The caps only are good. Found from June to November.

Naucoria pediades. Fr.

The Tan-colored Naucoria. Edible.

Pediades is from a Greek word meaning a plain or a field, referring to its being found on lawns and pastures.

The pileus is somewhat fleshy, convex, then plane, obtuse or depressed, dry, finally opaque, frequently inclined to be minutely rivulose.

The gills are attached to the stem but not adnate to it, broad, subdistant, only a few entire brownish, then a dingy cinnamon.

The stem is pithy or stuffed, rather wavy and silky, yellowish, base slightly bulbous. The spores are of a brownish-rust color, 10–12×4–5µ.

If the small bulb at the base of the stem is examined, it will be found to be formed chiefly of mycelium rolled together around the base. It is found on lawns and richly manured pastures from May to November. Use only the caps. This plant is usually known as semiorbicularis.

Naucoria paludosella. Atkinson n. sp.

Paludosella is a diminutive of palus, gen. paludis, a swamp or marsh.

Plants six to eight cm. high; pileus two and a half to three cm. broad; stem three to four mm. thick.

Pileus viscid when moist, convex to expanded, in age somewhat depressed; clay color, darker over center, often with appressed clay brown scales with a darker color.

Gills raw umber to Mars brown (R), emarginate, adnate sometimes with a decurrent tooth, easily becoming free.

Cystidia on sides of gills none, edge of gills with large, hyaline, thin-walled[Pg 283]
[Pg 284] cells, subventricose, sometimes nearly cylindrical, abruptly narrowed at each end with a slight sinus around the middle.

Spores subovate to subelliptical, subinequilateral, smooth, 7–9×4–5µ, fuscous ferruginous, dull ochraceous under microscope.

Stem same color as pileus but paler, cartilaginous; floccose from loose threads or, in some cases, abundant threads over the surface; becoming hollow, base bulbous, the extreme base covered with whitish mycelium.

Veil rather thick, floccose, disappearing, leaving remnant on stem and margin of pileus when fresh. Atkinson.

Dr. Kellerman and I found this plant growing on living sphagnum, other mosses and on rotten wood on Cranberry Island, in Buckeye Lake, Ohio. Figure 229 will illustrate its mode of growth, and the older plant with upturned cap will show the conspicuous clay-brown scales of the pileus. The plants are found in September and October.

Flammula. Fr.

Flammula means a small flame; so called because many of the species have bright colors. The spores are ferruginous, sometimes light yellow. The cap is fleshy and at first usually inrolled, bright colored; veil filamentous, often wanting. The gills are decurrent or attached with a tooth. The stem is fleshy, fibrous, and of the same character as the cap.

The species of the Flammula are mostly found on wood. A few are found on the ground.

Flammula flavida. Schaeff.

The Yellow Flammula.

Flavida means yellow.

The pileus is fleshy, convex, expanded, plane, equal smooth, moist, margin at first inrolled.

The gills are firmly attached to the stem, yellow, turning slightly ferruginous.

The stem is stuffed, somewhat hollow, fibrillose, yellow, ferruginous at the base.

These plants are of a showy yellow, and are frequently found in our woods on decayed logs. They are found in July and August.

Flammula carbonaria. Fr.

The Viscid Flammula.

Carbonaria is so called because it is found on charcoal or burned earth.

The pileus is quite fleshy, tawny-yellow, at first convex, then becoming plane, even, thin, viscid, margin of the cap at first inrolled, flesh yellow.

The gills are firmly attached to the stem, clay-colored or brown, moderately close.

The stem is stuffed or nearly hollow, slender, rigid, squamulose, pallid, quite short.

The spores are ferruginous-brown, elliptical, 7×3.5µ.

I have found this species quite frequently where an old stump had been burned out. It is gregarious. I have only found it from September to November but the specimens in Figure 230 were sent to me in May, from Boston. They were found in great abundance in Purgatory Swamp, where the grass and vegetation had been burned away.

Flammula fusus. Batsch.

Fusus means a spindle; so called from the spindle-shaped stem.

The pileus is compact, convex, then expanded, even, rather viscid, reddish-tan, flesh yellowish.

The gills are somewhat decurrent, pallid yellow, becoming ferruginous.

The stem is stuffed, firm, colored like the pileus, fibrillose, striate, attenuated and somewhat fusiform, rooting. The spores are broadly elliptical, 10×4µ.

Found on well-decayed logs or on ground made up largely of decayed wood. Found from July to October.

Flammula fillius. Fr.

The pileus is two to three inches broad, even, smooth, with rather viscid cuticle, pale orange-red with the disc reddish.

The gills are attached to the stem, arcuate, rather crowded, white, then pallid or tawny-yellow.

The stem is three to five inches long, hollow, smooth, pallid, reddish within. The spores are elliptical, 10×5µ.

Found on the ground in the woods from July to October.

Flammula squalida. Pk.

The pileus is one to one and a half inches broad, fleshy, convex, or plane, firm, viscose, glabrous, dingy-yellowish or rufescent, flesh whitish but in color similar to the pileus under the separate cuticle.

The gills are rather broad, adnate, pallid, becoming dark ferruginous.

The stem is one and a half to three inches long, one to two lines thick, slender, generally flexuose, hollow fibrillose, pallid or brownish, pale-yellow at the top when young; spores are brownish-ferruginous, .0003 inch long, .00016 broad. Peck.

It is found in bushy and swampy places. Dr. Peck says it is closely related to F. spumosa. Its dingy appearance, slender habit, more uniform and darker color of the pileus, and darker color of the lamellÆ. It grows in groups. The plant in Figure 231 was found in Purgatory Swamp, by Mrs. Blackford. Found in August and September.

Paxillus. Fr.

Paxillus means a small stake or peg. The spores as well as the entire plant are ferruginous. The pileus, with an involute margin, gradually unfolds. It may be symmetrical or eccentric. The stem is continuous with the hymenophore. The gills are tough, soft, persistent, decurrent, branching, membranaceous, usually easily separating from the hymenophore.

The distinctive features of this genus are the involute margin and the soft, tough, and decurrent gills which are easily separable from the hymenophore. Some grow on the ground, others grow on stumps and sawdust.

Paxillus involutus. Fr.

Involutus means rolled inward. The pileus is two to four inches broad, fleshy, compact, convex, plane, then depressed; viscid when moist, the cap being covered with a fine downy substance, so that when the margin of the cap unrolls the marks of the gills are quite prominent; yellowish or tawny-ochraceous, spotting when bruised.

The gills are decurrent, branched; anastomosing behind, near the stem; easily separating from the hymenophore.

The stem is paler than the pileus, fleshy, solid, firm, thickened upward, brown spotted.

The flesh is yellowish, changing to reddish or brownish when bruised. The spores are rust-colored and elliptical, 8–10µ. It is found on the ground and decayed stumps. When found on the side of a decayed stump or a moss-covered log the stem is usually eccentric, but in other cases it is generally central.

It will be found around swampy places in an open woods. I found quite large specimens around a swamp in Mr. Shriver's woods near Chillicothe, but they were too far gone to photograph. It is edible but coarse. It appears from August to November. Some authors call it the Brown Chantarelle.

Paxillus atrotomentosus. Fr.

Atrotomentosus is from ater, black, and tomentum, woolly or downy.

The pileus is three to six inches broad, rust-color or reddish-brown, compactly fleshy, eccentric, convex then plane or depressed, margin thin, frequently minutely rivulose, sometimes tomentose in the center, flesh white, tinged with brown under the cuticle.

The gills are attached to the stem, slightly decurrent, crowded, branched at the base, yellowish-tawny, interspaces venose.

The stem is two to three inches long, stout, solid, elastic, eccentric or lateral, rooting, covered except at the apex with a dark-brown velvety down. The spores are elliptical, 5–6×3–4µ.

I found the specimen in Figure 233 at the foot of an old pine tree on hillside at Sugar Grove, Ohio. I found the plant frequently at Salem, Ohio. It grows where the pine tree is a native. It is not poisonous. I do not regard it as very good. Found during August and September.

Paxillus rhodoxanthus. Schw.

The Yellow Paxillus. Edible.

Rhodoxanthus means a yellow rose. The pileus is one to two inches broad, convex, then expanded, cushion-shaped, the epidermis of the cap often cracked showing the yellow flesh, resembling very much Boletus subtomentosus; reddish-yellow or chestnut-brown. The flesh is yellow and the cap dry.

The gills are decurrent, somewhat distant, stout, chrome yellow, occasionally forked at the base; anastomosing veins quite prominent, the cystidia being very noticeable.

The stem is firm, stout, of the same color as the cap, perhaps paler and more yellow at the base. The spores are oblong, yellow, 8–12×3–5µ.

This is one of the most troublesome plants whose genus we have to settle. One of my mycological friends advised me to omit it from the genus altogether. It has been placed in various genera, but I have followed Prof. Atkinson and classed it under Paxillus. The plant is widely distributed. I find it frequently about Chillicothe. It is edible. Found in August, September and October. A full discussion of the plant will be found in Prof. Atkinson's book.

Cortinarius. Fr.

Cortinarius is from cortina, a curtain, alluding to a cobwebby veil seen only in the comparatively young plants. Sometimes, parts of it will seem more substantial, remaining for a time on the margin of the cap or on the stem. The color of the pileus varies and its flesh and that of the stem are continuous. The hymenophore and the gills are continuous. The gills are attached to the stem, frequently notched, membranaceous, persistent, changing color, dry, powdery, with rusty-yellow spores which drop slowly. The veil and gills are the chief marks of distinction. The former is gossamer-like and separate from the cuticle, and the latter are always powdered. It is always essential to note the color of the gills in the young plant, since color is variable and sometimes shows only the slightest trace on the stem, colored from the falling spores.

Most authorities divide the genus into six tribes, from the appearance of the pileus. They are as follows:

I. Phlegmacium, meaning a shiny or clammy moisture. The pileus has a continuous pellicle, viscid when moist, stem dry, veil spider-webby.

II. Myxacium, meaning mucus, slime; so called from the glutinous veil. The pileus is fleshy, glutinous, rather thin; the gills are attached to the stem, slightly decurrent; the stem is viscid, polished when dry, slightly bulbous.

III. Inoloma, meaning a fibrous fringe; from is, genitive inos, a fibre; and loma, a fringe.

The pileus is fleshy, dry, not hygrophanous or viscid, silky with innate scales; the gills may be violaceous, pinkish-brown, yellow at first, then in all cases cinnamon-color from the spores; the stem is fleshy and somewhat bulbous; veil simple.

IV. Dermocybe, meaning a skinhead; from derma, skin, and cybe, a head.

The pileus thin and fleshy, entirely dry, at first clothed with silky down, becoming smooth in mature plants. The gills are changeable in color. The stem is equal or tapering downward, stuffed, sometimes hollow, smooth.

V. Telamonia, meaning a bandage or lint. The pileus is moist, watery, smooth or sprinkled with whitish superficial fibres, the remnants of the web-like veil. The flesh is thin, somewhat thicker at the center. The stem is ringed and frequently scaly from the universal veil, slightly veiled at the apex, hence almost with a double veil. The plants are usually quite large.

VI. Hydrocybe, meaning water-head or moist head. The pileus is moist, not viscid, smooth or sprinkled with a whitish superficial fibril, flesh changing color when dry, and rather thin. The stem is somewhat rigid and bare. Veil thin, fibrillose, rarely forming a ring. Gills also thin.

TRIBE I. PHLEGMACIUM.

Cortinarius purpurascens. Fr.

The Purplish Cortinarius. Edible.

Purpurascens means becoming purple or purplish; so named because the blue gills become purple when bruised.

The pileus is four to five inches broad, bay-brown, viscid, compact, wavy, spotted when old; often depressed at the margin, sometimes bending back; the flesh blue.

The gills are broadly notched, crowded, bluish-tan, then cinnamon-color, becoming purplish when bruised.

The stem is solid, bulbous, clothed with small fibres, blue, very compact, juicy; becoming purplish when rubbed. The spores are elliptical, 10–12×5–6µ.

This is one of the delicious mushrooms to eat, the stem cooking tender as readily as the caps. I found it in Tolerton's woods, Salem, Ohio, and in Poke Hollow near Chillicothe. September to November.

Cortinarius turmalis. Fr.

The Yellow-Tan Cortinarius. Edible.

Turmalis means of or belonging to a troop or a squadron, turma; so called because occurring in groups, and not solitary.

The pileus is two to four inches broad, viscid when wet, ochraceous-yellow, smooth, discoid, flesh soft; veil extending from the margin of the cap to the stem in delicate arachnoid threads, best seen in young plants.

The gills are emarginate, decurrent, depending upon the age of the plant; crowded, somewhat serrated, whitish at first, then brownish-ochraceous-yellow. The remnants of the veil will usually show above the middle of the stem as a zone of minute striÆ, darker than the stem.

I found specimens on Cemetery Hill under pine trees. September to November.

Cortinarius olivaceo-stramineus. Kauff. n. Sp.

Olivaceo-stramineus means an olive straw-color.

Pileus 4–7 cm. broad, viscid from a glutinous cuticle, broadly convex, slightly depressed in the center when expanded; margin incurved for some time; pale-yellow with an olivaceous tinge, slightly rufous-tinged when old; smooth or silky-fibrillose, disk sometimes covered with minute squamules, shreds of the partial veil attached to the margin when expanded. Flesh very thick, becoming abruptly thin toward the margin, white, dingy-yellowish in age, soon soft and spongy. Gills rather narrow, 7 mm. broad, sinuate-adnexed, whitish at first, then pale cinnamon, crowded, edge serratulate and paler. Stem 6–8 cm. long, with a slight bulb when young, from whose margin arises the dense partial veil; white and very pruinate above the veil, which remains as dingy fibrils stained by the spores; spongy and soft within, becoming somewhat hollow. Veil white with an olive tinge. Spores, 10–12×5.5–6.5µ, granular within, almost smooth. Odor agreeable.

Kauffman says this resembles C. herpeticus, except that the gills when young are never violet-tinged.

I found this plant in Poke Hollow, near Chillicothe. It was unknown to me and I sent it to Dr. Kauffman of Michigan University to determine. I found it under beech trees, during October and November.

Cortinarius varius. Fr.

The Variable Cortinarius. Edible.

Varius—Variable, so called because it varies in stature, its color and habit are unchangeable. The pileus is about two inches broad; compact, hemispherical, then expanded; regular, slightly viscid, thin margin at first incurved, sometimes with fragments of the web-like veil adhering.

The gills are notched, thin, crowded, quite entire, purplish, at length clay-colored or cinnamon.

The stem is solid, short, covered with threads, whitish, bulbous, from one and a half to two and a half inches long.

The plant is quite variable in size but constant in color. It is found in woods. I found specimens at Salem, Ohio, and at Bowling Green, Ohio. September to November.

Cortinarius cÆrulescens. Fr.

The Azure-Blue Cortinarius. Edible.

CÆrulescens, azure-blue. Pileus fleshy, convex, expanded, even, viscid, azure-blue, flesh soft, not changing color when bruised.

The gills are attached to the stem, slightly rounded behind, crowded, quite entire, at first of a pure dark blue, then rusty from the spores.

The stem is solid, attenuated upward, firm, bright violet, becoming pale, whitish, bulb growing less with age, fibrillose from vein. Spores elliptical. Neither the flesh nor the gills change color when bruised. This fact distinguishes it from C. purpurascens. When young the entire plant is more or less blue, or bluish-purple, and the color never entirely leaves the plant. In age it becomes somewhat spotted with yellow. The flesh is a little tough and needs to be stewed for some time. Found in Whinnery's woods, Salem, Ohio. September to October.

TRIBE II. MYXACIUM.

Cortinarius collinitus. Fr.

The Smeared Cortinarius. Edible.

Collinitus means smeared. The pileus is at first hemispherical, convex, then expanded, obtuse; smooth, even, glutinous, shining when dry; purplish when young, later brownish; at first incurved.

The gills are attached to the stem, rather broad, dingy-white or grayish-tan when young, then cinnamon.

The stem is solid, cylindrical, viscid or glutinous when moist, transversely cracking when dry, whitish or paler than the cap. The spores are elliptical, 12×6µ. I found this species in Tolerton's woods, Salem, Ohio, St. John's woods, Bowling Green, Ohio, also on Ralston's Run near Chillicothe, where the specimens in Figure 235 were found. Both cap and stem are covered with a thick gluten. They grow, with us, in woods among leaves. The young plant has a development peculiar to itself. The cap varies greatly in color. The flesh is white or whitish. The peculiar bluish-white gills of the young plant will attract attention at once. It is found from September to November.

TRIBE III. INOLOMA.

Cortinarius autumnalis. Pk.

The Fall Cortinarius. Edible.

Autumnalis pertaining to fall. The pileus is fleshy, convex or expanded, dull rusty-yellow, variegated, or streaked with innate rust-colored fibrils.

The gills are rather broad, with a wide, shallow emargination.

The stem is equal, solid, firm, bulbous, a little paler than the pileus.

The height is three to four inches, breadth of pileus two to four inches. Peck.

The plant was named by Dr. Peck because it was found late in the fall. I found the plant on several occasions in September, 1905. It grew very sparingly in a mixed woods on a north hillside.

Cortinarius alboviolaceus. Pers.

The Light Violet Cortinarius. Edible.

Alboviolaceus means whitish-violet.

The pileus is two to three inches broad, fleshy, rather thin, convex, then expanded, sometimes broadly subumbonate; smooth, silky, whitish, tinged with lilac or pale violet.

The gills are generally serrulate, whitish-violet, then cinnamon-color.

The stem is three to four inches long, equal or tapering upward, solid, silky, white, stained with violet, especially at the top, slightly bulbous, the bulb gradually tapering into the stem. Spores, 12×5–6µ. Peck's Report.

Sometimes the stem has a median ring-like zone, being violet above the zone and white below. The spider-like veil shows very plainly in the specimen on the left in Figure 237. In the plant on the right is shown the tapering stem from the base to the apex. These plants were found in Poke Hollow, September 21st. They are quite abundant there and elsewhere about Chillicothe. They are very good but not equal in flavor to C. violaceus. They are found in mixed woods. September to frost.

Cortinarius lilacinus. Pk.

The Lilac-Colored Cortinarius. Edible.

The pileus is two to three inches broad, firm, hemispherical, then convex, minutely silky, lilac-color.

The gills are close, lilac, then cinnamon.

The stem is four to five inches long, stout, bulbous, silky-fibrillose, solid, whitish, tinged with lilac. Spores nucleate, 10×6µ. Peck.

I have found this plant in but one place near Chillicothe. In Poke Hollow on a north hillside I have found a number of rare specimens. All were identified by Dr. Kauffman of Michigan University. All were found under beech trees within a very small radius. September and October.

Cortinarius bolaris. Fr.

The Collared Cortinarius.

The pileus is fleshy, obsoletely umbonate, growing pale, variegated with saffron-red, adpressed, innate, pilose scales.

The gills are subdecurrent, crowded, watery cinnamon.

The stem is two to three inches long, at first stuffed, then hollow, nearly equal, squamose.

Found under beech trees. Only occasionally found here.

Cortinarius violaceus. Fr.

The Violet Cortinarius. Edible.

Violaceus, violet color. The pileus is convex, becoming nearly plane, dry, adorned with numerous persistent hairy tufts or scales; dark violet.

The gills are rather thick, distant, rounded, or deeply notched at the inner extremity; colored like the pileus in the young plant, brownish-cinnamon in the mature plant.

The stem is solid, clothed with small fibres; bulbous, colored like the pileus. The spores are slightly elliptical.

The Violet Cortinarius is a very beautiful mushroom and one easy of recognition. At first the whole plant is uniformly colored, but with age the gills assume a dingy ochraceous or brownish-cinnamon hue. The cap is generally well formed and regular, and is beautifully adorned with little hairy scales or tufts. These are rarely shown in figures of the European plant, but they are quite noticeable in the American plant, and should not be overlooked. The flesh is more or less tinged with violet. Peck. 50th Rep. N. Y. State Bot.

No one can fail to recognize this plant. The web-like veil in the young plant, the bulbous stem, and the violet tinge throughout will readily distinguish it. It grows in rich hilly country. It grows solitary, and in open woods.

TRIBE IV. DERMOCYBE.

Cortinarius cinnamoneus. Fr.

The Cinnamon Cortinarius. Edible.

Figure 239.—Cortinarius cinnamoneus. Two-thirds natural size. Caps cinnamon-brown. Stems yellow.