Friesia IV, 3

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This species which is much like the t ypical for m of P. silvatica
differs from all sp ecies of the Silvatica group by its q uite naked,
chalk white stem, which does not turn bl ackish with age , and by t he
chemical composition of the flesh. By the siz e of the cystidia the
speci es differs so much from P. meleagris that it eannot be r eferred
to S c h af f e r's "Rebhuhnform" of P . m eleagris (s ee M i c h a e I­
S c h af f e r , Flihrer f. Pilzfreunde I , no. 58, 193 9) , all the mo r e
since S c h af f e r himself has declared that this is "e ine blosse belanglose
Form de s Perlhuhnchampignons", which "w åchst stets in
Minderzahl zwischen diesem" (Schweiz. Zeitschr. f. Pilzk. XVI, p.152,
1938) , while P. phaeolepidota despite several years' observations of
numerous fruit bodies always is a constant pure brown, and always
shows faint flesh-colour reactions upon breaking of the fruit bodies.
Anilin oil stains the flesh yellow to orange colour in P. xa nthoderma
and P. m eleagris.
3. Psalliota meleagris S CHAFF.
J. S c h af f e r , Zeitschr. f. Pilzk. 4, p.28, 1925 ("Perlhuhnform");
ibid. 6, p.106, 1927 ("Rebhuhnform") .
Syn.: Psalliota xanthoderma subsp. meleagris Schåff., Michael, Fuhrer
f. Pilzfreunde I, no. 58, 1939.
Icon. : J. S c h af f e r: Michael, Fuhrer f. Pilzfreunde I, no. 58, 1939.
a) "Perlhuhnform"
p i l e u s 5-12 cm, semi-globate or campanulate, then expanded
and often with flattened centre or umbonate with dark sooty brown
("Mummy Brown") centre, and towards the margin, on a whitish
ground later becoming darker, set with delicate and dense, sooty
brown or dark greyish brown ("Deep Brownish Drab") , adnate
aquamules. G i Il s free, crowded, rather bro ad, at first quite pale,
later a beautiful pink ("Vinaceous-Pink") , and at length blackish
brown. Edge sterile, pale, denticulate. S t e mslender, 6-10 cm X
10-12 mm, cylindrical with a round or sometimes slightly marginate,
bulbous base, very hollow, white, but on bruising or rough handling
at once showing bright lemon yellow ("Lemon Chrome") spots, particularly
at the base; and after a moment the spots turn purplish
brown ("Deep Brownish Vinaceous") ; very shining and often with
wavy lines across (see also J. S c h af f e r's illustrations). R i n g
sheathed above, white, but when touched immediately yellow and