Friesia IV, 3

- 174-
Differs from the main species in the folIowing characters : P i l e u s
with quite black, dull centre and the scales towards the margin
blackish with a slightly brownish tinge on a grey ground, so that
the colour and coating are exactly as in Tricholoma terreum (see
L a n g e, Fl..Ag. Dan. I, t. 22 C, 1935). G i Il s conspicuously narrow
and long white, even at the time when the ring becomes detached,
later only pale flesh colour ("PaIe Grayish Vinaceous") before they
become dark. S t e m turning yellow on pressure as in the main
species, but not so readily, and not assuming a purplish brown
colour in the yellow parts. F l e s h white, stem and cap shot in spots
with lemon yellow when cut, but only slightly tinged with flesh
colour in the upper part of the stem near the outer side. S c h af f e r
r e a c t i o n negative. S p o re p o w d e r dingy brown ("Saccardos
Umber"; L. o 6; S 132).
S p o r e s obliquely ovate, 1-2-guttulate, (4-)5 X 31-'. B a s i d i a
4-spored, clavate, 18-22 X 5.5-61-', with sterigmata 21-' long.
M a r g i n a l c y s t i d i a balloon- to pear-shaped, 15-18 X 8-121-'
in sterile border.
Gregarious. Rare. September-October, 1943.
Lolland: Saxkjøbing, in garden under fruit trees on bare soil.
(Lindh. Hansen).
Probably M a i r e's variety is identical. His diagnosis runs as
follows: A typo differt squamis fusco-atris, lamellis angustissimis
ex albo griseo-purpureis dein fusco-purpureis. P. xanthoderma v.
grisea Pears. has a paler grey cap (according to water colours kindly
sent by P e a r s o n) and a different form of spores. P. silvatica
sensu Bres. is probably identic but has too large spores.
The existence in England of P. xanthoderma v. grisea Pears.,
which is actually more closely related to P. meleagris than to P.
xanthoderma, together with the two Danish variants of P. meleaqris,
shows that the latter is somewhat rich in forms. This' applies ­
perhaps even in a higher degree still - to the closely related parallel
species P. placomyces in the U.S.A., as A l e x a n d e r H. S m i t h
has indeed partly indicated ("Ag. placomyces is rather variable").
After perusing the somewhat copious literature concerning P. placo­
myces from that country the author thinks it safe to say that in the
Western States (California, Oregon, Washington) the descriptions
given of P . placomyces (see works by W. A. M u r r i Il, H o t s o n &
S t u n t z, Z e Il e r) vary a good deal from those of the species in
the Eastern States (ep. e. g. works by P e c k, K a u f f m a n n, V. O.