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CLITOCYBE<br />
cooking. According to Singer (1951) the European P. ulmarius is a different<br />
fungus and the North American species is really P. tessulatus (Bull, ex Fr.) Gill.<br />
Considerable variation may occur in the size and position of the stipe:<br />
from central to decidedly excentric or almost lateral. Plants of the latter type<br />
might be confused with P. ostreatus, but the attachment of the lamellae will<br />
distinguish them and, if a microscope is available, the size and shape of the<br />
spores will provide a sure diagnostic character. Another species was described<br />
by Peck as Pleurotus elongatipes, which differs from P. ulmarius chiefly in hav-<br />
ing a stuffed to hollow stipe and sHghtly smaller spores. It seems to be rare but<br />
has probably been confused with P. ulmarius. This makes no difference from<br />
the standpoint of edibihty.<br />
CLITOCYBE<br />
Species of Clitocybe are mostly white-spored, with decurrent lamellae, and<br />
lack a volva and annulus. In some species the spores are pinkish buff or pale<br />
yellowish in a good deposit, but these species would not likely be looked for in<br />
the yellow-spored group. The stipe is fibrous, more or less similar to the pileus<br />
in texture and not separating readily from it. In this respect as well as in the<br />
attachment of the lamellae they differ from Collybia, in which the stipe is more<br />
cartilaginous in texture than the pileus and separates readily.<br />
It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between Clitocybe and Tricholoma<br />
and the attachment of the lamellae is the principal distinguishing character. In<br />
Clitocybe the lamellae are typically decurrent to adnate whereas in Tricholoma<br />
they are more or less sinuate to emarginate or adnexed, but since the attachment<br />
may vary to some extent at different stages of maturity and in individual<br />
fruiting bodies, a clear-cut distinction is not always easy.<br />
Other genera that might be confused with Clitocybe are Cantharellus,<br />
Laccaria, Leucopaxillus and Omphalina. Cantharellus differs in having blunt-<br />
edged, more or less fold-like, forking lamellae, although species Hke Cantha-<br />
rellus umbonatus and Clitocybe aurantiaca make sharp separation difficult.<br />
Laccaria has globose, spiny spores and lamellae of waxy consistency. Some<br />
species of Leucopaxillus have the form and stature of a Clitocybe but differ in<br />
having rough-walled, amyloid spores. Omphalina includes a group of small,<br />
umbiUcate species with decurrent lamellae and cartilaginous stipes. The size of<br />
the fruiting body and the texture of the stipe seem to be the principal characters<br />
distinguishing them from Clitocybe but it seems almost impossible to make a<br />
clear-cut separation. No species of Omphalina are described here.<br />
Clitocybe is a fairly large genus and many of the species, especially the<br />
small whitish forms are difficult to identify. Only a few of the commoner and<br />
more striking species are described here. Most of the species appear to be<br />
edible but information is lacking concerning several species and at least two,<br />
C. illudens and C. dealbata, are known to be poisonous.<br />
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