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HYGROPHORUS<br />
MELANOLEUCA ALBOFLAVIDA (Pk.) Murr. Edible<br />
Figure 188, page 113<br />
piLEUS 2-41/2 in. broad, at first somewhat campanulate, expanding to<br />
almost plane with disk often sHghtly obtuse or shghtly depressed and margin<br />
tending to remain decurved for a long time, smooth, moist, glabrous, dingy<br />
yellowish brown at first, becoming dingy yellowish buff to whitish, darkest on<br />
disk. FLESH white, odor and taste not distinctive, lamellae thin and crowded,<br />
moderately narrow, sinuate-adnexed, white to dingy, stipe rather tall and<br />
straight, giving the plant a stiff, rigid appearance, 3-7 in. long, J4-!/2 in. thick,<br />
equal, subbulbous, solid within, with a cartilaginous rind, glabrous, fibrillose-<br />
striate, whitish or tinged the color of the pileus. spores ovoid, thick-walled,<br />
minutely punctate, strongly amyloid, white, 7-10 X 4.5-5.5 /x. cystidia lanceo-<br />
late, often encrusted at the apex into a harpoon-like tip.<br />
Solitary or in small groups on the ground in woods. June-Sept. Fairly<br />
common.<br />
The general appearance and stature of this species and especially the subcartilaginous<br />
stipe would lead one to look for it in the genus Collybia. It was<br />
placed in Collybia by Kauffman, although it was described by Peck as a<br />
Tricholoma, and its closest relatives appear to be in the T. melaleucum group.<br />
Since this group is now separated from Tricholoma as a distinct genus, Mela-<br />
noleUca, this seems to be the proper place for this species. It is larger than<br />
M. melaleuca and paler in color.<br />
MELANOLEUCA MELALEUCA (Pers. ex Fr.) Murr. Probably edible<br />
Figure 189, page 113<br />
PILEUS 1-3 in. broad, convex, subumbonate, expanding to almost plane,<br />
moist, hygrophanous, smoky brown, drying much paler, smooth and glabrous,<br />
sometimes wavy on the margin, flesh thin, whitish, lamellae adnexed,<br />
notched at the stipe, close, moderately broad, white or whitish, stipe 1-3 in.<br />
long, 1/8-54 in. thick, equal or slightly swollen at the base, whitish, marked<br />
with darker fibrils, centrally stuffed, spores white, ellipsoid, rough-walled,<br />
strongly amyloid, 6-8 X 4-5 /x- cystidia lanceolate, encrusted at apex forming<br />
a harpoon-like tip.<br />
Solitary or scattered, on the ground, in woods and open places. Sept.-Oct.<br />
This species is distinguished by its rather stiff stature and rigid stipe, the<br />
strongly hygrophanous, fading pileus, and the rough-walled amyloid spores.<br />
M. brevipes (Bull, ex Fr.) Pat. is very similar but has a short stipe, less than<br />
the diameter of the pileus in height.<br />
HYGROPHORUS<br />
Hygrophorus is a large and important genus that includes some of our<br />
most beautiful mushrooms and several fine edible species. The spore deposit is<br />
131
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