The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Part 29

The gills are emarginate, adnexed, thin, white, in groups of 2-4.

The stem is hollow, equal, smooth, not rooting, s.h.i.+ning, reddish-bay. It is found growing on twigs and fallen leaves, in the woods. Smaller than M. Scorodonius but with longer stem.

_Marasmius prasiosmus. Fr._

THE LEEK-SCENTED MARASMIUS.

Prasiosmus means smelling like a leek; from, _prason_, a leek. The pileus is one-half to one inch broad, somewhat membranaceous, tough, bell-shaped, pale yellow or whitish, disk often darker, wrinkled.

The gills are adnexed, somewhat close, white.

The stem is tough, hollow, pallid and smooth above, dilated at the base, tomentose and brown. It is found in woods adhering to oak leaves after heavy rains. It is very near M. porreus but differs from it in its gills being white and caps not being striated. It differs from M. terginus mainly in its habitat and leek-like scent.

_Marasmius anomalus. Pk._

Anomalus, not conforming to rule, irregular. The pileus is one to two inches broad, somewhat fleshy, tough, convex, even, reddish-gray.

The stem is two to three inches long, hollow, equal, smooth, pallid above, reddish-brown below.

The gills are rotundate-free, close, narrow, whitish or pallid.

_Morgan._

This is quite a pretty plant, growing on sticks among leaves in the woods. It is larger than most of the small Marasmii found in similar habitats.

_Marasmius semihirtipes. Pk._

Semihirtipes means a slightly hairy foot or stem.

The pileus is thin, tough, nearly plane or depressed, smooth, sometimes striate on the margin, hygrophanous, reddish-brown when moist, alutaceous when dry, the disk sometimes darker.

The gills are subdistant, reaching the stem, slightly venose-connected, sub-crenulate on the edge, white.

The stem is equal, even or finely striate, hollow, smooth above, velvety-tomentose toward the base, reddish-brown. _Peck._

These plants are very small, often no doubt overlooked by the collector.

They are gregarious in their mode of growth.

_Marasmius longipes. Pk._

Longipes means long stem or foot.

The pileus is thin, convex, smooth, finely striate on the margin, tawny-red.

The gills are not crowded, attached, white.

The stem is tall, straight, hollow, equal, covered with a downy meal, rooting, brown or fawn-color, white at the top.

These plants are quite small and slender, sometimes four to five inches high. They are rather common in our woods after a rain.

_Marasmius graminum. Berk._

Graminum is the gen. pl. of _gramen_, which means gra.s.s.

The pileus small, membranaceous, convex, then nearly plane, umbonate, deeply and distinctly striate or sulcate, tinged with rufous, the furrows paler, disc brown.

The gills are attached to a collar that is free around the stem, few in number, slightly ventricose, cream-color.

The stem is short, slender, equal, smooth, s.h.i.+ning, black, whitish above.

The spores are globose, 3-4.

This species is very near M. rotula but it can be easily distinguished by the pale rufescent, distinctly sulcate pileus, and its growing on gra.s.s. I have frequently found it on the Chillicothe high school lawn.

_Marasmius siccus. Schw._

THE BELL-SHAPED MARASMIUS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate XVII. Figure 110.--Marasmius siccus.

Natural size. The cap ochraceous red, the disks somewhat darker, the stems s.h.i.+ning and blackish-brown.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 111.--Marasmius siccus. Natural size. Caps deeply furrowed and pinkish.]

This is a very beautiful plant found in the woods after a rain, growing from the leaves. They are found singly, but usually in groups.

The pileus is at first nearly conical, then campanulate, membranaceous, dry, smooth, furrows radiating from almost the center, growing larger as they approach the margin, ochraceous-red, the disk a little darker.

The gills are free or slightly attached, few, distant, broad, narrowed toward the stem, whitish.

The stem is hollow, tough, smooth, s.h.i.+ning, blackish-brown, two to three inches long. The pileus is about a half inch broad.

The plant is quite common in our woods. I have not found it elsewhere.

The plants in the photograph represent the pink form, which is not so common as the ochraceous-red. In the pink form the center of the cap and the apex of the stem is a delicate pink, which gives the plant a beautiful appearance.

Found from June to October. I have not tested it but have no doubt of its esculent qualities.

_Marasmius f.a.gineus. Morgan._

f.a.gineus means belonging to beech.

Pileus a little fleshy, convex then plane or depressed, at length somewhat repand, rugose-striate, reddish-pallid or alutaceous.