ENTOLOMA Fr.
The volva and annulus are absent in this genus, the spores are rosy, the gills adnate to sinuate or adnexed, easily separating from the stem in some species. The stem is fleshy or fibrous, sometimes waxy, and the pileus is fleshy with the margin incurved, especially when young. The spores are prominently angular. The genus corresponds with Tricholoma of the white-spored agarics, and also with Hebeloma and Inocybe of the ochre-spored ones. Entoloma repandum Bull., is an Inocybe [I. repandum (Bull.) Bres.] and has angular spores resembling those of an Entoloma, but the spores are not rosy.
Entoloma jubatum Fr.—Growing on the ground in woods. The plants are 5–10 cm. high, the cap 3–6 cm. broad, and the stem 3–6 mm. in thickness.
The pileus is conic in some plants, to convex and umbonate, thin, minutely scaly with blackish hairy scales, dull heliotrope purple, darker on the umbo. The gills are vinaceous rufus to deep flesh color, strongly sinuate, and irregularly notched along the edge. The spores are irregularly oval to short oblong, coarsely angular, with an oil drop, 5–7 angled, 7–11 × 6–7 µ. The stem is of the same color as the pileus, sometimes deeply rooting, hollow. Figure [139] is from plants (No. 4000, C. U. herbarium) collected at Blowing Rock, N. C., during September, 1899.
Entoloma grayanum Pk.—This plant grows on the ground in woods. It is from 6–8 cm. high, the cap is 3–6 cm. broad, and the stem 4–6 mm. in thickness.
Figure 139.—Entoloma jubatum. Entire plant dull heliotrope purple, gills later flesh color (natural size). Copyright.
The pileus is convex to expanded, sometimes broadly umbonate, drab in color, the surface wrinkled or rugose, and watery in appearance. The flesh is thin and the margin incurved. The gills are first drab in color, but lighter than the pileus, becoming pinkish in age. The spores on paper are very light salmon color. They are globose or rounded in outline, 5–7 angled, with an oil globule, 8–10 µ in diameter. The stem is the same color as the pileus, but lighter, striate, hollow, somewhat twisted, and enlarged below. Figure [140] is from plants (No. 3998, C. U. herbarium) collected at Blowing Rock, N. C., during September, 1899.
Figure 140.—Entoloma grayanum. Cap and stem drab, gills flesh color (natural size). Copyright.
Entoloma strictius Pk.—The plants grow in grassy places, pastures, etc. They are clustered, sometimes two or three joined at the base of the stem. They are 7–10 cm. high, the caps 2–4 cm. broad, and the stems 3–6 mm. in thickness.
The pileus is convex, the disk expanded, and the margin incurved and more or less wavy or repand on the extreme edge. It is umbonate at the center with usually a slight depression around the umbo, smooth, watery (hygrophanous) in appearance, not viscid, of an umber color, shining, faintly and closely striate on the margin. In drying the surface of the pileus loses some of its dark umber color and presents a silvery sheen. The flesh is fibrous and umber color also. The gills are grayish white, then tinged with flesh color, slightly sinuate, the longer ones somewhat broader in the middle (ventricose), rather distant, and quite thick as seen in cross section, the center of the gill (trama) presenting parallel threads. The sub-hymenium is very thin and composed of small cells; the basidia are clavate, 25–30 × 9–10 µ, and four-spored. The spores are dull rose color on paper, subgloblose, 5–8 µ in diameter, angular with 5–6 angles as seen from one side. The stem is the same color as the pileus, but considerably lighter. It is hollow with white fibers within, fibrous striate on the surface, twisted, brittle, and somewhat cartilaginous, partly snapping, but holding by fibers in places, cylindrical, even, ascending, with delicate white fibers covering the lower end.
Figure 141.—Entoloma strictius. Cap umber or smoky, stem paler, gills grayish, then flesh color (natural size). Copyright.
Figure [141] is from plants (No. 2461, C. U. herbarium) collected near Ithaca, October, 1898.
LEPTONIA Fr.
In Leptonia the stem is cartilaginous, hollow or stuffed, smooth and somewhat shining. The pileus is thin, umbilicate or with the center darker, the surface hairy or scaly, and the margin at first incurved. The gills are adnate or adnexed at first, and easily separating from the stem in age. Many of the species are bright colored.
Figure 142.—Leptonia asprella. Cap hair brown (mouse colored), minute dark scales at center, stem same color, but sometimes reddish brown, green or blue, gills flesh color.
Leptonia asprella Fr.—This species occurs on the ground in woods or in open grassy places. The plants are 3–5 cm. high, the cap 2–4 cm. broad, and the stem 2–3 mm. in thickness.
The pileus is convex, then more or less expanded, umbilicate, rarely umbonate, hair brown (mouse colored), with dark scales on the center and minute scales over the surface, striate.
The gills are sinuate to adnexed. The spores are strongly 5–6 angled, 10–12 × 8–10 µ. The stem is smooth, even, usually the same color as the cap, but sometimes it is reddish brown, green, or blue. Figure [142] is from plants (No. 3996, C. U. herbarium) collected at Blowing Rock, N. C., during September, 1899.
Leptonia incana Fr., is a more common species, and is characterized by an odor of mice.
ECCILIA Fr.
The genus Eccilia corresponds with Omphalia of the white-spored agarics. The stem is cartilaginous, hollow or stuffed. The pileus is thin and somewhat membranaceous, plane or depressed at the center, and the margin at first incurved. The gills are more or less decurrent.
Eccilia polita Pers.—This plant occurs on the ground in woods. It is 6–10 cm. high, the cap 2–4 cm. broad, and the stem is 3–4 mm. in thickness.
Figure 143.—Eccilia polita. Cap hair brown to olive, stem lighter, gills flesh color, notched and irregular (natural size). Copyright.
The pileus is convex and umbilicate, somewhat membranaceous, smooth, watery in appearance, finely striate on the margin, hair brown to olive in color. The gills are decurrent. In the specimens illustrated in Fig. 143 the gills are very irregular and many of them appear sinuate. The spores are strongly 4–5 angled, some of them square, 10–12 µ in diameter, with a prominent mucro at one angle. The stem is cartilaginous, becoming hollow, lighter in color than the pileus, and somewhat enlarged below. Figure [143] is from plants (No. 3999, C. U. herbarium) collected at Blowing Rock, N. C., during September, 1899.
Plate 45, Figure 144.—Claudopus nidulans, view of under side. Cap rich yellow or buff, gills flesh color (natural size). Copyright.
CLAUDOPUS W. Smith.
In the genus Claudopus, recognized by some, the pileus is eccentric or lateral, that is, the stem is attached near the side of the cap, or the cap is sessile and attached by one side to the wood on which the plant is growing; or the plants are resupinate, that is, they may be spread over the surface of the wood.
The genus is perhaps not well separated from some of the species of Pleurotus with lilac spores like P. sapidus. In fact, a number of the species were formerly placed in Pleurotus, while others were placed in Crepidotus among the ochre-spored agarics. Several species are reported from America. Peck in 39th Report N. Y. State Mus., p. 67, et seq., 1886, describes five species.
Claudopus nidulans (Pers.) Pk.—This is one of the very pretty agarics growing on dead branches and trunks during the autumn, and is widely distributed. It has, however, been placed in the genus Pleurotus, as P. nidulans. But because of the pink color of the spores in mass, Peck places it in the genus Claudopus, where Fries suggested it should go if removed from Pleurotus. It seems to be identical with Panus dorsalis Bosc. It is usually sessile and attached to the side of dead branches, logs, etc., in a shelving manner, or sometimes it is resupinate.
The pileus is sessile, or sometimes narrowed at the base into a short stem, the caps often numerous and crowded together in an overlapping or imbricate manner. It is nearly orbicular, or reniform, and 1–5 cm. broad. The margin is at first involute. The surface is coarsely hairy or tomentose, or scaly toward the margin, of a rich yellow or buff color. It is soft, but rather tough in consistency. The gills are broad, orange yellow. The spores, pink in mass, are smooth, elongated, somewhat curved, 6–8 µ long.
Figure [144] is from plants (No. 2660, C. U. herbarium) collected in woods near Ithaca.