C. me´dia Pk.—medius, middle. Because intermediate between C. nebularis and C. clavipes. Pileus fleshy, convex, becoming plane or slightly depressed, dry, dark grayish-brown, the margin often wavy or irregular, flesh white, taste mild. Gills broad, subdistant, adnate or decurrent, whitish, the interspaces somewhat venose. Stem equal or but slightly thickened at the base, solid, elastic, not polished, colored like or a little paler than the pileus. Spores elliptical, 8×5µ.
Pileus 2–4 in. broad. Stem 1–2 in. long, 4–8 lines thick. Mossy ground in deep woods. North Elba. September.
This species is intermediate between C. nebularis and C. clavipes. In its general appearance, and in the character of the pileus and stem, it resembles C. nebularis, but in the character of the more distant gills and in the size of the spores it is nearer C. clavipes, of which it might perhaps be regarded as a variety. Two forms are distinguishable. In one the gills are more distant, slightly rounded behind, and adnate or abruptly terminated; in the other they are closer and more distinctly decurrent. The plant is edible. Peck, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
I have known this fungus very favorably since 1883, and regard it as one of the best. I have seen it in the West Virginia mountains only, but it will probably be found in cool, shaded, high localities all over the country. Both it and the C. nebularis are well worthy of search.
C. viles´cens Pk.—vilesco, of little value. Pileus convex, then plane or depressed, often irregular, glabrous, slightly pruinose on the involute margin, brown or grayish-brown, becoming paler with age, often concentrically rivulose. Gills close, adnate or decurrent, cinereous, sometimes tinged with dingy-yellow. Stem short, solid, sometimes compressed, grayish-brown, with a whitish tomentum at the base. Spores subglobose or broadly elliptical, 5–6.5µ; flesh whitish-gray, odor slight.
Plant gregarious, 1–2 in. high. Pileus 1–1.5 in. broad. Stem 1–2 lines thick. Grassy pastures. Jamesville, August. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
A pale form of this species grows on sandy soil, in which the pileus is smoky white, but it becomes grayish-brown in drying. The mycelium binds together a mass of sand, so that when the plant is taken up carefully a little ball of sandy soil adheres to the base of the stem. The stem is sometimes pruinose. The flavor is mild and agreeable. Peck, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Sometimes plentiful about Philadelphia. Edible. Caps tender, slight flavor.
C. comitia´lis Fr.—belonging to an assembly. Pileus about 1½ in. across, fleshy, convex, then plane, obtuse, even, glabrous, rather moist but not hygrophanous, every part colored alike, sooty-umber, almost black. Flesh firm, white. Gills very slightly decurrent, horizontal, plane, thin, crowded, white. Stem 2–3 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, equally attenuated upward from the base, glabrous, sooty, elastic, stuffed. Spores elliptical, 7–8×4µ.
Damp places among mosses in pine woods, etc. Distinguished by the blackish color of the almost flat pileus, and the very slightly decurrent gills. Somewhat allied to C. clavipes, but firmer, smaller and inodorous. Massee.