Mt. Gretna, Pa. Among leaves in woods. September to October. Gregarious. McIlvaine.
Fair in quality.
C. bruma´lis Fr.—bruma, winter. From its late appearance. Pileus about 1 in. across. Flesh thin, expanded, umbilicate then infundibuliform and usually variously waved and lobed, glabrous, flaccid, hygrophanous, livid, whitish or yellowish when dry, disk often darker. Gills decurrent, about 1 line broad, crowded, pallid. Stem up to 2 in. long and about 2 lines thick, nearly equal, slightly curved, glabrous, whitish, often compressed, imperfectly hollow. Spores 4–5×3–4µ.
In woods, etc.
Truly autumnal, being most abundant in November. There are two forms: (a) on pine leaves in pine woods; (b) among heather. (a) Stem rather firm, hollow, about 2 in. long, 2 lines thick, equal or slightly thickened at the apex, at length compressed, somewhat incurved, glabrous, naked, becoming livid, white when dry, base white and downy. Flesh of pileus membranaceous, at first convex, umbilicate, margin reflexed, about 1 in. across, then funnel-shaped, often irregular and undulate, up to 2 in. broad, glabrous, even, livid when moist, whitish then becoming yellowish when dry, disk at first usually darker. Gills decurrent, at first arcuate, then descending, 1 line broad, crowded, distinct, livid then yellowish-white, smell weak, not unpleasant. (b) Entirely watery white; stem hollow, somewhat striate, base glabrous; pileus infundibuliform, margin deflexed, milky-white when dry. Gills less crowded, but rather broader, whitish. Fries.
Spores 3µ W.G.S.; 4–5×3–4µ Massee.
Edible. Cooke.
C. morbi´fera Pk.—morbus, disease; fero, to bear. Pileus thin, fragile, glabrous, convex, becoming plane or centrally depressed, slightly hygrophanous, grayish-brown when moist, whitish or cinereous when dry, sometimes slightly umbonate. Gills narrow, close, adnate or slightly decurrent, whitish or pallid. Stem short, equal, hollow, colored like the pileus or a little paler. Spores minute, broadly elliptical, 4µ long, almost as broad.
Pileus .5–1.5 in. broad. Stem about 1 in. long, ⅙–¼ in. thick. Grassy ground and lawns. November. Washington, D.C. F.J. Braendle.
The species seems related to C. expallens, but the margin of the pileus is not striate as in that fungus. The taste is very disagreeable and remains in the mouth a long time. Two persons were made ill by eating it, but their sickness lasted only about three hours. Peck.