C. fu´sipes Bull.—fusus, a spindle; pes, a foot. (Plate [XXVIII], fig. 4, p. 112.) Pileus 1–3 in. broad, reddish-brown, becoming pale and also dingy-tan, fleshy, convex then flattened, umbonate (the umbo at length vanishing), even, smooth, dry, here and there broken up in cracks when dry. Stem 3 in. and more long, commonly ½ in., but here and there as much as 1 in. broad, fibrous-stuffed then hollow, remarkably cartilaginous externally, swollen, ventricose in the middle, attenuated at both ends, often twisted, longitudinally furrowed, red or reddish-brown, rooted in a spindle-shaped manner at the base. Gills annulato-adnexed (joined into a ring), soon separating, free, broad, distant, firm, connected by veins, crisped, white then becoming somewhat of the same color as the pileus, often spotted. Stevenson.
Spores 6×3µ W.G.S.; 4–5×2–4µ B.
Solitary, gregarious, usually densely clustered on decaying wood, roots, etc. August until after heavy frosts.
West Virginia, 1882, McIlvaine.
In the West Virginia mountains C. fusipes is frequent. Caps in the clusters rarely exceed 1½ in. across. They show an auburn or burgundy shade of brown in their color. When young they are smooth and appear to remain so unless rained upon or moistened, when they crack more or less finely in drying. At first the connection of the gills with the stem is peculiar—they join in a collar-like ring at the top of the stem. As the cap expands the gills part more or less and separate from the stem. The stem is markedly spindle-shaped, though variously flattened by compression in dense clusters; the outside often splitting, breaking and turning out from the stem.
The caps, alone, are good, the stem being hard and refractory. The caps are very fine, cooked in any way.
The caps dry well, and are a pleasant addition to gravies, soups and other dishes. They make a choice pickle.
C. macula´ta A. and S.—macula, a spot. Pileus fleshy, firm, convex or nearly plane, even, glabrous, white or whitish, sometimes varied with reddish spots or stains. Flesh white. Gills narrow, crowded, adnexed, sometimes nearly or quite free, white or whitish. Stem generally stout, firm, equal or slightly swollen in the middle, striate, white, stuffed or sometimes hollow, commonly narrowed at the base, rooting, often curved at the base, rarely slightly thickened and blunt. Spores subglobose, 4–6µ broad, sometimes showing a slight point at one end.
Pileus 2–4 in. broad. Stem 2–4 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.