A. niva´lis Grev.—snowy. (Plate [X], fig. 3, p. 28.) Pileus at first ovate, then convex or plane, smooth, striate on the thin margin, white, sometimes tinged with yellow or ochraceous on the disk. Flesh white. Gills subdistant, white, free. Stem equal, rather tall, nearly smooth, bulbous, stuffed, white; the volva very fragile, soon breaking up into fragments or sometimes persisting in the form of a collar-like ring at the upper part of the bulb. Spores globose, 7.5–10µ in diameter.
Plant 4–6 in. high. Pileus 2–3 in. broad. Stem 2–4 lines thick. July to October.
It approaches in some respects A. Frostiana, but its larger size, smooth pileus, lighter color and the absence of an annulus will easily distinguish it from that species. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
Specimens have been repeatedly found by the writer in open oak woods near Philadelphia.
A strong, unpleasant bitter, which appears to develop while cooking, renders it unpalatable. It is harmless, but its use is not advised.
A. velo´sa Pk.—velosus, fleecy. Pileus at first subglobose, then bell-shaped or nearly plane, generally bearing patches of the remains of the whitish felty or tomentose volva, elsewhere glabrous, becoming sulcate-striate on the margin, buff or orange-buff. Flesh compact, white. Gills close, reaching the stem, subventricose, pale cream color. Stem firm, at first attenuated and tomentose at the top, then nearly equal, stuffed, white or whitish, closely sheathed at the base by the thick volva. Spores globose, 10–13µ.
Pileus 2–4 in. broad. Stem 3–4 in. long, 3–4 lines thick.
Under oak trees. Pasadena, California. April. A.J. McClatchie.
This fungus is closely related to A. vaginata, from which it may be separated by the more adherent remains of the thicker volva which sometimes cover the whole surface of the pileus, and by the thicker gills which are somewhat adnate to the stem and terminate with a decurrent tooth. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 22, No. 12.
As it is probable this species will be found elsewhere than California, and from its close relation to A. vaginata likely to be edible, its description is here given.