Spores broadly elliptic-fusiform, black, opaque, 10×7µ Massee; ellipsoid, 16–22×10–12µ K.; 16×11µ W.G.S.
West Virginia, 1881–1885. New Jersey, Mt. Gretna, Pa., July, 1898, on dung. McIlvaine.
A common, frequent species from May to October. It is substantial in flesh, excellent in substance and flavor. Cook soon and not over fifteen minutes.
PSATHYREL´LA.
Gr—fragile.
Pileus membranaceous, striate, margin straight, at first pressed to the stem, not extending beyond the gills. Veil inconspicuous. Gills sooty-black, not variegated. Spores black.
Closely resembling Psathyra in appearance, but separated by the spore color.
In the black-spored series Panæolus and Anellaria are distinguished by their pilei not being striate and Coprinus by its deliquescent gills.
The species are small and can seldom be gathered in quantity. But those tested have the full mushroom flavor and are valued for the flavor they give to less gifted species when cooked with them.
P. gra´cilis Fr.—slender. Pileus ½-1 in. broad, sooty, livid, etc., when dry, tan, rosy or whitish, hygrophanous, membranaceous, bell-shaped, obtuse, smooth, even, slightly and pellucidly-striate only round the margin. Stem 3 in. and more long, scarcely 1 line thick, tubular, remarkably tense and straight, equal, naked, smooth, whitish, not rooted, white-villous at the base. Gills wholly adnate, commonly broader behind (rarely linear), almost distant, distinct, at first whitish, then cinereous-blackish with the black spores, edge rose-colored. Fries.