L. his´pida Lasch.—rough. Pileus 2–3 in. across. Flesh thin, white, unchangeable; hemispherical then expanded, umbonate, tomentose or downy at first from the remains of the universal veil; during expansion the down becomes broken up into small, spreading, scaly points, which eventually disappear, umber-brown, sometimes with a tawny tinge. Gills free but near to the stem, the collar of the pileus prominent and sheathing the stem, crowded, ventricose, simple, white. Stem about 3–5 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, attenuated upward, densely squamosely-woolly up to the superior, membranaceous, reflexed ring, dingy-brown, stem tubular, but fibrillosely stuffed. Spores 6–7×4µ Massee.
In margins of and in open mixed woods, under pine trees, Haddonfield, N.J., July to September, 1892. Quite plentiful year after year in the same places. The American plant is taller than the English species, the stem reaching five inches, and the color of the cap a delicate tawny-brown. Smell slight, but pungent like radishes.
The whole fungus is tender and delicious. It is one of the few Lepiotæ that stews well.
L. feli´na Pers.—belonging to a cat. Pileus thin, bell-shaped or convex, subumbonate, adorned with numerous subtomentose or floccose blackish-brown scales. Gills close, free, white. Stem slender, rather long, equal or slightly tapering upward, hollow, clothed with soft, loose, floccose filaments, brown. Ring slight, evanescent. Spores elliptical, 6–8×4–5µ.
Plant 2–3.5 in. high. Pileus .5–1.5 in. broad. Stem 1–2 lines thick.
Woods. Adirondack Mountains. August and September.
It is easily distinguished from A. rubrotincta by the darker color of the scales of the pileus, by the loose floccose filaments that clothe the brown stem, by the fugacious ring and the smaller spores. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.
The caps compare favorably with other Lepiotæ in substance and flavor.
L. crista´ta A. and S.—crista, a tuft, crest. Pileus thin, bell-shaped or convex, then nearly plane, obtuse, at first with an even reddish or reddish-brown surface, then white adorned with reddish or reddish-brown scales formed by the breaking up of the cuticle, the central part or disk colored like the scales. Gills close, free, white. Stem slender, hollow, equal, smooth or silky-fibrillose below the ring, whitish. Ring small, white. Spores oblong or narrowly subelliptical, 5–7×3–4µ.
Plant 1–2 in. high. Pileus .5–1.5 in. broad. Stem 1–2 lines thick.