“When old the branches both of this species and of C. flava become elongated, obtuse, very fragile, and of a uniform color. The yellow tips of the latter and the red ones of the former species wholly disappear.” Peck, 32d Rep.
Excepting when young (not always then) the red tips to the branchlets can not be relied upon as distinctive features of this species. The place of its growth and the character of the soil have very much to do with its size, and the color and quality of its flesh. A well-shaded thin-soiled spot will, after a rain, grow pale, spindling, tender bunches, having but a tinge of red upon the points; perhaps not any. A rich, better lighted spot will produce more robust and highly colored plants. The same can be said of C. flava. C. botrytes is plentiful in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and like latitudes. It must be well cooked.
C. amethys´tina Bull.—amethyst in color. (Plate [CXXXIX], fig. 1, p. 516.) Height ½-3 in. Color violet, very much branched or almost simple. Branches round, even, fragile, smooth, obtuse, known by its color.
Spores elliptical, pale ochraceous, sub-transparent, 10–12×6–7µ Massee.
Common in open woods and grassy places.
New York, Peck 30th Rep.; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, McIlvaine. August, September.
Eaten in Europe, and by some preferred to any other.
A handsome species, very brittle, and though large, delicate.
C. fastigia´ta—fastigium, the top. Height 1–2 in., tufted, yellow. Branches numerous, flexible, tough, equal, fastigiate (branches pointing upward), sometimes short and simple, when higher very much branched.
Spores white, irregularly globose, 4–6µ Massee.