epigaeus, Pers. P. 1-2 cm. thin, reniform or flabellate, reddish-grey, base downy, whitish; g. distinct, narrow, diverging, watery rufescent; sp. 10 × 7.

Entire fungus soft and watery; growing on naked damp earth.

MELANOSPORAE.

  1. A. Gills free from stem.
  2. Chitonia. Volva present, ring absent.
    1. + Stem with a distinct membranous ring.
    2. Stropharia. Gills adnate dark brown or purplish.
    3. Anellaria. Gills adnexed, grey and clouded with the black spores.
    4. ++ Ring very imperfect or absent; gills decurrent.
    5. Gomphidius. Gills subgelatinous.
    6. +++ Gills not decurrent, not adhering laterally when young, not deliquescent.
    7. Hypholoma. Gills sinuate, dark brown or blackish-purple; veil often hanging in fragments from edge of pileus.
    8. Panaeolus. Edge of pileus extending beyond the gills, pileus not striate.
    9. Psathyrella. Pileus sulcate or striate.
    11. Psathyra. Stem fragile; edge of pileus straight when young.
    12. Psilocybe. Stem tough; edge of pileus incurved when young.
    13. ++++ Gills adhering laterally when young, deliquescing at maturity.
    14. Coprinus. Ring and volva present in some species, ring alone others, both absent in others; gills adnate, adnexed or free.
    15. +++++ Flesh of pileus entirely absent, the gills radiating from the stem free and unconnected by flesh above.
    16. Montagnites. Volva present, buried in the ground.
  3. Agaricus. (= Psalliota, Fr.) Ring present, volva absent.
  4. Pilosace. Volva and ring both absent.
  5. B. Gills attached to stem. (Quite free from stem in some species of Coprinus.)

CHITONIA, Fr.

rubriceps, Cke. and Mass. P. 2-3 cm. campan. then exp. umb. reddish-brown; g. free, purplish-brown; s. 6-7 cm. hollow, paler than p., volva large, free edge torn; sp. 12 × 6.

Introduced along with living plants into Kew Gardens.

[coprinus, Fr. (= Ag. involucratus, Mont.) P. fleshy, convex, viscid, yellowish, sometimes floccosely scaly from fragments of volva; g. free, smoky-black; s. fistulose, naked, whitish, volva very small.

Unless the small volva is noticed, this fungus will be considered as a sp. of Coprinus.