The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise / Its Habitat and its Time of Growth

by Miron Elisha Hard

Found from July to October.

This is also called Heliomyces fœtens (Pat.) and is so classified by Prof. Morgan in his very excellent Monogram on North American Species of Marasmius.

Marasmius velutipes. B. & C.

Figure 105.—Marasmius velutipes.

Velutipes means velvet-footed, from the velvety stem. The pileus is thin, submembranaceous, smooth, convex, or expanded, grayish-rufous when moist, cinereous when dry, a half to one and a half inches broad.

The gills are very narrow, crowded, whitish or grayish.

The stem is slender, three to five inches long, equal, hollow, clothed with a dense grayish velvety tomentum. Peck.

They usually grow in a very crowded condition, many plants growing from one mat of mycelium. It is quite a common plant with us, found in damp woods or around a swampy place. The pileus with us is convex. Some authorities speak of an umbilicate cap. The plant is quite hardy and easily identified because of its long and slender stem, with the grayish tomentum at the base. Found from July to October.