AGARICUS I'UKGiDus.
Swollen-stemmed Agaric.
C u s s AND O r d e r CRYPTOGAMIA FUNGI, Linn N a t . O r d . FU N G I, Juss.
De Cand. Hook. Grev.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
Pileus stipitatus aut latere affixus, subtus lamellis sporiferis rectis simplicibus.
Volva nulla.
Pileus furnished with a stem, or fixed by its side, bearing on the under surface
straight and simple lamellEe (gills), containing sporules. Volva
(wrapper) none.
SPEC IF IC CHARACTER.
A g a r ic u s tu rg id u s ; pileo planiusculo demum convexo, Icevissimo, cinereo-fusco ;
lamellis angustis, pallidis confertis. Stipite magno, valdeftstuhso, ventricoso.
Ag. pileus somewhat plane, at length convex, very smooth, greyish-brown;
gills narrow, numerous, pale. Stem large, remarkably hollow, ventri-
cose.
H ab. Dry woods, among beech and other leaves, in autumn. Foxhall, near
Edinburgh.
Plants much scattered. Pileus Z— inches in diameter, flattish in young
plants, more or less convex in the old ones ; of a greyish-brown colour,
very smooth, feeling, a short time after gathering, like fine kid-leather,
margin rounded, slightly depressed. Flesh very thick, extremely white,
rather dense, becoming spongy and loose as it enters the stem. GiUs
very slightly decurrent, pale yellowish, numerous, narrow, irregular, but
mostly 4—8 in a set. Stem hollow, thick swollen, 4—5 inches high,
about 1 inch in diameter at the top, becoming much thicker and ventri-
cose downwards, and again somewhat contracted at the base; white,
with an uneven but not striated surface, streaked with pale pink, brown,
or dirty yellow, white and downy at the base, which is very obtuse.
The whole stem feels extremely hollow and elastic between the fingers.
R(x>t a fine dense white down, intermixed with a few minute fibres.
This very distinct Agaric I do not find described either by-
F e r s o o n , or in the new and excellent work of M. F r i e s .
Tlie general form and character is too strongly marked not to
be easily traced; and I have little hesitation in proposing it a.s
VOL. I.