The North American species of Psathyrella.

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MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

[VOL. 24

smooth, wall hyaline in KOH, content as mounted in KOH dull brownish in
many and in Melzer's in old specimens some of them amyloid, in younger specimens the content hyaline to dingy violaceous-brown in a few. Cheilocystidia similar to the pleurocystidia only a larger number fusoid-ventricose. Caulocystidia
numerous near the stipe apex, fusoid to fusoid-ventricose, hyaline in KOH or
Melzer's, thin-walled, smooth, 34-67 x 9-18 u, some clavate to subvesiculose cells
also present. Hyphae of the stipe cortex merely yellowish in Melzer's.
Pileus with a cuticle of vesiculose cells 2-4 deep, the walls thin, smooth and
hyaline in KOH, content not distinctive in either KOH or Melzer's. Hyphae of the
context with thin, smooth, hyaline walls and no distinctive content. Clamp
connections present.
Type locality. Europe.
Habit and habitat. Cespitose on soil around stumps or logs of hardwoods,
especially beech, or on humus around uprooted trees, late summer and fall.
Distribution. Reported from Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New
York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington.
Observations. Quelet described Stropharia cotonea as growing on heaths and
with conifers. Consequently the above name is not acceptable for the species
described here. It should be pointed ont that he also recognized "Hypholoma
lacrymabundus" as a species-one associated with hardwoods. I see no good
reason for dropping the name P. lacrymabunda because of confusion. The critical
descriptions are clear enough for the times. The base of the stipe is not always
yellow-a possible reason why the feature was not included in the accounts by
Fries. The gill edges do become beaded with droplets under some conditions, so
the species epithet is appropriate even though a number of species show it.
Material examined. Michigan: Smith 20531, 34003. Virginia: Murrill
9-15-26.
19a. Psathyrella lacrymabunda var. aggregata (Peck) A. H. Smith, comb. nov.
Hypholoma aggregatum Peck, Rep. N. Y. State Muls. 46: 26. 1893.
Illust. P1. 11; Text Figs. 68-70, 72.
Pileus about 2-3 cm broad, convex to subcampanulate, grayish white or tinged
pinkish brown on the disc, obscurely spotted with appressed brownish to olivaceous fibrils or squamules, glabrescent, margin faintly striatulate when wet.
Context white, thick in the disc, odor and taste not distinctive.
Lamellae rounded behind, nearly free, broad, close, at first whitish to grayish
then purplish gray or finally "light drab" with a whitish fimbriate margin.
Stipe 5-8 cm long, 3-7 mm thick, hollow, equal, somewhat floccose or fibrillose
from the brownish to olivaceous veil remnants, otherwise white, apex pruinose.
Spores 6-7.5x3-3.8 a, smooth, with an inconspicuous hyaline apical pore,
shape in face view oblong to slightly truncate-ovate (truncated at apiculate end),
in profile somewhat bean-shaped, color revived in KOH cocoa-color becoming
chocolate-gray, in Melzer's reddish tawny, wall about 0.2 pu thick.
Basidia 4-spored, 14-17x 5-7 [k, hyaline in KOH. Pleurocystidia scattered to
abundant, 30-45 x 10-15 A broadly fusoid-ventricose with obtuse to rounded apex
varying to utriform, wall thin hyaline and smooth in KOH, content in KOH
hyaline, in Melzer's sometimes bluish gray (especially on oldest basidiocarps).
Cheilocystidia similar to pleurocystidia but more narrowly fusoid-ventricose and
with apex subacute to obtuse. Caulocystidia not studied.
Pileus with a cuticle of vesiculose cells several cells deep, hyaline with thin