ffed, then hollow, firm, white,
villous at the base.

It is a common plant in our woods, growing on decayed wood or ground
largely made up of rotten wood. Decayed beech bark is a favorite
habitat. Found from July till October.

_Omphalia caespitosa. Bol._

[Illustration: Figure 98.--Omphalia caespitosa. Natural size.]

Caespitosa means growing in tufts; _caespes_, turf. The pileus is
submembranaceous, very small, convex, nearly hemispherical, umbilicate,
thin, sulcate, light-ochre, margin crenate, smooth.

The gills are distant, rather broad, shortly decurrent, whitish.

The stem is curved, hollow, colored like the pileus, slightly bulbous at
the base. The spores are 6x5.

This species is very much like Omphalia oniscus and they can only be
distinguished by their habitats and color. It is found in August and
September. It delights in well rotted wood. I have seen millions in one
place.

_Omphalia oniscus. Fr._

BOLTON'S OMPHALIA. EDIBLE.

Oniscus, a name given to a species of codfish by the Greeks, so named
because of their gray color. The pileus is flaccid, irregular, about one
inch broad, convex, plane, or depressed, slightly fleshy, wavy,
sometimes lobed, margin striate, dark cinereous, paler when dry.

The gills are adnate, decurrent, livid or whitish, arranged in groups of
four, somewhat distant.

The stem is about one inch long, rather firm, straight or curved,
sometimes unequal, nearly hollow. The spores are 12x7-8u.

This is found in damp places from August to November.

_Omphalia pyxidata. Bull._

THE BOX OMPHALIA.

Pyxidata means made like a box, from _pyxis_, a box.

The pileus is somewhat membranaceous, clearly umbilicate, then
funnel-shaped, smooth when moist, margin often striate, brick-red.

The gills are decurrent, rather distant, triangular, narrow, reddish
gray, often yellowish.

The stem is stuffed, then hollow, even, tough, pale-tawny. The spores
are 7-8x5-6u.

The plants are usually hygrophanous, but when dry, floccose or slightly
silky. This is a small plant growing usually on lawns, nearly hidden in
the grass. I found some very fine specimens on Dr. Sulzbacher's lawn on
Second Street, Chillicothe. The plant is, however, widely distributed. I
found many specimens on the 3d of November.

_Omphalia fibula. Bull._

[Illustration: _Photo by C. G. Lloyd._

Figure 99.--Omphalia fibula.]

Fibula means a buckle or pin, from the pin-like stem.

The pileus is membran