thin, quite fragile, smooth, when young with a few fragments of the
volva adhering to its surface, deeply and distinctly striate.

The gills are free, white, then pallid, ventricose, broadest in front,
irregular. The flesh is white, but in the darker forms stained under the
easily separating skin. The spores are white and nearly round, 7-10u.

The stem is cylindrical, even or slightly tapering upward, hollow or
stuffed, smooth or sprinkled with downy scales, not bulbous at the base.

The volva is long, thin, fragile, forming a permanent sheath which is
quite soft and readily adheres to the base of the stem.

The striations on the margin are deep and distinct, as in the Orange
Amanita. The cup is quite regular but it is fragile, easily broken and
usually deep in the ground. In some plants a slight umbo is developed at
the center.

The mushroom-eater wants to distinguish very carefully between this
species and Amanita spreta, which is very poisonous.

It is found in woods, in open places where there is much vegetable
mould, sometimes found in stubble and pastures, especially in meadows
under trees. Found from June to November.

The plant varies considerably in color, and there are several varieties,
separable by means of their color:

A. vaginata, var. alba. The whole plant is white.

A. vaginata var. fulva. The cap tawny yellow or pale ochraceous.

A. vaginata var. livida. The cap leaden brown; gills and stem tinged
with smoky brown.

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

Plate V. Figure 31.--Amanita vaginata]

_Amanitopsis strangulata. Fr._

THE GRAY AMANITOPSIS. EDIBLE.

Strangulata means choked, from the stuffed stem. The pileus is two to
four inches broad, soon plane, livid-bay or gray, with patches of the
volva, margin striate or grooved.

The gills are free, white, close.

The stem is stuffed, silky above, scaly below, slightly tapering
upwards. The volva soon breaking up, forming several ring-like ridges on
the stem. The spores are globose, 10-13u.

This is a synonym for A. ceciliae. B. and Br. and perhaps nothing more
than a vigorous growth of Amanitopsis vaginata. It has almost no odor
and a sweet taste and cooks deliciously.

Found in the woods and in open places from August to October.

_Lepiota. Fr._

Lepiota means a scale. In the Lepiota the gills are typically free from
the stem, as in Amanita and Amanitopsis, but they differ in having no
superficial or removable warts on th