oad, and the stem 4--10 mm. in thickness. The
cap is adorned with reddish or reddish brown scales except on the
center, where the color is uniform because the surface is not broken up
into scales. The flesh is white, but changes to reddish when cut or
bruised, and the whole plant becomes reddish on drying.

Figure 82 is from plants (No. 2718, C. U. herbarium) collected at
Ithaca.

The European plant, _L. badhami_, also reported in this country, changes
to a brownish red. It is believed by some to be identical with _L.
americana_.

[Illustration: FIGURE 83.--Lepiota cristata. Entirely white, but scales
grayish or pinkish brown, stem often flesh color (natural size).
Copyright.]

=Lepiota acutesquamosa= Weinm.--This is a medium or small sized plant
with a floccose pileus adorned with small, acute, erect scales, and has
a loose, hairy or wooly veil which is often torn irregularly. The erect
scales fall away from the pileus and leave little scars where they were
attached.

=Lepiota cristata= A. & S. =Edible.=--The crested lepiota, _Lepiota
cristata_, occurs in grassy places and borders of woods, in groves,
etc., from May to September, and is widely distributed. The plant is
small, 3--5 cm. high, the cap 1--4 cm. broad, and the stem 2--5 mm. in
thickness. It grows in clusters or is scattered.

The =pileus= is ovate, bell-shaped, then convex and expanded, and thin.
The surface is at first entirely dull reddish or reddish brown, but soon
cracks into numerous scales of the same color arranged in a crested
manner, more numerous between the margin and the center, and often
arranged in a concentric manner. The center of the cap often preserves
the uniform reddish brown color because the pileus at this point does
not expand so much and therefore the surface does not crack, while the
margin often becomes white because of the disappearance of the brown
covering here. The =gills= are free from the stem, narrow, crowded, and
close to the stem. The =spores= are more or less angular, elongated,
more narrowed at one end, and measure 5--8 x 3--4 mu. The =stem= is
slender, cylindrical, hollow, whitish, smooth. The =ring= is small,
white, and easily breaks up and disappears.

The characters of the plant are well shown in Fig. 83 from plants
collected at Ithaca. _Lepiota angustana_ Britz. is identical, and
according to Morgan _L. miamensis_ Morgan is a white form of _L.
angustana_.

=Lepiota asperula= Atkinson.--This lepiota resem