and persistent when
dry, so that when moistened they revive and appear as if fresh.

=Trogia crispa= Fr.--This species is the principal if not only one in
Europe and America. It is widely distributed, and sometimes not very
uncommon. It occurs on trunks, branches, etc., often on the birch. The
plants are from 0.5--1 cm. broad, usually sessile. The upper surface is
whitish or reddish yellow toward the attachment, sometimes tan color,
and when young it is sometimes covered with whitish hairs. The gills are
very narrow, vein-like, irregular, interrupted or continuous, and often
more or less branched. The gills are very much crisped, hence the name,
blunt at the edge and white or bluish gray. The caps are usually much
crowded and overlapped in an imbricated fashion as shown in Fig. 134; a
photograph of a fine specimen after being moistened.

CHAPTER VII.

THE ROSY-SPORED AGARICS.

The spores are rosy, pink, salmon colored, flesh colored, or reddish.
For analytical keys to the genera see Chapter XXIV.

PLUTEUS Fr.

In the genus _Pluteus_ the volva and annulus are both wanting, the gills
are usually free from the stem, and the stem is easily broken out from
the substance of the cap, reminding one in some cases of a ball and
socket joint. The substance of the cap is thus said to be not continuous
with that of the stem. The spores seen in mass are flesh colored as in
other genera of this subdivision of the agarics.

[Illustration: FIGURE 135.--Pluteus cervinus. Cap grayish brown, or
sooty, smooth or sometimes scaly, rarely white, stem same color, but
paler; gills first white, then flesh color (natural size, often larger).
Copyright.]

=Pluteus cervinus= Schaeff. =Edible.=--This is one of the very common
species of the higher fungi, and is also very widely distributed. It
varies considerably in size and appearance. It is 7--15 cm. high, the
cap 5--10 cm. broad, and the stem 6--12 mm. in thickness. It occurs on
the ground from underground roots or rotten wood, or grows on decaying
stumps, logs, etc., from spring until late autumn. Sometimes it is found
growing in sawdust.

The =pileus= is fleshy, bell-shaped, then convex, and becoming expanded,
the surface usually smooth, but showing radiating fibrils, grayish
brown, or sometimes sooty, sometimes more or less scaly. The =gills= are
not crowded, broad, free from the stem, white, then becoming flesh color
with the maturity of the spores. One very characteristic