inguished from the other genera
of the ochre-spored agarics by the presence of a spider-web-like
(arachnoid) veil which is separate from the cuticle of the pileus, that
is, superficial. The gills are powdered by the spores, that is, the
spores fall away with difficulty and thus give the gills a pulverulent
appearance. The plants are fleshy and decay easily. It is necessary to
have plants in the young as well as the old state to properly get at the
characters, and the character of the veil is only seen in young or half
developed specimens. The species are to be distinguished from other
ochre-spored agarics with a cobwebby veil by the fact that the veil in
_Cortinarius_ is superficial and the gills powdery. The number of
species is very large, and they are difficult to determine. They mostly
occur in northern countries and in the autumn or late summer; some
species, however, occur during early summer. Peck, 23d Report, N. Y.
State Mus., p. 105--112, describes 21 species.

=Cortinarius (Inoloma) violaceus= (L.) Fr. =Edible.=--This species is
known by the violet or dark violet color which pervades all parts of the
plant. The plants are 8--10 cm. high, the pileus 7--15 cm. broad, and
the stem is bulbous, 6--8 mm. in thickness. The veil is single. It
occurs in woods and open places during late summer and in the autumn.
The flesh of the plant is also violet, and this color is imparted to the
liquid when the plant is cooked. The flavor is said to be something like
that of _Agaricus campestris_.

=Cortinarius (Myxacium) collinitus= (Pers.) Fr. =Edible.=--This is known
as the smeared cortinarius because of the abundant glutinous substance
with which the plant is smeared during moist or wet weather. It grows in
woods. The plants are 7--10 cm. high, the cap 5--8 cm. in diameter, and
the stem is 8--12 mm. in thickness. It is usually known by the smooth,
even, tawny cap, the great abundance of slimy substance covering the
entire plant when moist, and when dry the cracking of the gluten on the
stem into annular patches.

The =pileus= is convex to expanded, smooth, even, glutinous when wet,
shining when dry, tawny. The =gills= are adnate with a peculiar bluish
gray tinge when young, and clay color to cinnamon when old. The =spores=
are nearly elliptical, and 12--15 x 6--7 mu. The =stem= is cylindrical,
even, and with patches of the cracked gluten when dry.

=Cortinarius (Dermocybe) cinnamomeus= (L.) Fr. =Edible.=--The cinnamon
cor