The volva and annulus are absent in this genus, the spores are rosy, the gills adnate to sinuate or adnexed, easily separating from the stem in some species. The stem is fleshy or fibrous, sometimes waxy, and the pileus is fleshy with the margin incurved, especially when young. The spores are prominently angular. The genus corresponds with Tricholoma of the white-spored agarics, and also with Hebeloma and Inocybe of the ochre-spored ones. Entoloma re-pandiim Bull., is an Inocybe [I. repandum (Bull.) Bres.] and has angular spores resembling those of an Entoloma, but the spores are not rosy.

Entoloma Jubatum

Growing on the ground in woods. The plants are 5-10 cm. high, the cap 3-6 cm. broad, and the stem 3-6 mm. in thickness.

The pileus is conic in some plants, to convex and umbonate, thin, minutely scaly with blackish hairy scales, dull heliotrope purple, darker on the umbo. The gills are vinaceous rufus to deep flesh color, strongly sinuate, and irregularly notched along the edge. The spores are irregularly oval to short oblong, coarsely angular, with an oil drop, 5-7 angled, 7-11 x 6-7 µ. The stem is of the same color as the pileus, sometimes deeply rooting, hollow. Figure 139 is from plants (No. 4000, C. U. herbarium) collected at Blowing Rock, N. C, during September, 1899.

Entoloma Grayanum

This plant grows on the ground in woods. It is from 6-8 cm. high, the cap is 3-6 cm. broad, and the stem 4-6 mm. in thickness.

Figure 139

Entoloma jubatum. Entire plant dull heliotrope purple, gills later flesh color (natural size). Copyright.

The pileus is convex to expanded, sometimes broadly umbonate, drab in color, the surface wrinkled or rugose, and watery in appearance. The flesh is thin and the margin incurved. The gills are first drab in color, but lighter than the pileus, becoming pinkish in age.

The spores on paper are very light salmon color. They are globose or rounded in outline, 5-7 angled, with an oil globule, 8-10 µ in diameter. The stem is the same color as the pileus, but lighter, striate, hollow, somewhat twisted, and enlarged below. Figure 140 is from plants (No. 3998, C. U. herbarium) collected at Blowing Rock, N. C, during September, 1899.

Figure 140

Entoloma grayanum. Cap and stem drab, gills flesh color (natural size). Copyright.

Entoloma Strictius

The plants grow in grassy places, pastures, etc. They are clustered, sometimes two or three joined at the base of the stem. They are 7-10 cm. high, the caps 2-4 cm. broad, and the stems 3-6 mm. in thickness.

The pileus is convex, the disk expanded, and the margin incurved and more or less wavy or repand on the extreme edge. It is umbo-nate at the center with usually a slight depression around the umbo, smooth, watery (hygrophanous) in appearance, not viscid, of an umber color, shining, faintly and closely striate on the margin.

In drying the surface of the pileus loses some of its dark umber color and presents a silvery sheen. The flesh is fibrous and umber color also. The gills are grayish white, then tinged with flesh color, slightly sinuate, the longer ones somewhat broader in the middle ( ventricose), rather distant, and quite thick as seen in cross section, the center of the gill (trama) presenting parallel threads. The subhymenium is very thin and composed of small cells; the basidia are clavate, 25-30x9-10 µ, and four-spored. The spores are dull rose color on paper, subgloblose, 5-8 µ in diameter, angular with 5-6 angles as seen from one side. The stem is the same color as the pileus, but considerably lighter. It is hollow with white fibers within, fibrous striate on the surface, twisted, brittle, and somewhat cartilaginous, partly snapping, but holding by fibers in places, cylindrical, even, ascending, with delicate white fibers covering the lower end.

Figure 141 - Entoloma strictius. Cap umber or smoky, stem paler, gills grayish, then flesh color (natural size). Copyright.

Figure 141 is from plants (No. 2461, C. U. herbarium) collected near Ithaca, October, 1898.