to grayish-brown.]

Atratoides means like the species _atrata_, which means black; so called
because the caps when fresh are quite black. Atratoides has a different
habitat and is not so dark.

The pileus is thin, convex, subumbilicate, glabrous, hygrophanous,
blackish-brown when moist, grayish-brown and shining when dry.

The gills are rather broad, subdistant, adnate, grayish-white, often
transversely veiny above and venosely connected.

The stem is equal, hollow, smooth, grayish-brown with a whitish
mycelioid tomentum at the base. The spores are nearly globose, about
.0002-inch broad. The pileus is six to ten lines broad and the stem is
about one inch long. _Peck._

The plant is gregarious, growing on decayed wood and on mossy sticks in
mixed woods. The margin of the cap is often serrated, as you will see in
Figure 86, yet this does not seem to be a constant characteristic of the
species. It is closely related to C. atrata, but its habitat and the
color of its pileus and gills differ very greatly. I have not eaten it,
but have no doubt of its good qualities.

Found in August and September. Quite common in all our woods.

_Collybia acervata. Fr._

THE TUFTED COLLYBIA. EDIBLE.

[Illustration: Figure 87.--Collybia acervata. Two-thirds natural size.
Caps pale, tan or dingy pink.]

Acervata, from acervus, a mass, a heap.

Pileus fleshy but thin, convex, or nearly plane, obtuse, glabrous,
hygrophanous, pale, tan-color or dingy pinkish-red, and commonly striate
on the margin when moist, paler or whitish when dry.

Gills narrow, close, adnexed or free, whitish or tinged with
flesh-color.

The stem slender, rigid, hollow, glabrous, reddish, reddish-brown or
brown, often whitish at the top, especially when young, commonly with a
matted down at the base. Spores elliptical, 6x3-4u.

The plant is cespitose. Pileus one-half inch broad. Stem two to three
inches long. _Peck's_ 49th Report.

This is a beautiful plant when growing in large tufts. The entire plant
is tender and has a delicate flavor. I found the plant figured here on
the Frankfort pike where an old saw mill had formerly stood. It grew
abundantly there, along with Lepiota Americana and Pluteus cervinus.

Found from August to October.

_Collybia velutipes. Curtis._

THE VELVET-FOOT COLLYBIA. EDIBLE.

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

Plate XV. Figure 88.--Collybia velutipes.

Natural size, showing the velvet stems, which give name to