Illustrations of Fungi—VIII

Some time in May, in this latitude, depending upon the temperature and rainfall, tiny mushrooms begin to appear on the lawns and in the fields, and many of them reappear periodically during summer and early autumn after each season of wet weather. These species, as a class, are avoided by the beginner in mycology and are puzzling even to experts. The accompanying plate illustrates a number of them, in selected genera, drawn by Mr. Volkert a year ago from the first specimens found, and reproduced natural size. Later in the season, the sporophores of some of these species tend to grow larger, owing to the increased temperature and the more active mycelium.