A. mellea var. radicata--has a tapering root penetrating the soil.
A. mellea var. bulbosa--has a bulbous base.
A. mellea var. exannulata--has the cap smooth and even on the margin, and the stem tapering at the base.
[Illustration: Figure 40.--Armillaria mellea. Two-thirds natural size, showing double ring present.]
[Illustration: Figure 41.--Armillaria bulbigera. Reddish-gray caps and short bulbous stems.]
Bulbigera is from _bulbus_, a bulb, and _gero_, to bear.
The pileus is fleshy, three to four inches across, convex, then expanded, obtuse, even, brownish, gray, sometimes reddish, dry, fibrillose near the margin.
The gills are notched at the stem, pallid, crowded at first, at length rather distant, becoming slightly colored.
The stem is distinctly bulbous, two to three inches long, stuffed, pallid, fibrillose, ring oblique, fugacious. The spores are 7-10×5µ.
I have found some very fine specimens in Poke Hollow, near Chillicothe. The stems were short and very bulbous, having hardly any trace of the ring on the older specimens. The caps were obtusely convex and of a grayish rufescent color. This species can readily be distinguished by the distinctly marginate bulb at the base of the stem. The specimens in Figure 41 were found in Poke Hollow, near Chillicothe, October 2d. I have no doubt of their edibility but I have not eaten them.
[Illustration: Figure 42.--Armillaria nardosmia. One-half natural size, showing the veil and incurved margin.]
Nardosmia is from _nardosmius_, the odor of nardus or spikenard.
The pileus is quite thick, firm and compact, thinner toward the margin, strongly involute when young, grayish white and beautifully variegated with brown spots, like the breast of a pheasant, rather tough, with a separable epidermis, flesh white.
The gills are crowded, slightly notched or emarginate, somewhat ventricose, white.
The stem is solid, short, fibrous, sheathed by a veil forming a ring more or less evanescent. The spores are nearly round, 6µ in diameter.
This is the most beautiful species of the genus, and from its pheasant-like spotted cap, as well as its strong odor and taste of spikenard or almonds, it is easily determined. The almond taste and odor disappears in cooking. I found some very fine specimens around a pond in Mr. Shriver's woods, east of Chillicothe. In older specimens the cuticule of the caps frequently breaks into scales. Found in woods in September and October.