Melanoleuca praecox Murrill 1914

Melanoleuca praecox Murrill, sp. nov
Pileus becoming plane and at length depressed, solitary, 4 cm. broad; surface dry, avellaneous, shining, minutely imbricate, margin irregular or somewhat lobed; context whitish, mild, pleasant to the taste; lamellae sinuate, broad, nearly plane, rather crowded, several times inserted, avellaneous with a murinous tint; spores broadly ellipsoid, smooth, hyaline, granular, 7-9 X 5-7 p ; stipe enlarged above, avellaneous, glabrous, densely longitudinally striate, smooth and white at the base, white within, stuffed, having a rather tough rind, about 4 cm. long, 3.5 mm. thick below and 7 mm. thick above.
Type collected in rich soil in thin deciduous woods near the New York Botanical Garden, New York City, June 4, 1912, E. C. Volkert.
Distribution: Known only from the type locality.