24. Stem stiff but breaking with a snap when bent; edge of cap incurved at first and cap-surface composed of filamentous cells _Psilocybe_ Stem fragile; edge of cap straight even when young and cap-surface composed of rounded cells _Psathyrella_ 25. Fruit-body fleshy and readily decaying, often firm but never tough 26 Fruit-body tough and not easily decaying 47 26. Parasitic on other agarics _Nyctalis_ Not parasitic on other agarics 27 27. Spore-bearing layer on fold-like often forked gills or simply on irregularities 28 Spore-bearing layer (hymenium), on distinct well-formed gills 29 28. Spore-bearing layer on fold-like gills _Cantharellus_ Spore-bearing layer on surface of irregularities _Craterellus_ 29. Cap easily separable from the stem 30 Cap not easily separable from the stem 31 30. Stem with girdling veil (ring) and/or with a persistent cup-like structure at the base (volva); cap usually with warts or scales distributed on its surface _Amanita_ Stem with a ring but lacking a volva; cap surface powdery, hairy or scaly _Lepiota_ & related genera 31. Cap, stem and gills brittle; stem never stiff and either exuding a milk-like juice or not; spores with spines or warts which stain blue-black in solutions containing iodine 32 Cap, stem and gills soft or if stem stiff then snapping when bent; gills never brittle 33 32. Fruit-body exuding a milk-like fluid _Lactarius_ Fruit-body not exuding milk-like fluid _Russula_ 33. Gills thick, watery and lustrous (waxy) or with a bloom as if powdered with talc; often brightly coloured 34 Gills not waxy and rarely over 1·5 mm thick 36 34. Gills rather watery and lustrous (waxy); spores smooth 35 Gills rigid not watery, with powdery bloom; spores with distinct spines _Laccaria_ 35. Fruit-body with a distinct veil and growing in woods; cap often viscid or pale coloured _Hygrophorus_ Fruit-body lacking a veil and usually growing in fields; cap usually brightly coloured and sometimes viscid _Hygrocybe_ 36. Stem with girdling veil (ring) and/or stem not attached to the centre of the cap (eccentric) 37