_General Information_: This fungus is easily recognised by the very pale uniform colour, the colour of the spore-print, silky umbonate cap and small size. The cortina connects the cap-margin and the stem and consists of a cobwebby structure which collapses at maturity. A violet coloured variety, var. _lilacina_ Gillet is frequently found, in fact, even accompanying var. _geophylla_; it differs only in the lilac-colour of the cap and stem. _I. geophylla_ is a member of the very large genus _Inocybe_, further members of which will be dealt with later (see p. 238). The genus is well defined with dull-yellow spore-print, well differentiated sterile cells on the gill-edge (and often on the gill-face) and the cobweb-like veil, or cortina, stretching from the cap-margin to the stem and easily observed in young specimens. The genus is split into three distinct groups: those with smooth spores, those with nodulose spores and those with subglobose spores ornamented with long projections. _I. geophylla_ is included in the first group. The group which includes the nodulose-spored members has been elevated to the rank of genus by some authors, i.e. _Astrosporina_--a name referring to the spore-shape eg., _I. asterospora_. _Illustrations_: F 13a (too blue); LH 155; NB 139⁵; WD 65⁴. [Illustration: Plate 21. Fleshy fungi: Spores dull brown and borne on gills] ~Laccaria laccata~ (Fries) Cooke Deceiver _Cap_: width 12-28 mm. _Stem_: width 4-8 mm; length 15-60 mm. _Description_: Cap: hygrophanous, reddish brown or brick-colour becoming ochraceous on drying, but can be rapidly returned to the original colour by placing on the top a drop of water which is rapidly absorbed; fragile, convex at first then flattened or depressed about centre, smooth or surface scaley, striate at margin when moist. Stem: similarly coloured to the cap, fibrous, cylindrical, tough and usually with white woolly base. Gills: adnate with or without a decurrent tooth, thick, distant and pinkish or pale reddish-brown, powdered with white when mature. Flesh: red-brown, soft in the cap and fibrous in the stem. Spore-print: pure white. Spores: medium sized, hyaline under the microscope and spherical, 7-8 µm in diameter and beautifully spiny. Marginal and facial cystidia: absent. _Habitat_ & _Distribution_: Common in troops in woodland, copses, on heaths; in fact it may be found in nearly all possible habitats.