Toadstools, mushrooms, fungi, edible and poisonous; one thousand American fungi How to select and cook the edible; how to distinguish and avoid the poisonous, with full botanic descriptions. Toadstool poisons and their treatment, instructions to students, recipes for cooking, etc., etc. (part 2 of 4)

Introduction

America is without a text-book of the American species of Fungi, among which the edible and poisonous varieties are found. Many excellent but expensive foreign volumes describe species common to both continents, and several special but widely scattered monographs have been published here. The need of the mycologist, mycophagist and amateur toadstool student is a book giving the genus, names and descriptions of the prominent American toadstools whose edibility has been tested, or whose poisonous qualities have been discovered. The absence of such a book, and the universal and rapidly-growing interest all over the United States in edible fungi, have led to the publication of the present work, which includes every species known to be esculent in North America. As a precautionary measure, full explications of all those known or suspected to be poisonous are included.

Many species found in this country only have been described and named by various authors, from the time of Schweinitz (1822) to the present day. These have been published in the botanical magazines and in the papers of scientific societies and colleges. The greater number have as author Professor Charles H. Peck, New York State Botanist, who has contributed an annual report each year from 1868. These appear in the reports of the State Museum of New York, and coming from the pen of our ablest mycologist are of great value to everyone interested in the study. The classifications and (in many instances) modified descriptions by such an eminent authority upon fungoid growth should therefore be the guides to American forms, that the confusion created by numerous descriptions of the same fungus by different observers may be avoided.

Professor N.L. Britton, editor of the Torrey Botanical Club, has courteously given permission to use the descriptions of new species given in its instructive Bulletins.

Professor A.P. Morgan and Laura V. Morgan, with equal courtesy, grant the use of text and illustrations contained in the most complete monograph published upon the Lycoperdaceæ (puff-balls, etc.) of America.

While the scientific classifications and descriptions have been strictly followed, the language has been simplified—with no sacrifice of scientific accuracy—that this volume may be fully adapted to popular use.

Professor Peck has given his valuable assistance in the identification of many species, all that were difficult or obscure having been submitted to him, and the writer is deeply indebted to him for many and long-continued courtesies, aiding in study and in the preparation of this work.

Several new species have been found by the writer, the greater part of excellent food value. He preferred that these should be named, described and placed in their proper genus and section by Professor Peck, believing it to be best for the discoverers of new species to defer to one whose vast experience enables him to name and classify in accordance with the demands of American species.

Where a species is vouched for as edible, it has been personally tested by the author and his willing undertasters up to eating full meals of it, or at least beyond all doubt as to its safety. Where others have eaten species which he has not had the opportunity to test, their names and opinions are given. When species heretofore under the ban of suspicion are in this volume, for the first time, announced to be edible (there are many of them), personal tests have not been considered sufficient, as idiosyncrasy might have affected the results. Others, at the writer’s request, have eaten of the species until their innocence was fully established. In some cases, where the reputation of the fungi eaten was especially bad, scientists of note have made elaborate and exhaustive physiological tests of their substances, and in every instance confirmed the human testing.

While species which contain deadly poisons are few, their individuals are produced in great number. Nicety in distinguishing their botanic variance from edible species closely resembling them is necessary. No charm will detect the poison. Eating toadstools before their certain identification as belonging to edible species, is neither bravery nor common sense. The amateur should go slow.

The question often asked is: By what rule do you distinguish between edible and poisonous mushrooms? The answer usually surprises the questioner—there is no general rule. All such rules which have been given are false and unreliable. The quality of each was learned, one at a time. Sweet and sour apples alike grow on large and small trees, may be red or green, large or small, oblong or globular, and no visible appearance gives the least clue to the quality.

In a few genera certain rules may be applied, as in Clavaria--all not bitter or tough are edible. But such generalizations are each limited to its own genus.

The toadstools containing deadly poisons are thought to be confined to one genus of the gilled kind—Amanita, and to Helvella esculenta, now Gyromitra esculenta, to which are charged fatal results. The poisonous qualities of Gyromitra esculenta are not proven. Recent testings of this species prove it to be harmless and of good quality. By far the greater number of species contained in Amanita are notable for their tender substance and delicious flavor. By their stately beauty and unusual attractiveness both the poisonous and harmless kinds are seductive. Any toadstool with white or lemon-yellow gills, casting white spores when laid—gills downward—upon a sheet of paper, having remnants of a fugitive skin in the shape of scabs or warts upon the upper surface of its cap, with a veil or ring, or remnants or stains of one, having at the base of its stem—in the ground—a loose, skin-like sheath surrounding it, or remnants of one, should never be eaten until the collector is thoroughly conversant with the technicalities of every such species, or has been taught by one whose authority is well known, that it is a harmless species. This rule purposely includes the renowned Amanita Cæsaria, everywhere written as luscious. I regard it as the most dangerous of toadstools, because of its close resemblance to its sister plant—the Amanita muscaria—which is deadly. In the description of these species, other forcible reasons are given.

Another deadly species—the Amanita phalloides—is frequently mistaken by the inexperienced for the common mushroom. Safety lies in the strict observance of two rules: Never eat a toadstool found in the woods or shady places, believing it to be the common mushroom. Never eat a white- or yellow-gilled toadstool in the same belief. The common mushroom does not grow in the woods, and its gills are at first pink, then purplish-brown or black.

If through carelessness, or by accident, a poisonous Amanita has been eaten, and sickness results, take an emetic at once, and send for a physician with instructions to bring hypodermic syringe and atropine sulphate. The dose is 1⁄180 of a grain, and doses should be continued heroically until the 1⁄20 of a grain is administered, or until, in the physician’s opinion, a proper quantity has been injected. Where the victim is critically ill the 1⁄20 of a grain may be administered.

In every case of toadstool poisoning, the physician must be guided by the symptoms exhibited. Professor W.S. Carter, by numerous exhaustive trials upon animals, has proved that atropine, while valuable as against the first, is not an antidote for the late effects of the greater toadstool poisons. (See his chapter on toadstool poisons, especially prepared for this work.)

There are other species which contain minor poisons producing very undesirable effects. These are soon remedied by taking an emetic, then one or two doses of whisky and sweet oil; or vinegar may be substituted for the whisky. A few species of fungi are innocuous to the majority of persons and harmful to a few. So it is with many common foods—strawberries, apples, tomatoes, celery, even potatoes. The beginner at toadstool eating usually expects commendation for bravery, and fearfully watches for hours the coming of something dreadful. Indigestion from any other cause is always laid to the traditionary enemy, fright ensues, a physician is called, the scare spreads, and a pestilential story of “Severe Poisoning by Toadstools,” gets into the newspapers. The writer has traced many such publications to imprudences in eating, with which toadstools had nothing to do.

The authoritative analysis of several common food species by Lafayette B. Mendel, of Sheffield Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry, Yale University, is given, and will correct the popular error about the great nutritive value of fungi, arising from previous erroneous analyses.

While species are reported as found in certain localities, it by no means follows that their growth is confined to these places. A species reported as found in the Adirondack mountains, unless belonging to the few peculiar to northern regions and high altitudes, is reasonably sure to be more plentiful in a like habitat south and west of them. South it will appear earlier and its season last longer.

Size is largely dependent upon latitude and may vary greatly in the same group. Temperature, moisture, favorable nourishment are important factors in growth.

Each species has its favorite habitat, and will thrive best upon it. There are few things under the sun upon which fungi do not grow. Their mission is particularly directed toward converting decaying matter, or matter which has accomplished its work in one direction, into usefulness in another. They are the wood-choppers, stewards, caterers of the forest, converters in the fields and chemists everywhere. They can not assimilate inorganic matter because of the absence of chlorophyl in their composition, but in organic matter they are omnivorous. When they feed on dead substances they are called saprophytes; when their support is derived from living tissues, parasites.

Scores of species of fungi were found in the forests, ravines and clearings of the West Virginia mountains from 1881 to 1885 inclusive, and eaten by the writer years before he had the opportunity to learn their names from books or obtain the friendly assistance of experts in identifying them. He knew the individuals without knowing their names, as one knows the bird song and plumage before formal introduction to the pretty creatures that charm him.

After he was able to get European publications upon the subject, and by their aid trace the species he had eaten to their names, descriptions and qualities, he was surprised to read that many of them were warned against as deadly. As informed by these books, he properly ought to have died several times. It soon became evident that authors had followed one another in condemning species, some because they bore brilliant hues, others because they were unpleasant when raw (just as is a potato), rather than investigate their qualities by testing them. Here was a realm of food-giving plants almost entirely unexplored. The writer determined to explore it. Instead of the one hundred and eleven species then recorded by the late Doctor Curtis as edible, my number of edible species now exceeds his by over six hundred.[A]

Footnote A:

This book contains one hundred and fifty pages more than were originally estimated and promised to the subscribers. That all known edible and poisonous species might be fully described and published within one volume, the author was compelled to cut fifty thousand words from his manuscript. The localities from which species have been reported and the names of the reporters have been taken out, excepting where it was desirable to show that foreign species have been found in the United States, and where tested species have been found by the author. The principal cut has been from the notes of the author and of enlarged descriptions.

Let us clear away the rubbish and superstition that have so long obscured the straight path to a knowledge of edible toadstools. Let us bear in mind that a mushroom is a toadstool and a toadstool is a mushroom—the terms are interchangeable. If toads ever occupied the one-legged seat assigned them from time immemorial, they have learned in this enlightened age that the ground is much more reliable, and so squat upon it, except when exercising their constitutional right to hop. Snails, slugs, insects of many kinds, mice, squirrels and rabbits prey upon good and bad, each to its liking, notwithstanding oft-repeated assertion that snails and slugs infect noxious varieties only, or that animals select the innocuous only. We are warned against those which grow in the dark or damp; the mushroom of commerce is grown by the ton in the subterranean quarries of France, and everywhere in vaults and cellars for domestic use. The valued truffle never sees the light until it is taken from darkness to be eaten, and other varieties of the best prefer seclusion.

The wiseacres tell us that they must have equal gills, must not have thin tops, must not turn yellow when sprinkled with salt, must not blacken a silver spoon, that we must not eat of those changing color when cut or broken, of those exuding milk, or those which are acrid, hot, or bitter, and give many other specifics for determining the good from the bad. These tests are all worse than worthless, for if confidence is placed in them they will not only lead us away from esculent and excellent varieties but directly into eating venomous ones.

There are whole genera of fungi which are innocuous; but in the Family of Agaricaceæ, where the greatest variety of the edible and poisonous species are found, it is necessary to master one by one the details of their construction and learn to distinguish their differences as one does those of the many kinds of roses, or pinks, or hundreds of bright-faced pansies, and in the mastery of them lies the only charm that will safely guide.

Carefully remove the first toadstool found from whatever it is growing upon, and with it a portion of that from which it springs. If it is the earth a curious white network is discernible, fine as the delicate spinning of the spider, spreading its meshes throughout the mass. It will often remind of miniature vines climbing over miniature lattices. This is the mycelium from which the toadstool grew. In many instances it penetrates the earth to a considerable depth, and takes possession of large territory. It is often seen as the gardener turns up the soil or its fertilizer, and is perhaps taken for a mold. If the specimen is gathered from mat of wood leaves, the same white vine is observable slipping in between its layers. If taken from a tree, the decaying wood is traversed by it. From wherever a toadstool is plucked, it is removed from its mycelium.

This mycelium is but a thread-like mass of simple cells joined together at their ends and interlacing in a way a thousand-fold more intricate than a Chinese puzzle. Nothing in its structure indicates what its special product will be. The fungus which is plucked from it is in all its parts simply a mass of these threads—cells strung together, interlacing and ramifying.

When the season favors, the mycelium—which has, winter and summer and from year to year, lived its hidden life, or has sprung from a germinating spore—develops a number of its cells in a minute knob, small as a pin head. At this point the cells make special growth efforts to bring themselves within the favoring influences of heat and moisture; this tiny knob labors within itself, producing cell after cell, which takes shape and function for the future toadstool.

As it rapidly enlarges it pushes its way toward the surface of the ground, becomes more or less egg-shaped in this stage of its growth, and if cut in half longitudinally and examined, it will display what it is going to be when it grows up.

Suppose that it belongs to the first of the two great sections into which fungi are divided under the classification of Fries, who modified that of Persoon. The first has the spores—which represent the seeds in plants—naked, and it is called sporifera or spore-bearing. The second, which has the spores enclosed in cells or cysts, is called sporidifera or sporidia-bearing. If the cap of a gill-bearing toadstool be laid, gills downward, on a watch crystal or piece of white paper for a few hours, or, in some instances, a few minutes, a complete representation of the spaces between the gills will be found deposited as an impalpable powder. These are the spores.

The first section is divided into four cohorts. Two of these have hymeniums or spore-bearing surfaces more or less expanded. These are Hymenomycetes and Gastromycetes. In Hymenomycetes the hymenium is always exposed in matured plants, as with the common mushroom. When young, some plants are covered with a membrane. In Gastromycetes the hymenium is always concealed within a covering which bursts at maturity, as with the Lycoperdons or puff-balls. Cohort Coniomycetes includes rusts, smuts, etc., formed for the most part on living plants. There is no hymenium present. The spores are produced on the ends of inconspicuous threads, free or enclosed in a bottle-like receptacle called a perithecium. Cohort Hypomycetes is composed of those species of fungi commonly called molds. The spores are produced, naked, from the ends of inconspicuous threads.

In the Agaricaceæ—the first family in Hymenomycetes—the young plant is completely enveloped. (Plate III, fig. B, p. 2.) Its head is as yet undefined and its body may be classed as dumpy, but shut in and protected are a great quantity of knife-like plaits (Plate III, fig. C., p. 2), on the outer surface of which, when the plant matures, will be borne its spores. It therefore belongs to the Hymenomycetes, and to the Family Agaricaceæ—gill-bearing.

If the ground becomes moist or there comes a heavy dew or a rain, the young plant, closely compacted and very solid, which has been under the surface for many days waiting its chance to get forth to light and air, rapidly swells, breaks through the moistened earth, goes rapidly to cell-making, ruptures its outside covering, the head expands and in so doing spreads out its gills or hymenium. (Plate III, figs. C, D, E, p. 2.) The membrane which covered the gills either vanishes, or gathers round the stem in the form of a ring or circular apron, or it may partially adhere to the edges of the top, cap or pileus and hang as a fringe from it; the stem elongates; the whole plant assumes the colors of its species and in a few hours or days at most it stands forth, a marvel of beauty, structure and workmanship.

But little is known of how these spores reproduce themselves. The microscope fails to completely penetrate the mystery. A whole fungus is but a mass of cells, the spore is but one of them. That these simple cells do produce after their kind there is no doubt, but so minute is the germ and hidden its methods that science has failed to solve them.

The first Family of Hymenomycetes is Agaricaceæ. Its members always have gills or modifications of them. In some cases—notably in Cantharellus—the gills have the appearance of smooth, raised veins over which is the spore-bearing surface. The hymenium is but an extension of the fibers of the cap, folded up like the plaits and flutings of ruffles, and laundered with exquisite neatness. If it is carefully detached and spread out like a fan it will cover a large surface, many times the size of the cap from which it has been taken, and will show that what is a consumption of material in dress ornamentation is utilized by economical Dame Nature to increase the spore-bearing surface within a small space and for purely business purposes—spore-bearing. The color of these spores has much to do with the classification. The microscope with high light reveals the delicate shades of their coloring, but the main colors are readily distinguished by the naked eye when the spores are collected in a mass on glass or paper.

The Polyporaceæ have in place of gills closely packed tubes on the inside of which is the spore-bearing surface; each has a mouth from which to eject the spores.

The Hydnaceæ bear their spores from spines or spicules of various length protruding from the external surface of the cap. Sometimes the spines mock in miniature the stalactites of the Caverns of Luray, sometimes the shaggy mane of the lion, sometimes flowing locks of hair. These three Families belong to the Cohort Hymenomycetes, having their spore-bearing surface exposed early in life by the rupture of the universal veil.

The Lycoperdons or Puff-balls have the hymenium enclosed within an outer case, just as the apple with its seeds is enclosed for a dumpling. When the spores are matured the sack is ruptured and they escape as the dusty powder so well known to all. The Puff-ball belongs to the Cohort Gastromycetes, because its spores are protected within the hymenium until they are matured.

There are other Families which contain edible species. The Clavariaceæ—branched or club-shaped—often found in as beautiful forms as delight us in coral, includes a few.

In Ascomycetes, of the covered spore division Sporidifera, there are several species which are excellent, and as they dry readily are much valued for flavoring purposes when winter forbids the growth of outdoor fungi. Of these the Morell has preference. The cap is covered with sinuosities and pits which bear the spores. There are several varieties of the Morell in the United States. They are known among the country people who cook and pickle them, as Honey-comb mushrooms.

The Tuberaceæ are subterranean fungi. The common truffle so much prized by epicures is a good representative. It is found a foot or more under the surface of the earth, and of such value is it that in some countries pigs are trained to hunt it from its hiding place. It is one of the few foreign growths apparently not taking kindly to our country. Efforts have been made to import and cultivate it, but without success. It is possible, even probable, that it may yet be found in America by assiduous search.

I have said that there is but one way to distinguish the edible from the non-edible fungi; that is by mastering the characteristics of each species one by one. There are signs which point to the evil and those which point to the good, but they must be used as signals, not directors.

A nauseous, fetid odor should condemn a species as non-edible at once. Those having the flavor of flour or fresh meal are generally accepted as worthy of trial. Slimy, water-soaked, partially decomposed plants, or those impressing one as unpleasant in any way, should never find their place upon the table. Do not eat of any toadstool, unknown to the collector, beyond the careful and systematic testing required to determine whether it is edible or not.

A few species have a serious charge remaining against them; that of partiality. They unmistakably signify with whom they will agree and with whom they will not. These are notably Clitocybe illudens, Lepiota Morgani, Panæolus papilionaceus, all specialized in their places in the text.

Other species have hereditary taints upon their reputations. Most, if not all of them have stood present tests and relieved themselves of suspicion. But, alas that it should be so! The stigma must rest upon them for yet a while and until their defenders are so numerous that their purity, without a smirch, is popularly proclaimed.

Wherever wood grows and decays as it will, Polyporus, Panus, Lenzites, Schizophyllum and kindred genera stand prominently forth in countless numbers. The great majority of them are inedible because of their woody substance. A few are valued as food. Very many of them yield their soluble matter and flavor when boiled, and in this way make excellent soups and gravies, just as flax-seed and the bark of the slippery elm yield succulent matter. These, however, are not, with a few exceptions, mentioned in this book. Numbers of Clavarieæ and Hydneæ are in the same category. M.C. Cooke tersely says: “Fruits that are not peaches or apricots may be very good plums.” In the introductions to genera their attributes are given; under “Instructions to Students” every guide to identification and selection will be found.

A Glossary, containing the botanic terms used in this book and, it is believed, all other terms used by mycologists in describing fungi, follows the descriptive text. It is strongly advised that it be carefully studied. The roots and derivatives of the botanic terms are fully and carefully given by Dr. John W. Harshberger, professor of botany, University of Pennsylvania, to whom the author is specially indebted.

The excellent Glossary published by Dr. Edwin A. Daniels, Boston, has furnished many comprehensive definitions. It is the property of the Boston Mycological Club, and can be obtained from its secretary for twenty-five cents.

The determination of the proper accentuation of the generic and specific terms has been in many cases a difficult task, and, in some cases, owing to the dubious origin of the words in question, there is certainly room for difference of opinion. This task has been kindly and conscientiously performed by Prof. M.W. Easton, professor of Comparative and English Philology, University of Pennsylvania. Thanks are due to the Hon. Addison Brown, president of the Torrey Botanical Club, and Dr. Nathaniel L. Britton, professor of Botany in Columbia College, authors of “Illustrated Flora,” for the determination of the accentuation of non-classical words ending in inus.

Three indexes are given: the first refers to the general contents, the second to the genera, the third to species and their genera, alphabetically arranged.

Mrs. Emma P. Ewing and Mrs. Sarah T. Rorer have kindly furnished some of their recipes for the preparation of several varieties of toadstools. The best results of the author’s long experience in cooking toadstools are given in the chapter “Recipes for Cooking and Preparing for the Table,” together with others selected from many sources. The personal taste of the server must be guide to the choice.

A child-friend of the writer, in telling him of her mother’s cook, said: “She’s a good cooker, but she has a bad temper.” A good “cooker” will soon learn how to best display the individual flavor of each species. And be it known that each species of toadstool has a flavor of its own. These flavors vary as much as among meats and vegetables. No one species can be taken as standard of excellence.

The greatest care has been taken to secure illustrations correct in every botanic detail. With few exceptions the colored figures were drawn and painted by the writer. To obtain this important feature the requirements of art have frequently been sacrificed. An artist can make a picture of a toadstool; the mycologist must guide his brush or pencil in the making of a correct presentation. The happy combination of artist and mycologist occurs in Mr. Val. W. Starnes, Augusta, Ga., to whom this volume owes many of its illustrations. Mr. Frank D. Briscoe, widely known as an artist of rare ability, has arranged and painted in groups the studies made by the writer from typical plants, and added to the illustrations many excellent drawings of his own.

The unfailing reliability of the sun has been masterfully used by Dr. J.R. Weist, ex-Secretary of the American Society of Surgeons, Richmond, Ind.; H.I. Miller, Superintendent Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad, Terre Haute, Ind., and Mr. Luther G. Harpel, Lebanon, Pa., in making the unexcelled photographs generously contributed by them. The author is most thankful to them and to Mr. C.G. Lloyd, Cincinnati, Ohio—a scientific gentleman devoting lavishly of his time and money to the spread of mycological knowledge—for the privilege of selecting from his extensive collection of realistic photographs those adaptable to the species described herein.

The author’s thanks are gratefully given to the many who have by help and encouragement furthered his efforts in producing this, the first American text-book upon fungi. Space precludes the naming of the many, but the few named do not outrank them in their interest, help and the author’s appreciation:

Miss Lydia M. Patchen, President of the Westfield, N.Y., Toadstool Club (the first in America); Mrs. E.C. Anthony, Thomas J. Collins, E.B. Sterling, Berry Benson, Melvil Dewey, New York State Librarian; Dr. J.E. Schadle, Prof. J.P. Arnold, University of Pennsylvania; Prof. W.S. Carter, University of Texas; Boston School of Natural History; Massachusetts Horticultural Society; Prof. Wm. G. Farlow, University of Harvard.

Thus aided the author believes that his own conscientious, patient, loved labor in the study of edible and non-edible fungi and the production of this volume will be far-reaching in its one object—encouraging the study of toadstools.

The time for writing a complete flora of the United States has not yet come; a large part of the country remains as yet unexplored by mycologists; new species are being constantly discovered in the districts best known. Every book on the subject must be necessarily incomplete.

On the other hand, so far as concerns the known fungus-flora, there is imperative need of some guide to the student, which shall at least save him some part of the weary toil of hunting through the scattered literature in which alone, as things are at present, can be found the information he seeks. In this book I have tried to meet this need. It is not complete, but I have tried to so arrange the matter that the student can always decide whether the particular specimen in hand is or is not included, and, at least for all of our more conspicuous fungi, determine the family and genus. If the student can do so much, the task of finding the specific name, even when not included in this book, becomes very much simpler.

So much for the more scientific aspect of my book. But I have also kept in constant view the needs of the large and constantly growing number of persons who have no aim further than to learn to know the principal toadstools seen in their walks, just as they wish to know the principal trees and the more conspicuous birds. For such as these, the difficulty of deciding whether or no a particular individual fungus is described in the brief (sketching) manuals hitherto accessible is even more formidable than with the special student of botany.

Finally, I have kept in view throughout the work the needs of the mycophagists. They are not pot-hunters; they care much less for the physical pleasure of the appetite than for the close study of Nature that their inclination leads them into. Some day the delights of a mushroom hunt along lush pastures and rich woodlands will take the rank of the gentlest craft among those of hunting, and may perchance find its own Izaak Walton.

AUTHOR’S AND PUBLISHER’S NOTE.

It is the intention of the author and the publisher to keep this book up to date. Recognizing that future testing will prove many more species of toadstools to be edible, and that scientists will have more exact knowledge of toadstool poisons and their antidotes, they announce that illustrated sheets publishing new edible species and current information upon fungi will be, from time to time, issued, conforming in shape and style to this volume and at an acceptable price.

That the author and publishers may keep in touch with the owner of each volume, and be informed of new discoveries in species and of new experience, owners are requested to communicate their book numbers to Captain Charles McIlvaine, or the Bowen-Merrill Co., Indianapolis, Ind.

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

To catch fish one must know more than the fish; to find toadstools one must know their season and habitats. They are propagated by their spores and from their mycelium—that web-like growth which is the result of spore germination.

The spores of ground-growing kinds, when shed upon the ground, are washed by rains along the natural drainage; therefore, when a specimen of one of these kinds is found, it is well to look up and down the natural water-shed, and follow it. Good reward will usually come of it. Few fungi are strictly solitary.

Careful observation of the habitats of the various genera and species will enable the student to know what may and may not be expected in a particular locality, and will save many a hunt.

When an unknown species is found, collect it carefully, examine it closely, note all its features. Determine to which division of fungi it belongs. If to the gilled family (Agaricaceæ) obtain the color of the spores (see directions). Look at the chart “Tabular View of Genera of Agaricaceæ,” Plate I, p. 2 (after W.G. Smith, but enlarged, redrawn and emended). If the spores are white, it belongs to one of the genera in the first column—Leucosporæ; if pink, to one in the second column, and so on. It is often difficult to determine the spore color, because spores vary through many shades of the typical color. What are called white spores may be creamy, dirty, yellowish or brownish-white; pink spores will vary from almost white to reddish and salmon-color; brown spores from light-ochraceous through cinnamon to rusty; purple spores from dark-violet to purplish-black. Experience alone will enable the student to decide which color series is present. The Genera Charts, preceding the five different color series, show typical spore colors only. Again, authors describing the species frequently fail to see colors alike; if they do, their names for them frequently vary. For instance, few persons will agree upon a color expressed as “livid.”

The color system principally used by botanists is Saccardo’s “Chromotaxia,” costing fifty cents. It is decidedly inadequate. Ridgway’s “Nomenclature of Colors for Naturalists” is far better, but it is out of print and obtainable only at the principal libraries. “The Prang Standard of Color” is the most complete ever issued, but it is inapplicable to existing descriptions of fungi.

[Sidenote: Make and Preserve Spore Prints.]

Take, to print upon, sheets of Bristol-board or any stiff, hard-surfaced white paper 6×9 inches or larger. Cut a round hole, four inches in diameter, in one of the sheets. Use this as a stencil. Lay it upon a print-sheet and where the opening occurs, paint with a weak solution of gum arabic—⅛ oz. (one teaspoonful) to one pint of water. Dry the print-sheets.

When a spore-print is to be taken, select a fully-grown specimen, remove the stem, place the spore-bearing surface upon the gummed paper, cover tightly with an inverted bowl or saucer, and allow to stand undisturbed for eight or ten hours. The moisture in the plant will soften the gummed surface; the spores will be shed and will adhere to it, making a perfect, permanent print. When the print is plain, remove the specimen carefully and dry the print. Number the print-cards to correspond with the number of the specimen in the “Record of Fungi,” and place them in a box or cover. Some genera shed their spores sooner and more freely than others. A surplus of spores is objectionable. In order to know when a print is plainly made, without disturbing the process, have either a specimen of the same age, or a piece of the one under the bowl, on another piece of gummed paper, covered in like manner. This can be examined and will give the desired information. A little experience will enable the student to obtain good and lasting prints.

The large black figures on some calendars, if cut with the white about them, are convenient as trial sheets for spore-printing. Lay the specimen partly on the white, partly on the black. If the spores are light, they show best on black ground, and if colored, they show best on the light.

Spore measurements, as given by different observers, vary to such a degree that they are of little value, excepting as determining a few species, but spore shapes and characteristics are of use as a last resort, in accurate determinations. A microscope of considerable power is needed.

A metrical scale and table of measures is here given, that the student may have a present guide to such measurements as are given in mycological publications.

Measures

1 Metre 39.371 Inches

1 Decimetre 3.9371 ”

1 Centimetre (C M.) .39371 ”

1 Millimetre (M.M.) .039371 ”

1 Micron (µ) 1 Millionth of a 1⁄25400 of an Inch. Metre

1 Line (″) 1⁄12 of an Inch

1 Gramme 15.433 Troy Grains

1 Decigramme 1.543 ” ”

1 Centigramme .1543 ” ”

1 Milligramme .01543 ” ”

[Sidenote: Use of Charts of Genera.]

The spore color being determined, turn to the Genera Chart, showing spores of like color. Ascertain from the specimen whether or not its cap or hymenophore is distinct or easily separable from the stem and the gills free from the stem; if they are, it may belong to one of the genera in the upper row of figures; if the cap is not easily separable nor the gills free, look at the shape of the gills, and find on the chart a corresponding gill-shape. It is probable that the genus can thus be determined. Then turn to this genus in the text, read the heading, look over the “Analysis of Tribes,” go to the tribe nearest in designating the properties of the specimen; comparing the specimen with the descriptions of species given thereunder, will probably enable the seeker to decide upon its name.

It should be remembered that the descriptions in the text are of the specimen or specimens which the author of the species saw. What the author says fixes the type of the species. Specimens of the species may, and very frequently do, vary greatly from the type. If the first attempt to fix the genus is not satisfactory, try again, and keep on trying until reasonably sure. The amateur will find, however good an opinion may exist in his mind of the stock of patience on hand, that the territory of patience has just been reached.

[Sidenote: Making and Preserving Notes.]

An excellent blank form for “Collectors’ Notes” is published by the Boston Mycological Club, at one cent. It is desirable that there should be uniformity in collectors’ notes, and that they should be as full as possible. A form of this, or a similar kind, should be filled in and kept, and should also be used when specimens are sent to an expert for identification. Such specimens should be fresh, wrapped separately in tissue paper, numbered, and a few should be packed in a box that will not crush in the mail. The address of the sender should be upon the outside. The collector’s notes should be sent in a letter, with a postage stamp for reply enclosed. If the specimens have to go a great distance, they should be partially dried in a slow, open oven, or they will be a rotten mass when they reach their destination.

[Sidenote: To Test Edibility of Species.]

There is but one way by which to determine the edibility of a species. If it looks and smells inviting, and its species can not be determined, taste a very small piece. Do not swallow it. Note the effect on the tongue and mouth. But many species, delicious when cooked, are not inviting raw. Cook a small piece; do not season it. Taste again; if agreeable eat it (unless it is an Amanita). After several hours, no unpleasant effect arising, cook a larger piece, and increase the quantity until fully satisfied as to its qualities. Never vary from this system, no matter how much tempted. No possible danger can arise from adhering firmly to it. Recipes for preparing, cooking and serving are given in chapter on cooking.

It is better for the student to first become familiar with the common species, one at a time, than to attempt tracing the rare or many. Worry, fatigue and uncertainty are plentiful in an indiscriminate gathering of fungi. One species a day, properly traced and named, means learning three hundred and sixty-five species a year.

[Sidenote: The Glossary.]

Unfamiliar terms will be encountered in the descriptive text. The Glossary defines them; and not only those in this book, but, it is believed, all those found in other books upon fungi. Where possible throughout the text, botanical terms have been anglicized. The meanings of those remaining unchanged should be memorized. It is quite as easy, and far better, to learn the botanical names of species and their characteristics, as to learn their common names; easier in fact, for the common names often vary with locality. The writer received a letter from an Alsatian living in St. Louis, telling him of favorite fungi he used to eat when in his own country. To all he gave local names, not one of which could be referred to the particular species meant.

Success and pleasure in the study of fungi will attend the student who observes carefully and who systematically records that which is observed.

ABBREVIATIONS OF THE NAMES OF AUTHORS OF SPECIES

A. and S., Albertini and Schweinitz Arrh., Arrhenius B. or Bull., Bulliard Bad., Badham Bagl., Baglietto Bat. or Batsch, Batsch Batt., Battara Berk. or M.J.B., Berkeley Berk. and Br., Berkeley and Broome Bolt., Bolton Bon., Bonorden Boud., Boudier Boud. and Pat., Boudier and Patonillard Bref., Brefeld Bres., Bresadola Brig., Briganti Brond., Brondeau Brot., Brotero

Cav. and Sech., Cavalier and Séchier C.B.P., Plowright Chev., Chevalier Cke., Cooke Cord., Corda Crn., Crouan Cum., Cumino Curt., Curtis

D. and L., Durieu and Léveillé D.C., De Candolle De Guern., De Guernisac Desm., Desmazieres Dill., Dillenius Dittm., Dittmar Dun., Dunal

Ehrb., Ehrenberg Ellis or J.B.E., J.B. Ellis Eng., English Botany

Fayod, Fayod Fl. d., Flora danica Forq., Forquignon Fr., Elias Fries Fckl. or Fuck., Fuckel

G. or Gill., Gillet G. and R., Gillet and Rounreguére God., Goddard Grév., Gréville

H. and M., Harkness and Moore Hazs., Hazslinsky Hedw., Hedwig Hoffm., Hoffmann Holmsk., Holmskiold Huds., Hudson Huss., Mrs. T.J. Hussey

Jacq., Jacquin Jungh., Junghuhn

Kalchb., Kalchbrenner Karst., Karsten Klotzsch, Klotzsch K., Krombholz

Lam., Lamark Lang., Langlois Lasch, Lasch Lenz, Lenz Let., Letell., Letellier Lév., Léveillé Leys., Leysser Lib., Libert Linn. or L., Linnæus

Mart., Martius Mich., Micheli M.J.B., Berkeley Mont., Montagne Morg., Morgan Moug., Mougeot Müll., Müller

Nees, Nees

Osb., Osbeck

Pat., Patouillard Paul., Paulet Pers., Persoon Pk., Peck Pol. or Poll., Pollini

Q. or Quel., Quelet

Rab., Rabenhorst Rav., Ravenel Relh., Relhan Retz., Retzius Riess, Riess Rost., Rostkovius Roz., Roze Roz. and Rich., Roze and Richon

Sacc., Saccardo Saund. and Sm., Saunders and Smith Sch., Schaeff., Schaeffer Schr. or Schrad., Schrader Schroet., Schröter Schulz, Schulz Schum., Schumacher Schw., Schweinitz Scop., Scopoli Sec., Secretan Somm., Sommerfelt Sow., Sowerby Sw., Swartz

T. or Tul., Tulasne Tod., Tode Tour., Tournefort Trat., Trattinik

U. and E., Underwood and Earle

Vent., Venturi Vill., Villars Vitt., Vittadini

Wahl., Wahlenberg Wall., Wallroth Weinm., Weinmann Willd., Willdenow With., Withering W.P., Phillips W.G.S., Sm. or Worth. Sm, Worthington Smith Wulf., Wulfen

NAMES OF THE PRINCIPAL REPORTERS OF AMERICAN SPECIES

Alabama Lucien M. Underwood, F.S. Earle (U. and E.).

California H.W. Harkness, Justin P. Moore (H. and M.), Wm. Phillips.

Canada John Dearness.

Connecticut —- Wright.

Florida —- Calkins.

Georgia Berry Benson, H.N. Starnes, Val W. Starnes.

Illinois Frederick J. Brændle.

Indiana H.I. Miller, Dr. J.R. Weist.

Iowa Charles E. Bessey, T.H. Macbride.

Kansas F.W. Cragin, Elam Bartholomew,

W.A. Kellerman.

Kentucky C.G. Lloyd, A.P. Morgan.

Louisiana Rev. A.B. Langlois.

Maryland Miss Mary E. Banning.

Massachusetts Charles C. Frost, W.G. Farlow, James L. Bennett, Charles J. Sprague, Robert K. Macadam, Julius A. Palmer, Hollis Webster.

Minnesota Asa Emory Johnson.

Mississippi U.S. Geological Survey.

Missouri William Trelease.

Nebraska Charles E. Bessey, F.E. Clements, —-- Webber.

New Brunswick A.C. Waghorne, James Fowler.

New England Boston Mycological Club.

New Jersey J.B. Ellis, Benjamin Everhart, E.B. Sterling, Charles McIlvaine.

New York Charles H. Peck, George F. Atkinson, John Torrey.

North Carolina Rev. M.A. Curtis,

Rev. Lewis de Schweinitz,

Charles McIlvaine.

Nova Scotia Dr. John Somers.

Ohio Charles G. Lloyd, A.P. Morgan, W.S. Sullivant.

Oregon Dr. Harry Lane.

Pennsylvania Dr. William Herbst, Rev. Lewis de Schweinitz, Charles McIlvaine, Philadelphia Mycological Center.

Rhode Island James L. Bennett.

South Carolina Dr. H.W. Ravenel.

West Virginia Charles McIlvaine, L.W. Nuttall.

Wisconsin W.F. Bundy, William Trelease.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PLATE III.

PROGRESSIVE GROWTH OF AGARICS.

A. STERILE CELLS. B. BASIDIA. C. CYSTIDIA.

FIGS.

A. B. C. D. E. STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF AN AGARIC. F. GILLS SHEDDING SPORES.

FIGS.

A. SPORE-PRINT. G. SECTION OF GILL MAGNIFIED.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PLATE IV.

GILL SHAPES.

FIG. 1. GILLS AS VEINS; INFUNDIBULIFORM. 2. GILLS ROUNDED IN FRONT (anteriorly.) 3. GILLS ROUNDED BEHIND (posteriorly.) 4. GILLS LANCEOLATE. 5. GILLS VENTRICOSE. 6. GILLS UNEQUAL; CAP CONVEX. 7. GILLS ADNEXED. 8. GILLS EMARGINATE, ALSO ADNATE AND HAVING DECURRENT TOOTH.

FIG. 9. GILLS SERRATE. 10. GILLS FLEXUOSE; WAVED. 11. GILLS DICHOTOMOUS. 12. GILLS FREE; CAP BROADLY UMBONATE. 13. GILLS NARROW; CAP MARGIN REFLEXED. 14. GILLS SLIGHTLY ADNEXED; CAP UMBONATE; MARGIN INVOLUTE. 15. GILLS DECURRENT; CAP UMBILICATE.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PLATE V.

RING SHAPES AND POSITIONS; VOLVA SHAPES.

FIG. 1. RING SUPERIOR, BROAD. 2. RING MEDIAL, PENDULOUS. 3. RING INFERIOR (low down). 4. RING NARROW, FRAGMENTS APPENDICULATE. 5. RING FIBRILLOSE.

FIG. 6. RING PERSISTENT, SOMETIMES MOVABLE. 7. VOLVA FREE. 8. VOLVA SEPARATING, CIRCUMSCISSILE. 9. VOLVA IRREGULARLY, CIRCUMSCISSILE. 10. VOLVA FRIABLE, DISAPPEARING.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLASS, FUNGI

----------

SUB-CLASS BASIDIOMYCETES

COHORT HYMENOMYCETES. Gr.—a membrane, a fruit-bearing surface; Gr.—a mushroom. (So called from the hymenium or fruit-bearing surface.)

Fungi composed of membranes, fleshy, woody or gelatinous, growing on wood or on the ground. The hymenium or spore-bearing surface exposed at an early stage. The spores are borne on basidia, spread over the surface. The common mushroom is typical of the family. All the members resemble it, more or less, in organization and reproductive organs. These latter, in the mushroom, are spread over lamellæ or gills. The spores, after ripening and dissemination, germinate and produce a mycelium or thread-like vine, which in turn develops the spore-producing part of the plant. Hymenomycetes is divided into the following six Families:—

a. HYMENIUM FIGURATE.

I. Spread over the surface of lamellæ or AGARICACEÆ. gills.

II. Lining the interior of tubes or pores. POLYPORACEÆ.

III. Clothing the surface of spines or HYDNACEÆ. protuberances of various forms.

b. HYMENIUM EVEN.

IV. Horizontal and mostly on the under THELEPHORACEÆ. surface.

V. Vertical and produced all over the CLAVARIACEÆ. surface.

VI. Superior, gelatinous fungi. TREMELLACEÆ.

FAMILY I.—=AGARICACEÆ.=

In the Agaricaceæ the hymenium is spread over lamellæ or gills which radiate from a center or stem. The gills are composed of a double membrane, and are simple or branched.

The parts of an Agaric may all be present as in Amanitæ, or severally absent in other genera. When the young fungus is entirely enclosed in a wrapper or case, this case is called the universal veil. When this veil is ruptured by the growth of the stem, that part which remains attached to the base is called the volva. The membrane reaching from the stem to the margin of the cap is the partial veil; when it ruptures by the expansion of the cap and all or a portion adheres to and about the stem it forms the annulus or ring. In some species one or both veils may be present, or one or both may be absent.

The stem is central when supporting the cap at its center; excentric when at one side of the center; lateral when it supports the cap from the side. If the stem is absent, the cap is said to be sessile; if the cap is horizontal and supported by a broad base it is dimidiate; if attached to its place of growth by its back it is resupinate.

Genera are largely distinguished by the manner in which the gills are attached to the stem. These distinguishing attachments are shown in the plates illustrating genera and in Plate IV. Gill-shapes.

For convenience Agaricaceæ is divided by the color of the spores into five series: white, pink, brown, purple, black. The last two, owing to the similarity of hue, are by some writers (preferably) included in the black-spored series. Spore color is a valuable assistant in determining species.

Series I. =LEUCOSPORÆ.= Gr.—white; Gr.—seed.

Spores white, rarely dingy or inclining to reddish. In the genus Russula the spores of some species are white, in some cream-color, and in several pale ochraceous. Variations from pure white are found in the spores of Tricholoma personatum and a few other species. Gill-color is not a guide to spore-color. Purple, yellow, brown, pinkish gills may produce white spores.

╔═════════════╤════════════╤════════════╤══════════════╤══════════════╗ ║ LEUCOSPORAE │RHODOSPORAE │OCHROSPORAE │PORPHYROSPORAE│MELANOSPORAE. ║ ║ (WHITE) │ (PINK) │ (BROWN) │ (PURPLE) │ (BLACK) ║ ╟─────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────╢ ║ AMANITA │ │ │ │ ║ ║ AMANITOPSIS │ VOLVARIA │ACETABULARIA│ CHITONIA │ ║ ╟─────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────╢ ║ LEPIOTA │ │ │ AGARICUS │ COPRINUS ║ ║ │ │ │ (PSALLIOTA) │ ║ ╟─────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────╢ ║ │ PLUTEUS │ BOLBITIUS │ PILOSACE │ ║ ╠═════════════╪════════════╪════════════╪══════════════╪══════════════╣ ║ ARMILLARIA │ │ PHOLIOTA │ STROPHARIA │ GOMPHIDIUS ║ ║ │ │CORTINARIUS │ │ ║ ╟─────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────╢ ║ TRICHOLOMA │ ENTOLOMA │ HEBELOMA │ HYPHOLOMA │ PANÆOLUS ║ ║ LACTARIUS │ │ INOCYBE │ │ ANELLARIA ║ ║ RUSSULA │ │ │ │ ║ ╟─────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────╢ ║ HYGROPHORUS │ │ │ │ ║ ║ CLITOCYBE │ CLITOPILUS │ FLAMMULA │ │ ║ ║ XEROTUS │ │ PAXILLUS │ │ ║ ║ NYCTALIS │ │ │ │ ║ ╟─────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────╢ ║ LENZITES │ │ │ │ ║ ║ LENTINUS │ │ │ │ ║ ║ PLEUROTUS │ CLAUDOPUS │ CREPIDOTUS │ │ ║ ║ PANUS │ │ │ │ ║ ║ TROGIA │ │ │ │ ║ ║SCHIZOPHYLLUM│ │ │ │ ║ ╠═════════════╪════════════╪════════════╪══════════════╪══════════════╣ ║ COLLYBIA │ LEPTONIA │ NAUCORIA │ PSILOCYBE │ ║ ║ MARASMIUS │ │ │ │ ║ ║ HELIOMYCES │ │ │ │ ║ ╟─────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────╢ ║ MYCENA │ NOLANEA │ PLUTEOLUS │ PSATHYRA │ PSATHYRELLA ║ ║ HIATULA │ │ GALERA │ │ ║ ╟─────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────╢ ║ OMPHALIA │ ECCILIA │ TUBARIA │ DECONICA │ MONTAGNITES ║ ╚═════════════╧════════════╧════════════╧══════════════╧══════════════╝

Plate I.

LEUCOSPORAE.

Hymenophore distinct from fleshy stem.

AMANITA. LEPIOTA. AMANITOPSIS.

Hymenophore confluent and homogeneous with fleshy stem.

ARMILLARIA.

TRICHOLOMA. Lactarius. Russula.

CLITOCYBE. Hygrophorus. Xerotus. Nyctalis.

PLEUROTUS. Lentinus. Lenzites. Panus. Trogia. Schizophyllum.

Hymenophore confluent with, but heterogeneous from cartilaginous stem.

COLLYBIA. Marasmius. Heliomyces.

MYCENA. Hiatula.

OMPHALIA.

PLATE II.

CHART OF GENERA IN WHITE SPORED SERIES LEUCOSPORAE.

=AMANITA.=

(A name given to some esculent fungi by Galen, perhaps from Mount Amanus.)

Universal veil (volva), which is at first continuous (completely enveloping the young plant), distinct from the skin of the cap. Hymenophore or cap, the part which bears the spore-bearing surface, distinct and easily separable from the stem, which leaves a socket in the flesh when it is removed. All growing upon the ground. Fries.

(Plate VII.)

=Pileus= somewhat fleshy, convex then expanded. =Gills= free. Universal veil at first enclosing the entire plant, which as it grows bursts through, generally carrying the upper part on the pileus, where it appears as patches or scales, the remainder enclosing the stem at the base as a volva, either in a cup-like form, closely adherent or friable and evanescent. The partial veil in youth extends from the stem to the margin of the pileus, enclosing the gills; when ruptured it depends from the stem as a ring. =Stem= furnished with a ring, and different in substance from that of the pileus. =Spores= white.

On the ground.

The nearest allied genus, Amanitopsis, is separated by the absence of a ring, and Lepiota by its lack of a volva; Volvaria, Acetabularia and Chitonia, possessing volvas, are distinguished by the color of their spores.

Amanitæ are the most beautiful and conspicuous of fungi. While there are comparatively few species of them, the individual members are plentiful in appearing from spring until the coming of frost. They are solitary or gregarious in growth. Occasionally two or three are found together. They frequent woods, groves, copse, margins of woods and land recently cleared of trees. They are seldom found in open fields. A careful study of all their botanic points should be the first duty of the student of fungi. Familiarity with every characteristic of the Amanitæ will insure against fatal toadstool poisoning, for it is the well-grounded belief of those who have made thorough investigation that, with the exception of Helvella esculenta, now Gyromitra esculenta, the Amanitæ, alone, contain deadly poisons.

No Amanita, or piece of one, should be eaten before its identity is fully established and its qualities ascertained by referring to the descriptions herein given or to the opinion of an expert.

They are the aristocrats of fungi. Their noble bearing, their beauty, their power for good or evil, and above all their perfect structure, have placed them first in their realm; and they proudly bear the three badges of their clan and rank—the volva or sheath from which they spring, the kid-like apron encircling their waists, and patch-marks of their high birth upon their caps. In their youth, when in or just appearing above the ground, they are completely invested with a membrane or universal veil, which is distinct and free from the skin of the cap. As the plant grows the membrane stretches and finally bursts. It sometimes ruptures in one place only and remains about the base of the stem as the volva. When such a rupture occurs the caps are smooth. In most species portions of the volva remain upon the cap as scruff or warts—pointed or rough—or as feathery adornment; any or all of which may in part or whole vanish with age or be washed away by rain.

Extending from the stem to the margin of the cap, and covering the gills, is the partial =veil=—a membranaceous, white texture of varying thickness. As the cap expands this veil tears from it. Portions frequently remain pendant from the edges, the rest contracts to the stem as a ring, or droops from it as a surrounding ruffle, or, if of slight consistency, may be fugacious and disappear, but marks, remains, or the veil itself will always be traceable upon the stem.

The Amanitæ are of all colors, from the brilliant orange of the A. Cæsarea, the rich scarlet or crimson of the A. muscaria, to the pure white of the A. phalloides in its white form.

Their stems are usually long, and taper from the base toward the top. In some forms the base is distinctly bulbous. The =volva= at the base is attached to the stem at its lower extremity. It may be visible as a cup or ruptured pouch with spreading mouth, or it may be of such friable texture as to appear like mealy scales. Often, when the plant is pulled from the ground, the volva remains, but the marks of its attachment will appear and should be carefully looked for. Their =gills= are commonly white, are of equal length and radiate from near the stem, which they do not reach, to the circumference of the cap. They are white, unless tinged with age, excepting upon A. Cæsarea and A. Frostiana where they are yellow.[B] Their caps are umbrella-shaped, flat or convex. Their flesh is white, does not change color when bruised. They are scentless and almost tasteless when fresh, when old they have a slightly offensive odor and taste.

Footnote B:

A. Frostiana is not always yellow gilled.

The family is not a large one, not over thirty members complete its circle. Every feature, every part of its several members, should be thoroughly known before the intimacy of eating. While at least nine of the family are not only edible but delicate and sapid, far better will it be to leave all alone than to make a mistake. A piece of a poisonous variety the size of a dime will often cause serious disorders if eaten. Many persons have died from eating very small quantities.

Because of its ovate or button-like form when young, it is frequently mistaken for the common field mushroom; even experienced mycophagists have been deceived by it. No other poison has so puzzled scientists. Other varieties of fungi may interfere with digestion, but to the Amanitæ all deaths from toadstool-eating are traceable. Its subtle alkaloid is absorbed by the system, and in most cases lies unsuspected for from six to twelve hours, then its iron grip holds to the death. For centuries it has defied all remedies. The problem has been partially solved. At Shenandoah, Pa., August 31, 1885, a family of five were poisoned by toadstools; two died, three lived. Noting the sad account in the newspapers, I at once wrote to Shenandoah for specimens of the fungi eaten and a description of the treatment. I promptly received from Dr. J.E. Schadle (now Professor Schadle), the physician in charge of the cases, a box containing two harmless varieties and several fine specimens of the Amanita phalloides, all of which were gathered on the same spot and by the same person who gathered the toadstools doing the poisoning. They told the tale. A remarkably full and interesting account of the cases was sent to me by Dr. Schadle. After exhausting all other remedies, and after two of the five had died, he administered subcutaneously, by hypodermic injection, sulphate of atropine—a product of the deadly nightshade analagous to belladonna—1⁄180 to 1⁄60 of a grain at a dose. It proved to be an antidote and saved the lives of the remaining three.

The action of atropine in arresting the deadly work of poisoning by amanitine had been foreshadowed by Schmidberg and Koppe, and dwelt upon in numerous published articles by Mr. Julius A. Palmer, to whom more than any other is due the branding of the murderous members of the Amanita family; but for the first time atropine was used upon the human system to ward their blows.

All of the species herein described are found in the United States. Of the twenty-seven, nine are edible, nine are either known to be deadly or are so closely allied to deadly species that it is unsafe to class them as other than poisonous until absolute proof is obtained of their harmlessness. The remaining nine I have not seen, neither is there any record of their qualities.

ANALYSIS OF SPECIES.

* Volva opening at the top or splitting all around, leaving a manifest, free border at the base of the stem. Pileus naked or with broad membranaceous patches.

** Volva splitting regularly all round the lower portion, persistent, more or less closely embracing the base of the bulbous stem. The upper portion being adnate to the pileus appears on it by expansion as scattered, thick warts.

*** Volva friable, entirely broken up into wart-like scales, therefore not persistent at the base of the stem, which is at first globose-bulbous, becoming less so as it lengthens. Pileus bearing mealy patches, soon disappearing or with small, hard, pointed warts.

**** Volva rudimentary, flocculose, wholly disappearing.

* Volva bursting at top, etc.

=A. viro´sa= Fr.—virus, poison.

Shining white. =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, fleshy, at first conical and acute, afterwards bell-shaped, then expanded, naked, viscous in wet weather, shining when dry, margin always even, but most frequently unequal, turned backward and inflexed. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Stem= 4–6 in. long, wholly stuffed, almost solid, split up into longitudinal fibrils, cylindrical from the bulbous base, often compressed at the apex, torn into scales on the surface, springing from a lax, wide, thick volva, which bursts open at the apex. =Ring= close to the top, lax, silky, splitting up into floccose fragments. =Gills= free, thin, narrow, narrowing at both ends, but a little broader in front, not decurrent on the stem (although the apex of the stem is often striate), crowded, somewhat floccose at the edge. Fries.

The pilei are most frequently oblique, extended and lobed on one side as in Hygrophorous conicus, scarcely ever depressed. The pileus rarely becomes yellow. The fragments of the veil often adhere to the edge of the gills.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1. AMANITA SPRETA, 11 4. AMANITA MUSCARIA, 14

2. AMANITA PHALLOIDES (WHITE 7 5. AMANITA FROSTIANA, 16 VAR.),

3. AMANITA PHALLOIDES (BROWN 7 6. GYROMITRA ESCULENTA, 546 VAR.),

In woods. Uncommon. August to October.

Fetid, poisonous. Stevenson.

=Spores= spheroid or subspheroid, 10–16µ, K.; 8µ W.P.; sub-globose, 8–10µ Massee.

POISONOUS.

I think it a variety of A. phalloides.

=A. phalloi´des Fr.= Gr.—phallus-like. (Plate VI, figs. 2, 3, p. 6.) =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, commonly shining white or lemon-yellow, fleshy, oval bell-shaped, then expanded, obtuse, covered over with a pellicle which is viscid (not glutinous) in wet weather, naked, rarely sprinkled with one or two fragments of the volva, the regular margin even. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, solid downward, bulbous, hollow and attenuated upward, rather smooth, white. =Ring= superior, reflexed, slightly striate, swollen, commonly entire, white. =Volva= more or less buried in the soil, bulbous, semifree, bursting open in a torn manner at the apex, with a lax border. =Gills= free, ventricose, 4 lines broad, shining white. Fries.

=Pileus= very variable in color, commonly white or yellow (A. citrina Pers.), becoming green (A. viridis Pers.), olivaceous and occasionally variegated with tiger spots; in late autumn with the disk almost black but whitish round the margin. Odor somewhat fetid, but little remarkable as compared with that of A. virosa.

In woods. Frequent. August to November.

A very POISONOUS and dangerous species. Stevenson.

=Spores= 8–9µ W.G.S.; 8–10µ B.; 7–9µ diam. Massee; globose, 7.6×6µ Peck.

=Pileus= at first ovate or subcampanulate, then expanded, slightly viscid when young and moist, smooth or rarely adorned by a few fragments of the volva, even on the margin, white, yellowish-brown or blackish-brown. =Lamellæ= rather broad, rounded behind, free, white. Stem equal or slightly tapering upward, stuffed or hollow, smooth or slightly floccose, ringed, bulbous, the ruptured volva either appressed loose or merely forming a narrow margin to the bulb.

=Plant= 4–8 in. high. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad. =Stem= 3–6 lines thick.

This species is common and variable. It occurs everywhere in woods and assumes such different colors that the inexperienced mycologist is apt to mistake its different forms for distinct species. With us the prevailing colors of the pileus are white, yellowish-white, grayish-brown and blackish-brown. It is remarkable that the form with a greenish pileus, which seems to be common enough in Europe, does not occur here. Fries also mentions a form having a white pileus with a black disk. A somewhat similar form occurs here, in which the pileus is grayish-brown with a black disk. Some of the variously colored forms were formerly taken to be distinct species, in consequence of which several synonyms have arisen, of which A. virescens Fl. Dan., Amanita viridis Pers., and Amanita citrina Pers., are examples. A. verna Bull. is a variety having a white pileus, a rather thick annulus and an appressed volva. It sometimes occurs early in the season; hence the specific name. It also occurs late in the season and runs into the typical form so that it is not easy to keep it distinct. The flesh and the lamellæ are white, the stem is white, pallid or brownish, and the annulus is either white or brownish. The bulb is generally very broad and abrupt or depressed, though it sometimes is small and approaches an ovate form. The large bulbs are sometimes split externally in two or three places and are, therefore, two- or three-lobed. In such cases the volva is less persistent than usual and its free portion then furnishes merely an acute edge or narrow margin to the bulb. Specimens sometimes occur in which the margin of the pileus is narrowly adorned with a slight woolly hairiness, but usually it is perfectly smooth and even. By this character, taken in connection with the membranous volva and bulbous base of the stem, the species is readily distinguished. Sometimes a strong odor is emitted by it, but usually the odor is slight. Authors generally pronounce this a poisonous and very dangerous species. Its appearance is attractive, but its use as food is to be avoided. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Common in woods and recently cleared woodlands. Frequent over the United States. June to frost.

An exceedingly poisonous, dangerous, seductive species, responsible for most of the deaths from toadstool eating; because in its white form it is mistaken for the common mushroom—Agaricus campester. The real fault is with the collector, who should never eat any fungus found in the woods, believing it to be the mushroom. The mushroom does not grow in the woods. Neither has it white gills, nor white spores, nor a volva at the base of the stem as have Amanitæ.

The caps of A. phalloides vary in color—white, oyster-color, smoky brown. The color of the commonest form is from white to a light hue of greenish yellow. The center of the cap, whatever may be the prevailing color, is usually several shades darker. In shape, the cap changes from a knob in youth, through the shapes of expansion, until it becomes fully spread, when it is umbrella-shaped, or almost flat. Some forms have a slightly raised portion or umbo in the center of the cap. The gills are white, of good width, rounded next to the stem and free from it.

The stem conforms in color to the cap, but in lighter shades. White-capped varieties have white stems. The stem has a sudden broad, distinct bulb at the base. On the upper side of the bulb there is usually a margin or rim. The stem tapers more or less toward the cap, from which it is easily separable. The cup, wrapper or volva is torn or split or irregular at the upper part, and is not pressed to the stem as in some forms.

Professor Peck, in his 48th Report, gives the following excellent synopsis of differences between the poisonous Amanita and edible fungi, for which it could only by great stupidity be mistaken:

Poison amanita. =Gills= persistently white. =Stem= equal to or longer than the diameter of the cap, with a broad, distinct bulb at the base.

Common mushroom. =Gills= pink, becoming blackish-brown. =Stem= shorter than the diameter of the cap, with no bulb at the base.

From all forms of the edible Sheathed amanitopsis the Poison amanita differs in its distinctly bulbous stem, in having a collar on the stem and in the absence of striations on the margin of the cap.

From the edible Reddish amanita, it is easily separated by the entire absence of any reddish hues or stains and of warts upon its cap.

From the Smooth lepiota its distinct, abrupt and marginal bulb at once distinguishes it.

=A. ver´na= Bull.—vernus, of spring. A variety of A. phalloides. POISONOUS. White. =Pileus= ovate then expanded, somewhat depressed, viscid, margin orbicular, even. =Stem= stuffed then hollow, equal, floccose, closely sheathed with the free border of the volva. =Ring= reflexed, swollen. =Gills= free. =Pileus= glabrous, even on the margin, white, viscid when moist. =Gills= white. =Stem= ringed, white, floccose, stuffed or hollow, closely sheathed at the base by the remains of the membranous volva, bulbous. =Spores= globose, 8µ broad.

In woods. Spring and summer.

The Vernal Amanita scarcely differs from white forms of the A. phalloides except in the more persistent and more closely sheathing remains of the wrapper at the base of the stem. It is probably only a variety of that species, as most mycologists now regard it, and it should be considered quite as dangerous. I have not found it earlier than in July, although in Europe it is said to appear in spring, as its name implies. Peck, 48th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Common over the United States. West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, May to November. It appeared at Mt. Gretna, Pa., on May 28, 1899. McIlvaine.

The absence of a ring separates white forms of A. volvata and A. vaginata.

The virulence of its poison is the same as that of A. phalloides.

=A. magnivela´ris= Pk.—magnus, large; velum, veil. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, glabrous, slightly viscid when moist, even on the margin, white or yellowish-white. =Gills= close, free, white. =Stem= long, nearly equal, glabrous, white, furnished with a large membranous white annulus, sheathed at the base by the appressed remains of the membranous volva, the bulbous base tapering downward and radicating. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 10×6–8µ.

=Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 5–7 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Solitary in woods. Port Jefferson, Suffolk county. July.

The species resembles Amanita verna, from which it is separated by its large persistent annulus, the elongated downwardly tapering bulb of its stem, and especially by its elliptical spores. Peck, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

I have not seen this species. Its resemblance to A. verna is enough to place the ban upon it until it has been tested.

=A. map´pa= Fr.—mappa, a napkin. From the volva. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, commonly white or becoming yellow, slightly fleshy, convexo-plane, obtuse or depressed, orbicular, dry, margin for the most part even. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, stuffed then hollow, almost equal above the bulb, rather smooth, white. =Ring= superior, soft, lax, here and there torn. =Volva= regularly circularly split, somewhat obliterated; the globoso-bulbous base united with the stem, with an acute and distant margin; the portion covering the pileus divided into broad, irregular, somewhat separating scales. =Gills= annexed, crowded, narrow, shining, white. Fries.

=Odor= stinking. The color is that of A. phalloides, with which A. virosa exactly agrees, more rarely straw color, lemon-yellow, becoming green.

In mixed woods. Frequent. Stevenson.

=Spores= spheroid, 7–10µ K.; 8–9×6–8µ B.; subglobose, 7–9µ diameter Massee.

New York woods and fields, common, September to October, Peck, 22d Rep.; North Carolina, Curtis; New England, Frost; Minnesota, Johnson; Ohio, Morgan; District Columbia, Miss Taylor.

POISONOUS.

Probably but a variety of A. phalloides.

=A. spre´ta= Pk.—spreta, hated. (Plate VI, fig. 1, p. 6.) =Pileus= subovate, then convex or expanded, smooth or adorned with a few fragments of the volva, substriate on the margin, whitish or pale-brown. =Gills= close, reaching the stem, white. =Stem= equal, smooth, annulate, stuffed or hollow, whitish, finely striate at the top from the decurrent lines of the lamellæ, not bulbous at the base, but the volva rather large, loose, subochreate. =Spores= elliptical, generally with a single large nucleus, 10–13×6–8µ.

=Plant= 4–6 in. high. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 4–6 lines thick.

Ground in open places. Sandlake and Gansevoort. August. Peck, 32d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

This is a dangerous species, because containing a deadly poison and resembling the most common forms of Amanitopsis, therefore likely to be mistaken for them. Specimens sent by me to Professor Peck were identified as his species. I add my own description.

=Pileus= oval, broadly umbonate, date-brown toward and on umbo, soft, dry, smooth, more or less sulcate on edge. =Flesh= white, thin, except at center. =Stem= tapers rapidly above ring and at base, white-reddish-brown toward middle, narrows toward volva from which it is almost free at the base, hollow, furfuraceous above ring. =Gills= white, crowded, free. =Ring= white, thin, persistent, but at times hard to distinguish because clinging to stem. =Volva= free, fitting close, upper margin thin, lower part quite thick, making stem appear bulbous, which it is not. White forms occur.

Not as virulent as A. phalloides, but like it in its POISONOUS effects. It differs from Amanitopsis in having a ring.

Grows in woods and on wood-margins.

Angora woods, West Philadelphia. On ground in mixed woods, open and grassy places in wood and wood-margins. August to September. McIlvaine.

=A. recuti´ta= Fr.—having a fresh or new skin. =Pileus= convex then plane, dry, smooth, frequently bearing fragments of the volva, margin nearly even. =Stem= stuffed then hollow, attenuated, silky, volva circumscissile, becoming obliterated, margin closely pressed to stem; ring distant, white. =Gills= striate-decurrent.

In pine woods. Common.

No report upon quality.

=A. Cæsa´rea= Scop.—king-like. (Called by the Greeks Cibus Deorum, food of the gods.) CAUTION. =Pileus= 3–8 in. across, hemispherical, then expanded, free from warts, distinctly striate on the margin, red or orange becoming yellow. =Gills= free, yellow. =Stem= 4–6 in. long, up to ¾ in. thick at base, slightly tapering upward, yellowish, flocculose, stuffed with white fibrils or hollow, with a conspicuous yellowish ring or veil. =Volva= white, large, distinct and membranous. =Spores= elliptical, 8–10µ Peck.

Open woods, under pines on lawns. July to October.

Reported from North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York. Peck, Rep. 23, 32, 33, 48.

This emperor of fungi is the most showy of its race. It grows to 10 in. in height. The cap reaches 8 in. in diameter and the stem over 1½ in. in thickness. In very much smaller specimens about the same proportions occur. The cap is at first ovate, then hemispherical, then expanded. It has no warts or scales upon it. The margin is distinctly striate. The flesh is white, yellow or reddish under the skin; next to the gills it is usually yellow.

The stem tapers upward from the socket at its base. It is yellowish and covered with loose fibrils of darker hue. The ring is white, but frequently tinged with yellow. In taste and smell it is mild. Open woods is its favorite habitat, yet it is found growing luxuriantly under pines, maples, elms, on lawns. It is not often found, but when it is, it is solitary, or in groups or rings. In the latitude of Philadelphia it is found from July until October 1st. Further south its stay conforms to temperature, and it is more frequent. There is no doubt of its rare edibility abroad, and of its being eaten in America.

A specimen believed to be it should never be eaten until carefully distinguished from A. muscaria and A. Frostiana, which have warts or scales on the cap (which sometimes are not discernible after rain), white gills, and a volva which soon breaks up into fragments or scabs.

Appearing like a small form of A. muscaria, to which it was formerly referred, is A. Frostiana Pk. (Frost’s Agaric). It closely resembles small A. Cæsarea, especially in the yellow tinge of stem, ring and gills. The volva and ring (persistent in A. Cæsarea) soon disappear, but are traceable by fluffy fragments, or yellow stains. It is extremely poisonous.

The differences, concisely, are these: A. Cæsarea (Orange Amanita). =Cap= smooth, though occasionally with a few fragments of the volva as patches upon it. =Gills= yellow. =Stem= yellow. =Volva= usually persistent, sometimes breaking up into soft, fluffy masses.

A. muscaria (Fly Amanita). Poisonous. =Cap= covered with remains of the volva as scales or wart-like patches. =Gills= white. =Stem= white or light-yellow. =Volva= not persistent, breaking up into fluffy fragments or scales.

A. Frostiana. Poisonous. Smaller and more delicate than the two preceding. =Cap= smooth or with yellow scales or wart-like patches. =Gills= yellow or tinged on edge with yellow. =Stem= white or yellow, the ring evanescent, but always leaving a yellow mark on stem. =Volva= yellow, breaking up into yellow fluffy fragments.

Far better for the amateur to let the A. Cæsarea, and anything resembling it, respectfully alone.

New York, Gansvoort. Circle forty feet in diameter. Peck, 32d Rep.; Maryland. There is not a doubt that this fungus can be eaten with impunity, Banning; Alabama, abundant. Edible. Alabama Bull. No. 80.

Rogues and Cordier, French writers, regard it as the finest and most delicate of fungi, the perfume and taste being exquisite.

The writer has not had opportunity to eat A. Cæsarea. If such should occur he would go about it very cautiously. No suspicion attaches to it abroad, but evidence is accumulating in the hands of the writer (not yet convincing) that either locality may render it poisonous or that A. muscaria varies so much in appearance as to deceive even the expert into mistaking it for A. Cæsarea. It is possible that A. muscaria is, at times, in certain localities, harmless; but no such exception as this is noted in the entire fungoid realm. It is not so common that collectors should mourn its waste. It is better, far, to let it alone.

** Volva splitting regularly all around; pileus bearing thick warts, etc.

=A. musca´ria= Linn.—musca, a fly. (Plate VI, fig. 4, p. 6. Plate IX.) POISONOUS. =Pileus= 4 in. and more broad, normally at first blood-red, soon orange and becoming pale, whitening when old, globose, then convex and at length flattened, covered with a pellicle which is at first thick, and in wet weather glutinous, but which gradually disappears, and sprinkled with thick, angular, separating fragments of the volva; margin when full-grown slightly striate. =Flesh= not compact, white, yellow under the pellicle. =Stem= as much as a span long, shining white, firm, torn into scales, at first stuffed with lax, spider-web fibrils, soon hollow; the adnate base of the volva forms an ovate bulb, which is marginate with concentric scales. =Ring= very soft, torn, even, inserted at the apex of the stem, which is often dilated. =Gills= free, but reaching the stem, decurrent in the form of lines, crowded, broader in front, white, rarely becoming yellow.

Var. rega´lis, twice as large. =Stem= stuffed, solid when young, as much as 1–2 in. thick, becoming light-yellow within; the volva terminates in 8–10 concentric squamoso-reflexed rows of scales. =Pileus= very glutinous, bay-brown or the color of cooked liver. =Gills= yellowish.

Var. formo´sa, soft, fragile. =Pileus= at first lemon-yellow, with mealy, lax, yellowish, easily-separating warts, often naked. =Gills= often becoming yellow. A. formosa, with the warts rubbed off.

Var. umbri´na, thinner and more slender. =Stem= hollow, often twisted, bulb narrowed. =Pileus= at first umber, then livid, with the exception of the disk, which is dingy-brown. =Gills= at length remote. Stev.

=Pileus= at first ovate or hemispherical, then broadly convex or nearly plane, slightly viscid when young and moist, rough with numerous whitish or yellowish warts, rarely smooth, narrowly and slightly striate on the margin, white, yellow or orange-red. =Gills= white. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, stuffed with webby fibrils or hollow, bearing a white ring above, ovate-bulbous at the base, white or yellowish; the volva usually breaking up into scales and adhering to the upper part of the bulb and the base of the stem. =Spores= elliptical, 8–10x6–8µ.

=Plant= 5–8 in. high. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

A white variety, with the pileus thickly studded with sharp warts, occurs in Albany Rural Cemetery. July. Peck, 24th Rep.

Var. al´ba Pk. It also occurs on Long Island in two forms, the normal one and a smaller one, in which the warts of the pileus are evanescent or wanting. Not unfrequently it makes a close approach to white forms of A. pantherina, in having the upper part of the bulb uniformly margined by the remains of the definitely circumscissile volva, but this margin is more acute than in that species. Peck, 46th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= spheroid-ellipsoid, 10–12x8–9µ K.; 6x9µ, W.G.S.; elliptical, 8–10x6–8µ Peck.

“At Cincinnati, yellow A. muscaria are all we find.” Lloyd.

Reported from most of the states. At Mt. Gretna I found it in great quantity, and frequently three or four tightly crowded together. Many pounds of it were sent to Professor Chittenden, Sheffield Laboratory, Yale University. Near Haddonfield, N.J., large patches annually grow under pines, gorgeous in their rich orange-red caps, usually scaly, with at times lemon-yellow in the same clusters, smooth as A. Cæsarea. It grows from July until after hard frosts.

It is undoubtedly poisonous to a high degree. Its juices in minute quantity, carefully and scientifically injected into the circulation of etherized cats, kill in less than a minute. A raw piece of the cap, the size of a hazel nut, affects me sensibly if taken on an empty stomach. Dizziness, nausea, exaggeration of vision and pallor result from it. The pulse quickens and is full, and a dreaded pressure affects the breathing. I have not noticed change in the pupil of the eye. Nicotine from smoking a pipe with me abates the symptoms, which entirely disappear in two hours, leaving as reminiscence a torturing, dull, skull-pervading headache. If, as is asserted on good authority, the Siberians use it as an intoxicant, they certainly suffer the accustomed penalty. It is possible that persons may, in a degree, become immune to its poison, as they do to arsenic, strychnia, opium, nicotine, or it may be that a portion of the poison is extracted by boiling. It is, however, extremely dangerous to rely upon extracting by any means the poison of the Amanita, and to eat the residue. Acetic acid or vinegar does not destroy the poison; it dissolves it to an extent and extracts it, and becomes as poisonous as the plant itself. There is no means of telling how much of the poison remains in the plant after such treatment. The safe plan is to eat, only, of toadstools which do not contain any poison to extract.

One redeeming virtue, alone, rests with A. muscaria—it kills flies.

=A. Frost´iana= Pk.—in honor of Charles C. Frost. POISONOUS. (Plate VI, fig. 5, p. 6.) =Pileus= convex or expanded, bright-orange or yellow, warty, sometimes nearly or quite smooth, striate on the margin. =Gills= free, white or slightly tinged with yellow. =Stem= white or yellow, stuffed, bearing a slight, sometimes evanescent ring, bulbous at the base, the bulb slightly margined by the volva. =Spores= globose, 8–10µ in diameter.

=Plant= 2–3 in. high. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= about 2 lines thick. June to October.

This appears like a very small form of the Fly Agaric, to which, as var. minor, it was formerly referred. The only decided characters for distinguishing it are its small size and globose spores. Our plant sometimes grows in company with A. muscaria, but it seems to prefer more dense woods, especially mixed or hemlock woods. It is generally very regular and beautiful and has the stem quite often of a yellow color, and the bulb margined above with a collar-like ring. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, New Jersey, North Carolina, McIlvaine.

A. Frostiana is found well over the land. It is frequent in shady woods and seems to favor ground under the prevailing tree—oak, chestnut, pine, hemlock, whichever it may be. From the many hundreds I have seen, I think it more likely to be mistaken by the novice for A. Cæsarea than A. muscaria, because of its often yellow gills and stem. It is much smaller and thinner than either. In the states I have found it, it is darker than described, being a rich reddish-orange or scarlet. The partial veil or ring is very evanescent but often found upon the stem as a yellow, floccose remnant. The stain of the ring is always noticeable. The volva is seldom found entire. It, too, is evanescent, but, like the veil, is found yellow and fluffy, adhering to the fingers when touched.

It is probable that its highly colored cap has caused it to be gathered by the careless collector of bright-capped Russulæ, and that thus R. emetica got its bad name. Examine carefully any toadstool resembling it. The Russulæ have neither ring nor volva.

=A. excel´sa= Fr.—excelsus, tall. POISONOUS. =Pileus= 4–5 in. broad, brownish-gray, darker in the center, fleshy, soft, globose, then plane, pellicle thin, but viscous, and in reality separable in wet weather, then the surface is often wrinkled-papillose, or in a peculiar manner hollowed and pitted, sprinkled with angular, unequal, whitish-gray, easily separating warts, the remains of the friable volva; margin at first even, but when properly developed manifestly striate, even furrowed. =Flesh= soft, white throughout, unchangeable. =Stem= 4–6 in. long, 1 in. thick, at first stuffed, almost solid, but at length hollow, globose-depressed at the base, attenuated upward from the bulb, covered, sometimes as far as the ring, sometimes only on the lower part with dense, squarrose, concentric scales (from the epidermis of the stem being torn), striate at the apex. =Ring= superior, large, separating-free or at length torn. =Gills= quite free, rounded (not decurrent on the stem in the form of lines), very ventricose, ½ in. and more broad, shining white.

The bulb when young is somewhat marginate, but by no means separable, the margin proper, like that of A. muscaria, is marked with scales, buried in the soil, somewhat rooting, beneath the margin marked here and there with a concentric furrow. The shorter gills intermixed are more numerous than is usual among Amanitæ. There is a smaller variety, with the margin more frequently striate and the stem stuffed, then hollow. Fries.

Solitary, in woods, chiefly under beech. Stevenson.

=Spores= 6x9µ W.G.S.; 8–9×5–6µ Massee.

North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; South Carolina, Ravenel; California, Harkness and Moore; Massachusetts, Frost, Andrews; Minnesota, Johnson; Rhode Island, Olney.

=A. pantheri´na= De C.—spotted like a panther. Doubtful. =Pileus= commonly olivaceous-umber when young, fleshy, convex then flattened or somewhat depressed, with a sticky pellicle, which is at first thick and olivaceous dingy-brown, then thinned out, almost disappearing and livid, the disk only becoming brownish; margin evidently striate; the fragments of the volva divided into small, equal, white, regularly arranged, moderately persistent warts. =Flesh= wholly white, never yellow beneath the pellicle. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, ½ in. thick, at first stuffed then hollow with spider-web fibrils within, equal or attenuated upward, slightly firm and sometimes scaly downward, greaved at the base by the separable volva which has an entire and obtuse margin. =Ring= more or less distant, adhering obliquely, white, rarely superior. =Gills= free, reaching the stem, broader in front, 3–4 lines broad, shining white.

It is readily distinguished from A. muscaria, var. umbrina, by the white flesh never becoming yellow beneath the pellicle. Variable in size and color, which, however, is never red or yellow, and in the position of the ring.

In woods and pastures. Stevenson.

=Spores= 7–8×4–5µ K.; 6–10µ B.; 8×4µ W.G.S.; 7.6×4.8µ Morgan.

Not poisonous, W.G.S.; not edible, Roze; poisonous, Leuba.

North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, New York. Peck.

=A. Ravenel´ii= B. and C.—in honor of Henry W. Ravenel. =Pileus= 4 in. across, convex, broken up into distinct areas, each of which is raised into an acute, rigid, pyramidal wart. =Stem= 3 in. high, bulbous. =Volva= thick, warty, somewhat lobed. =Ring= deflexed.

South Carolina, June, H.W. Ravenel; a very fine species allied to A. strobiliformis, Vitt. Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1859; Alabama, Atkinson (Ll. Volvæ).

Properties not stated.

=A. russuloi´des= Pk.—resembling a Russula. =Pileus= at first ovate, then expanded or convex, rough with a few superficial warts, or entirely smooth, viscid when moist, widely striate-tuberculate on the margin, pale-yellow or straw color. =Gills= close, free, narrowed toward the stem, white. =Stem= firm, smooth, stuffed, annulate, equal or slightly tapering upward, bulbous; annulus thin, soon vanishing. =Volva= fragile, subappressed. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 10×8µ.

=Plant= 2–3 in. high. =Pileus= 1.5–2 in. broad. =Stem= 3–5 lines thick. Grassy ground in open woods. Greenbush. June.

This species is remarkable for the thin striate-tuberculate margin of the pileus, which causes it to resemble some species of Russula. Peck, 25th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Qualities not stated.

Massachusetts, Francis.

FIG. PAGE.

1. AMANITA CHLORINOSMA, 25

2. AMANITA RUBESCENS AND 21 SECTION,

3. AMANITA STROBILIFORMIS, 19

=A. strobilifor´mis= Vitt.—strobilis, a pine-cone, from the shape of the warts. (Plate VIII, fig. 3, p. 18.) =Cap= 3–10 in. across, convex or nearly plane, white or cinereous, sometimes yellow on the disk, rough with angular, mostly persistent warts which sometimes fall away and leave the pileus nearly smooth; generally whitish, sometimes tinged with brown; the margin even and extending a little beyond the lamellæ. =Gills= free, rounded behind. =Veil= large and portions sometimes adhere to margin of cap. =Stem= 3–8 in. long, up to 1¼ in. thick, equal or slightly tapering upward, solid, floccose-scaly, white, bulbous, the bulb very large, sometimes weighing a pound, margined above and furnished with one or two concentric furrows, somewhat pointed below, firmly and deeply imbedded in the earth, floccose-mealy when young.

=Spores= elliptical, 13–15×8–10µ Peck.

Open woods and borders. June to October.

Edible. W.G. Smith, Curtis, Peck.

This is among the best of species. Its size, solidity, flavor are marked. I have found specimens weighing a pound and a half. It grows singly, but when one is found several are apt to be neighbors. When young, the cap is but a small knob upon a beet or top-shaped base, which is largely under ground. It cuts like a soft turnip, and has a strong, pungent, unmistakable odor, like chloride of lime, which entirely disappears in cooking. As the plant develops the bulb decreases in size. On all the many specimens the author has seen and eaten, the scabs are light brown and reddish-brown.

=A. solita´ria= Bull.—growing alone. =Pileus= convex or plane, warty, white or whitish, even on the margin. =Gills= reaching the stem, white or slightly tinged with cream color. =Stem= at first mealy or scaly, equal, solid, white, bulbous, the bulb scaly or mealy, narrowed below into a root-like prolongation. =Ring= lacerated, often adhering in fragments to the margin of the pileus and gills. =Spores= elliptical-oblong, 8–13×6.5µ.

=Plant= 4–8 in. high. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 4–6 lines thick. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Solitary in woods and open places. July to October.

Georgia, H.N. Starnes; Indiana, H.I. Miller; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, McIlvaine.

Edible. Curtis, H.N. Starnes, Philadelphia Myc. Club.

In many localities I find it quite plentiful, and it is so reported from Georgia. Southern and middle New Jersey woods abound with it, and at Mt. Gretna, Pa., it is always present in its growing months.

The cap is sometimes tinged with brown as are the angular, erect warts which are generally numerous, but often falling off or few and scattered. The flesh is white and smells like chloride of lime, but not nearly so strong as A. strobiliformis. The volva is broken up into floccose scales which cling to bulb and lower part of stem. These scales may be white and mealy or brownish. The entire fungus has a fluffy exterior, which is easily removed by rubbing. The annulus is torn, a part often adhering to the margin of the pileus and the gills. This and the long, tapering, rooting bulb are marked characteristics. The bulb is brittle. It is difficult to get the fungus from the ground entire.

Stem and cap are juicy, tender, mild in flavor, wholesome. It is not equal in flavor to A. rubescens, but is more delicate.

By many its properties have been stated as poisonous, doubtful. Quantities of it have been eaten by myself and friends. Hypodermic injection of its juices into the blood circulation of live animals prove it perfectly harmless.

=A. can´dida Pk.=—shining white. =Pileus= thin, broadly convex or nearly plane, verrucose with numerous small, erect, angular or pyramidal, easily separable warts, often becoming smooth with age, white, even on the margin. =Flesh= white. =Gills= rather narrow, close, reaching to the stem, white. =Stem= solid, bulbous, floccose-squamose, white, the annulus attached to the top of the stem, becoming pendent and often disappearing with age, floccose-squamose on the lower surface, striate on the upper, the bulb rather large, ovate, squamose, not margined, tapering above into the stem and rounded or merely abruptly pointed below. =Spores= elliptical, 10–13×8µ.

=Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 2.5–5 in. long, 5–8 lines thick, the bulb 1–1.5 in. thick in the dried specimens.

This is a fine large species related to A. solitaria, but differing from it in the character of its bulb and of its annulus. The bulb is not marginate nor imbricately squamose. Its scales are small and numerous. Nor is it clearly radicating, though sometimes it has a slight abrupt point or myceloid-agglomerated mass of soil at its base. The veil or annulus is large and well developed, but it is apt to fall away and disappear with age. Its attachment at the very top of the stem brings it closely in contact with the lamellæ of the young plant and the striations of its upper surface appear to be due to the pressure of the edges of these upon it. It separates readily from the margin of the pileus and is not lacerated. In the mature plant the warts have generally disappeared from the pileus and sometimes its margin is curved upward Peck, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 24, No. 3.

Woods. Auburn, N.Y., Alabama, U. and E.; Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, August to October, McIlvaine.

A dozen or more specimens were found in oak woods near Philadelphia, and carefully tested. Their edible qualities were found to be precisely the same as A. solitaria.

*** Whole volva friable, etc.

=A. rubes´cens= Pers.—rubesco, to become red. (Plate VIII, fig. 2, p. 18. Plate XII, fig. 4, p. 32.) =Pileus= about 4 in. broad, dingy-reddish, becoming pale flesh-color, tan, scarcely pure, fleshy, convex, then plane, obtuse, moist but not glutinous in rainy weather and opaque when dry, covered with unequal, soft, mealy, whitish, easily-separating warts, which are smaller, harder and more closely adherent in dry weather; margin even and, when old, slightly striate only in wet weather. =Flesh= commonly soft, white when fresh, reddening when broken. =Stem= 4–5 in. long, as much as 1 in. thick, stuffed, somewhat solid, though soft within, conico-attenuated from the thickened base, reddish-scaled, becoming red-white, and without a trace of a distinct volva at the base. =Ring= superior, large, membranaceous, soft, striate and white within. =Gills= reaching the stem in an attenuated manner, forming decurrent lines upon it, thin, crowded, soft, as much as ½ in. broad, shining white.

Very changeable, but readily distinguished from all others of the same group by the flesh being reddish when broken; the stem and pileus are commonly spotted-red when wounded. In dry weather it is firmer, flesh reddening more slowly, warts minute. Odor scarcely any. There is a remarkable variety circinata, pileus becoming plane, umber-brown, warts adnate, crowded, roundish. A. circinatus Schum. Stevenson.

=Spores= spheroid-ellipsoid, 7–8×6µ K.; 8×6µ W.G.S.; 7–9×6–8µ B.; elliptical, 8–9µ long. Peck.

Not reported west of the Mississippi river.

Oak woods, borders and open places. July to September. Indiana, _H.I. Miller_; West Virginia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, McIlvaine.

It is quite common, often growing in large patches. Recent authors agree upon the edibility and deliciousness of this species. The author knows it to be one of the most plentiful, useful and delicious, after several years of pleasant experience with it.

In July, 1899, at Mt. Gretna, I found, growing from the ground gregariously, a singular fungoid growth from 2–5 in. high; cap hemispherical, 1 in. in diameter, tightly fitting a solid stem of nearly the diameter of the cap. The whole was watery white, and evidently affected by a parasite. It was edible. September 1st Professor Peck wrote to me: “I think I have found the identity of the diseased Agaric, of which you sent me samples some time ago. I mean the one affected by Hypomyces inæqualis Pk. The host is Amanita rubescens, at least sometimes, and probably always.”

The plant is very heavy for its size. The lack of a volva, the dingy color and reddish stains distinctly separate this from any poisonous Amanita.

=A. spis´sa= Fr.—compact, dense;—of the warts. =Pileus= umber, sooty or gray, fleshy, somewhat compact, convexo-plane, obtuse, smooth, even, but marked with small, ash-colored, angular, adnate warts; margin even, but often torn into fibers. =Flesh= firm, white, quite unchangeable. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, as much as 1 in. thick, solid, turnip-shaped at the base, somewhat rooting with a globoso-depressed not marginate bulb, curt, firm, shining white, at length squamulose with concentric cracks. =Ring= superior, large. =Gills= reaching the stem, slightly striato-decurrent, broad, crowded, shining white. Fries.

=Spores= 14µ W.G.S.; subglobose, 8–10µ C.B.P.; 6µ W.P.; rather pear-shaped, 9–10×6µ Massee.

=Cap= 2–3 in. across. =Stem= 2½-3 in. long, up to ¾ in. thick.

New Jersey, oak woods, August and September. McIlvaine.

A. spissa has been reported from but few localities. It is rare in the latitude of Philadelphia. Half a dozen specimens have been found in neighboring New Jersey.

Taste and smell strong, but when cooked the dish is savory and not unlike one of A. rubescens.

=A. as´pera= Fr.—asper, rough. =Pileus= 2–3 in. across. =Flesh= rather thick at the disk, whitish, white or reddish with tints of livid or gray, reddish or brownish under the cuticle; convex then plane, margin thin and even, rough with firmly adnate, minute, closely crowded, angular warts, reddish-brown or livid-brownish, not pure white, unchangeable. =Gills= free and rounded behind, not striately decurrent, ventricose, white. =Stem= stuffed, striate above the ring, short at first, ovate, then elongating to 2–3 in., attenuated upward from a wrinkled bulb, squamulose, white without and within. =Ring= superior, entire.

=Spores= 8×6µ Massee; 8×6–7µ W.G.S.

The flesh of stem and bulb when eaten by insects is reddish, the bulb when old is a reddish-brown. The large ring and stem become red when touched. In these particulars it resembles A. rubescens. In smell it is somewhat strong, not unlike A. strobiliformis, but not nearly so pungent.

Cooked it is of excellent quality and flavor. I have eaten it since 1885.

=A. abrup´ta= Pk.—abrupt, of the bulb. =Pileus= thin, broadly convex or nearly plane, covered with small angular or pyramidal, erect, somewhat evanescent warts, white, slightly striate on the margin. =Flesh= white. =Gills= moderately close, reaching the stem and sometimes terminating in slightly decurrent lines upon it, white. =Stem= slender, glabrous, solid, bulbous, white, the bulb abrupt, subglobose, often coated below by the white persistent mycelium, the ring membranous, persistent. =Spores= broadly elliptical or subglobose, 8–10×6–8µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2.5–4 in. long, 3–4 lines thick.

The chief distinguishing mark of this species is the abrupt, nearly globose, bulbous base of the stem. This is somewhat flattened above and is sometimes longitudinally split on the sides. The small warts of the pileus are easily separable, and in mature specimens they have often wholly or partly disappeared. The remains of the volva are not present on the bulb in mature dried specimens, which indicates that the species should be placed in the same group with A. rubescens, A. spissa, etc. The latter species have the bulb of the stem similar to that of our plant, but the color of the pileus and other characters easily separate it. Peck, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 24, No. 3.

Alabama, Underwood; New Jersey, Pennsylvania, McIlvaine. July to September.

This species is edible and quite equal in quality to A. rubescens. Great care should be exercised in distinguishing it.

=A. nit´ida= Fr.—niteo, to shine. =Pileus= when flattened 4 in. broad, whitish, fleshy, somewhat compact, at first hemispherical, wrapped up, the thick volva forming a floccose crust, then broken up into thick, remarkably angular, adhering warts, which become brownish, dry, shining, without a glutinous pellicle, margin always even. =Flesh= white, quite unchangeable. =Stem= 3 in. long, 1 in. thick, solid, firm, conico-attenuated, with a bulb-shaped base, squamulose, white. =Ring= superior, thin, torn, slightly striate, white, villous beneath, at length disappearing. =Gills= free, crowded, very broad, as much as ½ in., ventricose, shining white. Fries.

Menands. Albany county. Our plant is more slender than the typical form, and has smaller but more numerous warts, but in other respects it exhibits the characters of this species. Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

California, H. and M.; Maryland. Common in nearly every woods in Maryland. Banning.

From its likeness to poisonous species it should be suspected.

=A. prairiic´ola= Pk—prairie, colo, to inhabit. =Pileus= thin, convex, slightly verrucose, white, more or less tinged with yellow, even on the margin. =Flesh= white. =Gills= rather broad, subdistant, reaching the stem, white. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, somewhat squamose toward the base, white or whitish, the annulus persistent. =Spores= large, broadly elliptical, 12–14µ long, 7–9µ broad.

=Pileus= 1.5–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–2.5 in. long, 2–4 lines thick.

Bare ground on open prairies. Kansas. September. E. Bartholomew.

This species belongs to the same tribe as A. abrupta. The only evidence of the presence of a volva shown by the dried specimens is found in a few inconspicuous, but separable warts on the pileus. There is no well marked bulb to the stem and no evidence remains of a volva at its base. Peck, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 24, No. 3.

Reported from Kansas only. Qualities unknown.

=A. monticulo´sa= Berk.—mountain, from the warts. =Pileus= 2.5–3 in. across, convex, areolate, with a wart in the center of each areola; those toward the margin consisting of soft threads meeting in a point, but sometimes simply flocculent, the central warts angular, pyramidal, truncate, discolored. =Stem= bulbous, scaly, flocculent, white. =Veil= thick, at length distant. =Gills= free, ventricose, remote, forming a well-defined area around the top of the stem. The warts are not hard and rigid as in A. nitida, and the free remote gills separate it from that and the neighboring species. Berk.

North Carolina, sandy woods, common. Curtis.

Properties not known.

=A. dau´cipes= B. and M.—daucum, a carrot; pes, a foot. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, hemispherical, globose. =Flesh= white, soft, warts regular, pyramidal, saffron color. =Gills= narrow, reaching the stem, broadest in the middle. =Stem= 5–6 in. high, solid, base bulbous, with a restricted cortina above, squamulose downward. =Veil= fibrillose, extending from the margin of the pileus to the apex of the stem, fugacious.

In cultivated fields. Ohio. Sullivant. Properties not given.

=A. lenticular´is= Lasch.—resembling (the stem) a lentil.

Fries places this species in Amanita, in which Stevenson follows him. Cooke and Massee place it in Lepiota, where it will be found.

**** Volva rudimentary, wholly disappearing.

=A. chlorinos´ma= Pk.—smelling like chlorine. (Plate VIII, fig. 1, p. 18.) =Pileus= convex or expanded, warty on the disk, covered on the even margin with a light powdery, at length evanescent substance, white. =Gills= white. =Stem= nearly cylindrical, stout, deeply penetrating the earth. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 7–10µ long. Odor distinct, chlorine-like.

=Plant= 6–7 in. high. =Pileus= 4–6 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. thick. Peck, Bot. Gaz., Vol. 4.

Burnt ground in woods. August. Closter, N.J., C.F. Austin; Alabama, U. and E.; West Virginia, Nuttall; New Jersey, Ellis; Mt. Gretna, Pa., July, in a cluster of a dozen individuals, and afterward until frost, strong smelling, warts brownish-white. McIlvaine.

It is edible and equal to A. strobiliformis.

=A. calyptra´ta= Pk. =Pileus= fleshy, thick, convex or nearly plane, centrally covered by a large irregular persistent grayish-white fragment of the volva, glabrous elsewhere, striate on the margin, greenish-yellow or yellowish-brown tinged with green, the margin often a little paler or more yellow than the rest. =Lamellæ= close, nearly free, but reaching the stem and forming slight decurrent lines or striations on it, yellowish-white tinged with green. =Stem= stout, rather long, equal or slightly tapering upward, surrounded at the base by the remains of the ruptured volva, white or yellowish white with a faint greenish tint. =Spores= broadly elliptic, 10µ long, 6µ broad, usually containing a single large nucleus.

=Pileus= 10–20 cm. broad. =Stem= 10–15 cm. long, 12–20 mm. thick.

Rich ground in fir woods or their borders. Autumn. Oregon. Dr. H. Lane.

This is a large and interesting species, well marked and easily recognized by its large size, by the greenish tint that pervades the pileus, lamellæ, annulus and stem, and especially by the large persistent patch of grayish-white felty material that covers the center of the pileus and sometimes extends nearly to the margin. This is in fact the upper part of the ruptured volva that is carried up by the growing plant, and is very suggestive of the specific name. In the young state the plant is entirely enveloped in the volva, which then is similar to a goose egg in size and shape, and its walls are one-fourth to one-half inch thick. So thick and firm are they that the young plant appears sometimes to be unable to break through and it decays in its infancy.

Dr. Lane says that, having found that the Italians made use of this mushroom for food, he began eating it and introducing it to his friends, and he learned by personal trial that it is a thoroughly good and wholesome mushroom, which, when broiled with bacon, fried, baked or stewed, may be eaten with perfect safety and that it is a nutritious food. Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 27, January, 1900.

=A. crenula´ta= Pk. =Pileus= thin, broadly ovate, becoming convex or nearly plane and somewhat striate on the margin, adorned with a few thin whitish floccose warts or with whitish flocculent patches, whitish or grayish, sometimes tinged with yellow. =Lamellæ= close, reaching the stem, and sometimes forming decurrent lines upon it, floccose crenulate on the edge, the short ones truncate at the inner extremity, white. =Stem= equal, bulbous, floccose mealy above, stuffed or hollow, white, the annulus slight, evanescent. =Spores= broadly elliptic or subglobose, 7.5–10µ long, nearly as broad, usually containing a single large nucleus.

=Pileus= 2.5–5 cm. broad. =Stem= 2.5–5 cm. long, 6–8 mm. thick.

Low ground, under trees. Eastern Massachusetts. September. Mrs. E. Blackford and George E. Morris.

The volva in this species must be very slight, as its remains quickly disappear from the bulb of the stem. The remains carried up by the pileus form slight warts or thin whitish areolate patches. The annulus is present in very young plants, but is often wanting in mature ones, in which state the plant might be mistaken for a species of Amanitopsis. Its true affinity is with the tribe to which A. rubescens belongs. As in that species, the bulb soon becomes naked and exhibits no remains of the volva. It is similar to A. farinosa also in this respect, but quite unlike it in color, in the adornments of the pileus and in the character of its margin, which is even in the young plant and but slightly striate in the mature state. Its dimensions are said sometimes to exceed those here given, and it is reported to have been eaten without harm and to be of an excellent flavor. I have had no opportunity to try. Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 27, January, 1900.

=AMANITOP´SIS= Roze.

Amanita; opsis, resembling.

Having a universal veil at first completely enveloping the young plant, which soon bursts through, carrying particles of it on the pileus, where they appear as scattered warts readily brushed off; the remainder or volva closely enwraps the base of the stem. Ring absent. Spores white. This genus was formerly included in Amanita. It differs from Amanita in the absence of a ring or collar upon the stem and in the more sheathing volva. It differs from Lepiota in having a volva.

Close observation is necessary in collecting Amanitopsis for the table. It has no trace of ring or veil upon the stem. So far as the species are known no poisonous one exists. But Amanita spreta Pk., which is deadly, so closely resembles forms of Amanitopsis that those confident of their knowledge will be deceived. The veil or traces of veil, which Amanita spreta always has, sometimes so adheres to and wraps the stem that it is not noticeable without close examination, thus giving to it every appearance of an Amanitopsis.

The volva of A. spreta is attached for a considerable distance to the base of the tapering stem, and is not readily removed. This is a guide to detect it. It is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Amanitopsis corresponds to Volvaria in the pink-spored series, in which, as far as known, there is no poisonous species.

All American species of Amanitopsis are given. Several have not been tested by the writer because of lack of opportunity.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1. AMANITOPSIS VAGINATA, 28 5. MYCENA GALERICULATA, 127

2. AMANITOPSIS VAGINATA, 29 6. MYCENA PROLIFERA, 126 VAR. LIVIDA,

3. AMANITOPSIS NIVALIS, 29 7. MYCENA PROLIFERA 126 (SECTION),

4. AMANITOPSIS STRANGULATA, 30

=A. vagina´ta= Roze—vagina, a sheath. (Plate X, figs. 1, 2, p: 28.) =Pileus= thin, fragile, glossy, smooth except in rare instances where a few fragments of the volva adhere to it for a time, deeply and distinctly striate on the margin, sometimes umbonate. =Flesh= white, in the dark forms grayish under the skin. =Stem= ringless, sometimes smooth, but generally mealy or floccose, hollow or stuffed with a cottony pith, not bulbous. =Volva= long, thin, fragile, closely sheathing yet free from the stem, except in the lower part, easily detachable and frequently remaining in the ground when the plant is pulled. =Color= variable, generally mouse-gray, sometimes livid, tawny-yellow or white, in one variety a rich date-brown. =Spores= globose, 8–10µ broad Peck; elliptical 10×7–8µ Massee.

Var. liv´ida Pers.—livid. Leaden brown, gills dingy. (Plate X, fig. 2, p. 28.)

Var. ful´va Schæff.—yellowish. Tawny-yellow or pale ochraceous.

This plant is widely dispersed, having been reported from many localities in the United States, also from Nova Scotia and Greenland.

On ground in woods and on margins of woods, under trees, in shaded grassy places. Sometimes in open stubble and pastures. June to frost. Mt. Gretna, September, 1899, found a cluster on decayed chestnut stump. Various colors abound—hazel, brown, gray, yellow, whitish. The caps and stems are tender as asparagus tips, but without much distinct flavor when cooked.

Great care must be taken to distinguish these forms from Amanita spreta Pk. which is poisonous. See heading of genus—Amanitopsis.

=A. niva´lis= Grev.—snowy. (Plate X, fig. 3, p. 28.) =Pileus= at first ovate, then convex or plane, smooth, striate on the thin margin, white, sometimes tinged with yellow or ochraceous on the disk. =Flesh= white. =Gills= subdistant, white, free. =Stem= equal, rather tall, nearly smooth, bulbous, stuffed, white; the volva very fragile, soon breaking up into fragments or sometimes persisting in the form of a collar-like ring at the upper part of the bulb. =Spores= globose, 7.5–10µ in diameter.

=Plant= 4–6 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 lines thick. July to October.

It approaches in some respects A. Frostiana, but its larger size, smooth pileus, lighter color and the absence of an annulus will easily distinguish it from that species. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Specimens have been repeatedly found by the writer in open oak woods near Philadelphia.

A strong, unpleasant bitter, which appears to develop while cooking, renders it unpalatable. It is harmless, but its use is not advised.

=A. velo´sa= Pk.—velosus, fleecy. =Pileus= at first subglobose, then bell-shaped or nearly plane, generally bearing patches of the remains of the whitish felty or tomentose volva, elsewhere glabrous, becoming sulcate-striate on the margin, buff or orange-buff. =Flesh= compact, white. =Gills= close, reaching the stem, subventricose, pale cream color. =Stem= firm, at first attenuated and tomentose at the top, then nearly equal, stuffed, white or whitish, closely sheathed at the base by the thick volva. =Spores= globose, 10–13µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 3–4 lines thick.

Under oak trees. Pasadena, California. April. A.J. McClatchie.

This fungus is closely related to A. vaginata, from which it may be separated by the more adherent remains of the thicker volva which sometimes cover the whole surface of the pileus, and by the thicker gills which are somewhat adnate to the stem and terminate with a decurrent tooth. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, Vol. 22, No. 12.

As it is probable this species will be found elsewhere than California, and from its close relation to A. vaginata likely to be edible, its description is here given.

=A. strangula´ta= (Fr.) Roze—choked, from the stuffed stem. (Plate X, fig. 4, p. 28.) =Pileus= at first ovate or subelliptical, then bell-shaped, convex or plane, warty, slightly viscid when moist, deeply and distinctly striate on the margin, grayish-brown. =Gills= free, close, white. =Stem= equal or tapering upward, stuffed or hollow, nearly smooth, white or whitish, the volva soon breaking up into scales or subannular fragments. =Spores= globose, 10–13µ.

=Plant= 4–6 in. high. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 3–6 lines thick. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

A. Ceciliæ B. and Br. is a synonym.

Not distinct in color and general appearance from A. vaginata, but distinctly separated by its warty pileus and evanescent mouse-colored volva which does not sheath the stem. =Pileus= striate when young, then sulcate. =Stem= mealy, especially on the upper part.

Woods, open grassy places, wheat stubble, etc. June to September. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, McIlvaine.

In the latitude of Philadelphia the plant is found in great abundance. Its rather early appearance, staying quality, delicate consistency and flavor make it valuable as a food supply.

Pearl color, bluish-gray and gray are the prevailing cap-coloring.

=A. adna´ta= (W.G.S.) Roze—adnatus, adnate, of the gills. =Pileus= about 3 in. across. =Flesh= thick, whitish, firm, convex, then expanded, rather moist, pale yellowish-buff, often furnished with irregular, woolly patches of volva; margin even, extending beyond the gills. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, ½ in. thick, cylindrical, rough, fibrillose, pale buff, flesh distinct from that of the pileus, stuffed, then hollow; base slightly swollen. =Volva= adnate, white, downy, margin free and lax, sometimes almost obsolete. =Gills= truly adnate, crowded, with many intermediate shorter ones, white. =Spores= subglobose, with an oblique point, 7–8µ Massee.

Tender, good flavor, yielding more substance when cooked than any other Amanitopsis.

=A. volva´ta= Pk.—possessing a volva. =Pileus= convex, then nearly plane, slightly striate on the margin, hairy or floccose-scaly, white or whitish, the disk sometimes brownish. =Gills= close, free, white. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, stuffed, minutely floccose-scaly, whitish, inserted at the base in a large, firm, cup-shaped, persistent volva. =Spores= elliptical, 10×8µ.

=Plant= 2–3 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 broad. =Stem= 3–4 lines thick. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

The plant is easily recognized by its large, cup-shaped volva and cap, which is not smooth, as is usual in a species with a persistent membranous volva, more or less scaly with minute tufts of fibrils or tomentose hairs. The gills are white in the fresh plant.

Professor Peck notes the species as quite rare. Numerous specimens occur in the sandy oak woods of New Jersey, and in oak woods near Angora, Philadelphia. July to October.

Care must be taken to determine the absence of an annulus or any trace of one. Tender, delicate, without pronounced flavor. Equal to Amanitopsis vaginata.

=A. farino´sa= Schw.—covered with farina, meal. =Pileus= nearly plane, thin, flocculent-pulverulent, widely and deeply striate on the margin, grayish-brown or livid-brown. =Gills= free, whitish. =Stem= whitish or pallid, equal, stuffed or hollow, mealy, sub-bulbous, the volva flocculent-pulverulent, evanescent. =Spores= variable, elliptical ovate or subglobose, 6–8µ long.

=Plant= about 2 in. high. =Pileus= 1 in. to 15 lines broad. =Stem= 1–3 lines thick. July to September.

This is our smallest Amanita (now Amanitopsis). It is neither very common nor very abundant when it does occur. It is described by Schweinitz as “solid,” but I have always found it stuffed or hollow. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=A. pusil´la= Pk.—small. =Pileus= thin, broadly convex or nearly plane, subglabrous, slightly umbonate, even on the margin, pale brown. =Gills= narrow, thin, close, free, becoming brownish. =Stem= short, hollow, bulbous, the bulb margined by the remains of the membranous volva. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 5–6×4µ.

=Pileus= about 1 in. broad. =Stem= 8–12 lines long, 1–2 lines thick.

Grassy ground. Gouverneur, St. Lawrence county. September. Mrs. Anthony. Peck, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Edibility not tested.

=A. pubes´cens= Schw.—downy. =Pileus= yellow, covered with a thin pubescence, margin involute. =Stem= short, about 1 in. in length, at first white becoming yellowish, bulbous, bulb thick. =Volva= evanescent. =Gills= white.

In grassy grounds. Rare.

North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis.

=A. agglutina´ta= B. and C.—viscid. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, white, hemispheric then plane, viscid, areolate-scaly from the remains of the volva, margin thin, sulcate. =Stem= .5–1.5 in. long, 2 lines thick, short, solid, bulbous. =Volva= with a free margin. =Gills= broad, ventricose, rotundate-free. =Spores= elliptic.

In pine woods.

North Carolina, Curtis.

Resembling some of the dwarf forms of A. vaginata but at once distinguished by its solid stem and decidedly viscid, areolate-squamose pileus. Am. Jour. Sci. and Arts, 1848.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE. 1. LEPIOTA AMERICANA, 48 3. LEPIOTA CEPAESTIPES, 46 2. LEPIOTA NAUCINOIDES, 45 4. AMANITA RUBESCENS, 21

=LEPIO´TA= Fr.

Lepis, a scale.

(Plate XI.)

=Pileus= generally scaly from the breaking up of the cuticle and the adherence of the concrete veil. =Gills= free, often very distant from the stem and attached to a cartilaginous collar. =Stem= hollow or stuffed, its flesh distinct from that of the pileus. =Ring= at first attached to the cuticle of the pileus, often movable, sometimes evanescent.

On the ground. Several are found in hot-houses and hot-beds, and are probably introduced species.

The universal veil, covering the entire plant when very young, is closely applied to the pileus, which from the breaking up of the cuticle is generally scaly. The =stem= in most species differs in substance from the pileus. This is readily seen by splitting the plant in half from cap to base. It is easily separated from the cap, leaving a cup-like depression therein. =Gills= usually white. In some species they are yellow-tinted. In others they become a dingy red when wounded or ageing.

The veil in this genus, being concrete with the cuticle of the pileus, never appears as loose warts or patches, neither is there a volva as in Amanita and Amanitopsis. These three genera are the only ones in the white-spored series having gills free from the stem. In a few species the gills are slightly attached to the stem, but are never decurrent upon it as in Armillaria. When the plant is young it is egg-shaped. It then gradually spreads, becomes convex, and opens until it is nearly flat, with a knob in the center.

The only species in this genus known to be poisonous to some persons is L. Morgani Pk., which is distinguished by its green spores and white gills becoming green. L. Vittadini has also been regarded with suspicion.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

A. PILEUS DRY.

PROCERI (L. procera). Page 35.

=Ring= movable. The plant is at first entirely enclosed in a universal veil, which splits around at the base, the lower part disappearing on the bulb, the upper part attached to the pileus breaking up into scales. =Stem= encircled at the top with a cartilaginous collar to which the free, remote gills are attached.

CLYPEOLARII (L. clypeolaria). Page 39.

Ring fixed, attached to the upper portion of the universal veil which sheaths the stem from the base upward, making it downy or scaly below the ring. The remainder of the veil united with the pileus breaking up and becoming downy or scaly. Collar at the apex of stem not so large as in Proceri, hence the gills are not usually so remote. Taste and smell unpleasant, resembling that of radishes.

ANNULOSI (annulus, a ring). Page 44.

Ring fixed, somewhat persistent, universal veil closely attached to the pileus. Collar absent or similar in texture to the stem. =Stem=, not sheathed.

GRANULOSI (L. granulosa). Page 49.

Pileus granular or warty. Universal veil sheathing the stem, at first continuous from the stem to the pileus, finally rupturing, forming a ring nearer the base. Stem not so distinctly different from the pileus as in other sections.

MESOMORPHI (L. mesomorpha).

Small, slender, stem hollow. Pileus smooth, dry.

B. PILEUS VISCID. NEITHER SCALY NOR WARTY.

A. PILEUS DRY.

PROCE´RI. Ring movable, etc.

=L. proce´ra= Scop.—procerus, tall. (Plate XIII, p. 34.) Tall Lepiota, Parasol Mushroom, in some localities Pasture Mushroom (a misleading title).

The =Flesh= not very thick, soft, permanently white. =Pileus= at first ovate, finally expanded, cuticle soon breaking up into brown scales, excepting upon the umbo, umbo smooth, dark-brown, distinct. The caps vary in shades of brown, sometimes they have a faint tinge of lavender. =Gills= whitish, crowded, narrowing toward the stem, and very remote from it. =Stem= variable in length, often very long, tubular, at first stuffed with light fibrils, quite bulbous at base, generally spotted or scaly with peculiar snake-like markings below the ring, which is thick, firm and readily movable. When the stem is removed from pileus it leaves a deep cavity extending nearly to the cuticle.

=Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 5–12 in. high, about ½ in. thick.

White spores elliptical, 14–18×9–11µ Peck; 12–15×8–9µ Massee; 14×10µ Lloyd.

Readily known by its extremely tall stem, shaggy cap, distinct umbo and the channel between the gills and stem. Resembles no poisonous species.

Before cooking the scurf should be rubbed from the caps, which alone should be eaten, as the stem is tough. Though the flesh is thin, the gills are meaty and have a pleasant, nutty flavor. Fried in butter it has few equals. It makes a superior catsup.

=L. racho´des= Vitt. Gr.—a ragged, tattered garment. =Pileus= very fleshy, but very soft when full grown, globose then flattened or depressed, not umbonate, at first incrusted with a thick, rigid, even, very smooth, bay-brown, wholly continuous cuticle, which remains entire at the disk but otherwise soon becomes elegantly reticulated with cracks; these very readily separate into persistent, polygonal, concentric scales, which are revolute at the margin and attached to the surface with beautifully radiating fibers, the surface remaining coarsely fibrillose-downy. =Flesh= white, immediately becoming saffron-red when broken, easily separating from the apex of the distinct stem, which is encircled with a prominent collar. =Stem= stout, at the first bulbous with a distinct margin upon the bulb, conical when young, then elongated, attenuated upward, as much as a span long, very robust, 1 in. thick, and more at the base, always even, and without a trace of scales or even of fibrils although the appearance is obsoletely silky, wholly whitish, hollow within, stuffed with spider-web threads, the walls remarkably and coarsely fibrous. =Ring= movable, adhering longer to the margin of the pileus than to the apex of the stem, hence rayed with fibers at the circumference, clothed beneath with one or two zones of scales. =Gills= very remote, tapering toward each end or broadest at the middle, crowded, whitish, sometimes reddening. Stevenson.

Veil remarkable in its development and thick margin.

=Spores= 6×8µ W.G.S.

Fort Edward, Howe; Westfield, N.Y., Miss L.M. Patchen; Pennsylvania, New Jersey, McIlvaine.

A heavier species than L. procera, of which by some writers it has been considered a variety, but it differs in the absence of umbo and flesh becoming tinged with red.

Stem is decidedly swollen downward. Veil heavy, apparently double, thickest at margin of cap to which it remains attached in heavy fragments. It tears from the stem, leaving no mark of ring.

Var. puella´ris Fr.—puella, a girl. Smaller than typical form, shining white, pileus with downy scales. Not yet reported in America.

Edible qualities similar to those of L. procera. It is sold indiscriminately with it in London markets.

=L. excoria´ta= Schaeff.—stripped of its skin. =Flesh= spongy, rather thick, white, unchangeable. =Pileus= at first globose, then flat, hardly umbonate, pale-fawn or whitish, disk dark; cuticle thin, silky or scaly, sometimes areolate, more or less peeled toward margin, hence its name. =Gills= ventricose, white, free, somewhat remote. =Stem= attenuated, hollow or stuffed, short, scarcely bulbous, smooth, white, not spotted, very distinct from flesh of pileus. =Ring= movable but not so freely as that of L. procera.

=Stem= 1½-2½ high, less than ½ in. thick. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad.

=Spores= 14–15×8–9µ Massee.

In pastures or grassy lawns. May to September.

North Carolina, edible, Curtis; Massachusetts, Frost; California, H. and M.; Ohio, Morgan; Minnesota, Johnson.

Distinguished from the preceding by its smaller size and short stem which is scarcely bulbous.

Esculent qualities good.

=L. mastoi´dea= Fr. Gr.—breast-shaped. =Pileus= rather thin, ovate, bell-shaped, then flattened, with a conspicuous acute umbo, cuticle thin, brownish, breaking up in minute scattered scales; the pileus appears whitish beneath. =Stem= hollow, smooth, tough, flexible, attenuated from the bulbous base to the apex. =Ring= entire, movable. =Gills= very remote, crowded, broad, tapering at both ends, white.

=Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–4 lines thick at base, 1½-2 lines at apex.

North Carolina, edible, Curtis. It is generally eaten in Europe. In woods, especially about old stumps. October.

The entire plant is whitish and is well marked by the prominent umbo, which generally has a depression around it. It has the least substance of any in this section, and consequently not much value as food.

=L. gracilen´ta= Krombh.—gracilis, slender. =Pileus= rather fleshy, thickest at the disk, ovate then bell-shaped, finally flattened, obscurely umbonate; at first brownish from the adnate cuticle, which, breaking up into broad adpressed scales, allows the whitish pileus to be seen beneath them. =Gills= remote, very broad, crowded, pallid. =Stem= whitish, obscurely scaly, hollow or containing slight fibrils, slightly bulbous. =Ring= thin, floccose, vanishing.

=Stem= 5–6 in. long, 3–5 lines thick. In pastures, also in woods.

=Spores= 11×8µ W.G.S.

Almost as tall as L. procera, but slighter in stem and pileus; the ring, instead of being firm and persistent, is thin and fugacious, and the stem is hardly bulbous.

Edible, but not of the first quality.

=L. Mor´gani= Pk.—in honor of Professor Morgan. (Plate XIV.) =Pileus= fleshy, soft, at first subglobose, then expanded or even depressed, white, the brownish or yellowish cuticle breaking up into scales except on the disk. =Gills= close, lanceolate, remote, white, then green. =Stem= firm, equal or tapering upward, subbulbous, smooth, webby-stuffed, whitish, tinged with brown. =Ring= rather large, movable. =Flesh= both of the pileus and stem white, changing to reddish and then to yellowish when cut or bruised. =Spores= ovate or subelliptical, mostly uninucleate, sordid green, 10–13×7–8µ.

=Plant= 6–8 in. high. =Pileus= 5–9 in. broad. =Stem= 6–12 lines thick. Peck in Bot. Gaz., March, 1879.

Open dry grassy places. Dayton, Ohio. A.P. Morgan.

This species is remarkable because of the peculiar color of the spores. No green-spored Agaric, so far as I am aware, has before been discovered, and no one of the five series, in which the very numerous species of the genus have been arranged, is characterized in such a way as to receive this species.

It seems a little hasty to found a series (Viridispori) on the strength of a single species. Until other species of such a supposed series shall be discovered it seems best to regard this as an aberrant member of the white-spored series. The same course has been taken with those Agarics which have sordid or yellowish or lilac-tinted spores.

It gives me great pleasure to dedicate this fine species to its discoverer Mr. Morgan. Peck.

Commonly 6–8 in. high, 5–9 in. diameter, though larger specimens are sometimes found. It is the most conspicuous Agaric in the meadows and pastures of the Miami valley; it appears to flourish from spring to autumn whenever there is abundance of rain.

It is heavier and stouter than L. procera and I am disposed to claim that it is the largest Agaric in the world. =Spores= 10–12×7–8µ. In immature specimens they are greenish-yellow. Morgan.

Kansas, Bartholomew (Peck, Rep. 50); Kansas, Cragin; Alabama, U. and E.; Georgia, Benson; Louisiana, Rev. A.B. Langlois; Michigan, C.F. Wheeler (Lloyd, Myc. Notes); Texas, Prof. W.S. Carter; Indiana, H.I. Miller.

L. Morgani is one of the largest, handsomest of the genus. It is very abundant in the western and southwestern states. Mr. H.I. Miller, Terre Haute, Ind., writes August 18, 1898: “I have recently measured several which were more than twelve inches across. At the present time this mushroom is growing in more abundance throughout Indiana than any other. It grows luxuriantly in the pastures, generally in grand fairy rings, five, ten, fifteen feet in diameter. We find it also in the woods. It is beautifully white and majestic, and these rings can be seen in meadows where the grass has been eaten close, for half a mile or more. The gills are white until the cap is almost opened, by which time the green spores begin to cause the gills to change to green. The meat is fine and is usually more free from worms than other mushrooms. Six families, here, have eaten heartily of them. The experience is that one or two members of each family are made sick, though in two families, who have several times eaten them, no one was made sick. I enjoy them immensely, and never feel any the worse for eating them. I doubt if we have a finer-flavored fungus. The meat is simply delicious. One fairy ring yields a bushel.”

Prof. W.S. Carter, University of Texas, Galveston, reported to me (and sent specimens of L. Morganii) the poisoning of three laboring men from eating this fungus. They were seriously sick, but recovered.

The conclusion is inevitable that this green-spored Lepiota contains a poison which violently attacks some persons, yet is harmless upon others.

I have not had opportunity to test it. It should be tested with great caution.

CLYPEOLA´RII. Clypeus, a shield. Ring fixed; stem sheathed, etc.

=L. Frie´sii= Lasch.—in honor of Fries. =Pileus= fleshy, soft, lacerated into appressed tomentose scales. =Stem= hollow, with a webby pith, subbulbous, scaly. =Ring= superior, pendulous, equal. =Gills= subremote, linear, crowded, branched. Fries.

=Pileus= fleshy but rather thin, convex or nearly plane, clothed with a soft, tawny or brownish-tawny down, which breaks up into appressed, often subconfluent scales, the disk rough with small acute, erect scales. =Flesh= soft, white. =Gills= narrow, crowded, free, white, some of them forked. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, subbulbous, hollow, colored like the pileus below the ring, and there clothed with tomentose fibrils which sometimes form floccose or tomentose scales, white and powdered above. =Ring= well developed, flabby, white above, tawny and floccose-scaly below. =Spores= 7–8×3–4µ.

=Plant= 2–5 in. high. =Pileus= 1–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–5 lines thick.

Catskill mountains and East Worcester. July to September.

I have quoted the description of this species as it is found in Epicrisis, because the American plant which I have referred to it does not in all respects agree with this description, but comes so near it that it can scarcely be specifically distinct. In the American plant, so far as I have seen it, erect, acute scales are always present, especially on the disk, and the down of the pileus does not always break up into distinct areas or scales. Neither is the stem usually scaly, but rather clothed with soft tomentose or almost silky fibrils. The gills are crowded and some of them are forked. At the furcations there are slight depressions which interrupt the general level of the edges, and give them the appearance of having been eaten by insects. The plant has a slight odor, especially when cut or bruised. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Remarks under L. acutesquamosa apply to L. Friesii, which Fries himself doubts being distinct from the first. The plants vary greatly in size, color and habitat. The name—acutesquamosa—carries a descriptive meaning with it that L. Friesii does not.

It does not appear to have been reported except by Professor Peck, but probably appears as L. acutesquamosa in other lists.

The edible qualities are excellent.

=L. acutesquamo´sa= Wein.—acutus, sharp; squama, a scale. =Pileus= fleshy, obtuse, at first hairy-floccose, then bristly with erect, acute, rough scales. =Stem= somewhat stuffed, stout, bulbous, powdered above the moderate-sized ring. =Gills= approximate, lanceolate, simple. Fries.

=Pileus= convex or nearly plane, obtuse or broadly subumbonate, clothed with a soft tawny or brownish-tawny tomentum, which usually breaks up into imperfect areas or squamæ, rough with erect, acute scales, which are generally larger and more numerous on the disk. =Gills= close, free, white or yellowish. =Stem= equal, hollow or stuffed with webby filaments, subbulbous. =Spores= about 7×3–4µ.

Woods and conservatories. Buffalo, G.W. Clinton; Albany, A.F. Chatfield; Adirondack mountains and Brewertown, Peck.

The form found in the hot-houses seems to have the tomentum of the pileus less dense and the erect scales more numerous than in the form growing in woods. The annulus is frequently lacerated. In the specimens of the woods the erect scales are sometimes blackish in color, and they then contrast quite conspicuously with the tawny or brownish-tawny tomentum beneath them. They vary in size and shape. Some resemble pointed papillæ, others, being more elongated, are almost spine-like. These are sometimes curved. They are generally larger and more numerous on the disk than elsewhere, and often they are wholly wanting on the margin. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Philadelphia, 1897, on lawn and growing from trunk of a maple tree; Mt. Gretna, Pa., mixed woods. McIlvaine.

I first saw specimens of L. acutesquamosa when sent to me by Miss Lydia M. Patchen, President Westfield Toadstool Club. It was later found by myself and tested. Specimens were sent to Professor Peck and identified as L. acutesquamosa.

Caps and stems brownish-purple. The pointed squamules or tufts have dark-brown points, shaded to a delicate purple at base. Gills light, faint flesh-color. Veil is silky, transparent, beautiful, quite tenacious—stretching until cap is well expanded, persistent, though at times fugacious. Smell like stewed mushrooms. The caps are of excellent substance and flavor.

=L. his´pida= Lasch.—rough. =Pileus= 2–3 in. across. =Flesh= thin, white, unchangeable; hemispherical then expanded, umbonate, tomentose or downy at first from the remains of the universal veil; during expansion the down becomes broken up into small, spreading, scaly points, which eventually disappear, umber-brown, sometimes with a tawny tinge. =Gills= free but near to the stem, the collar of the pileus prominent and sheathing the stem, crowded, ventricose, simple, white. =Stem= about 3–5 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, attenuated upward, densely squamosely-woolly up to the superior, membranaceous, reflexed ring, dingy-brown, stem tubular, but fibrillosely stuffed. =Spores= 6–7×4µ Massee.

In margins of and in open mixed woods, under pine trees, Haddonfield, N.J., July to September, 1892. Quite plentiful year after year in the same places. The American plant is taller than the English species, the stem reaching five inches, and the color of the cap a delicate tawny-brown. Smell slight, but pungent like radishes.

The whole fungus is tender and delicious. It is one of the few Lepiotæ that stews well.

=L. feli´na= Pers.—belonging to a cat. =Pileus= thin, bell-shaped or convex, subumbonate, adorned with numerous subtomentose or floccose blackish-brown scales. =Gills= close, free, white. =Stem= slender, rather long, equal or slightly tapering upward, hollow, clothed with soft, loose, floccose filaments, brown. =Ring= slight, evanescent. =Spores= elliptical, 6–8×4–5µ.

=Plant= 2–3.5 in. high. =Pileus= .5–1.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.

Woods. Adirondack Mountains. August and September.

It is easily distinguished from A. rubrotincta by the darker color of the scales of the pileus, by the loose floccose filaments that clothe the brown stem, by the fugacious ring and the smaller spores. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

The caps compare favorably with other Lepiotæ in substance and flavor.

=L. crista´ta= A. and S.—crista, a tuft, crest. =Pileus= thin, bell-shaped or convex, then nearly plane, obtuse, at first with an even reddish or reddish-brown surface, then white adorned with reddish or reddish-brown scales formed by the breaking up of the cuticle, the central part or disk colored like the scales. =Gills= close, free, white. =Stem= slender, hollow, equal, smooth or silky-fibrillose below the ring, whitish. =Ring= small, white. =Spores= oblong or narrowly subelliptical, 5–7×3–4µ.

=Plant= 1–2 in. high. =Pileus= .5–1.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.

Grassy places and borders of woods. June to September.

This species is easily known by its small size and the crested appearance of the white pileus, an appearance produced by the orbicular unruptured portion of the cuticle that remains like a colored spot on the disk. The fragments or scales are more close near this central part and more distant from each other toward the margin, where they are often wholly wanting. The scales are sometimes very small and almost granular. In very wet weather the margin of the pileus in this and some other species becomes upturned or reflexed. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found in Woodland Cemetery, Philadelphia. June to September, 1897. McIlvaine.

Scales were appressed and slightly tinged with brown, often very small. Caps of same, upturned and bare near margin. Taste sweet, slightly like new meal. Odor strong.

Cooked it is of good consistency and pleasing to taste.

=L. alluvi´na= Pk.—alluvies, the over-flowing of a river. =Pileus= thin, convex or plane, reflexed on the margin, white, adorned with minute pale-yellow hairy or fibrillose scales. =Gills= thin, close, free, white or yellowish. =Stem= slender, fibrillose, whitish or pallid, slightly thickened at the base. =Ring= slight, subpersistent, often near the middle of the stem. =Spores= elliptical, 6–7×4–5µ.

=Plant= 1–2 in. high. =Pileus= .5–1 in. broad. =Stem= 1–1.5 lines thick. Alluvial soil, among weeds. Albany. July.

In the fresh plant the scales are of a pale yellow or lemon color, but in drying they and the whole pileus take a deeper rich yellow hue. The ring is generally remote from the pileus, sometimes even below the middle of the stem. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

In 1897, I found it growing among weeds on lot near University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Seemingly it is a city resident.

The taste and smell are pleasant. Cooked it is tender and savory. Both stems and caps are good.

=L. metulæ´spora= B. and Br.—metula, an obelisk. =Pileus= thin, bell-shaped or convex, subumbonate, at first with a uniform pallid or brownish surface, which soon breaks up into small brownish scales, the margin more or less striate, often appendiculate with fragments of the veil. =Gills= close, free, white. =Stem= slender, equal or slightly tapering upward, hollow, adorned with soft floccose scales or filaments, pallid. =Ring= slight, evanescent. =Spores= long, subfusiform.

=Plant= 2–3.5 in. high. =Pileus= .5–1.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.

Woods. Adirondack mountains. August and September.

This species occurs with us in the same localities as L. felina, which it very much resembles in size, shape and general characters, differing only in color, the striate margin of the pileus and the character of the spores.

The species has a wide range, having been found in Ceylon, England, Alabama and Kentucky. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

This has not been elsewhere noted in the United States, probably from neglect of the spore characters, being reported as L. clypeolaria.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania. McIlvaine.

ANNULO´SI. Ring large, fixed; stem not sheathed.

=L. holoseri´cea= Fr. Gr.—entire, silken. =Pileus= 3 in. and more broad, whitish or clay-white, fleshy, soft, convex then expanded, rather plane, obtuse, floccoso-silky, somewhat fibrillose, becoming even, fragile, disk by no means gibbous; and wholly of the same color; margin involute when young. =Flesh= soft, white. =Stem= 2½-4 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, solid, bulbous and not rooted at the base, soft, fragile, silky-fibrillose, whitish. =Ring= superior, membranaceous, large, soft, pendulous, the margin again ascending. =Gills= wholly free, broad, ventricose, crowded, becoming pale-white. Fries.

A species well marked from all others. Inodorous.

On soil in flower beds.

=Spores= elliptical, 7–8×5µ Massee; 6×9µ W.G.S.

Wisconsin, Bundy; Minnesota, Johnson.

Considered esculent in Europe.

=L. Vittadi´ni= Fr.—in honor of the Italian mycologist. =Pileus= 3–4 in. across. =Flesh= 4–6 lines thick at the disk, becoming very thin at the margin, white; convex then plane, obtuse or gibbous, densely covered with small, erect, wart-like scales, altogether whitish. =Gills= free but rather close to the stem, 3–4 lines broad, rounded in front, thickish, ventricose, with a greenish tinge. =Stem= 2½-3½ in. long, up to ⅔ in. thick, cylindrical, with numerous concentric rings of squarrose scales, up to the superior, large ring; whitish, or the edges of the scales often tipped with red, solid. Fries.

In pastures, etc.

Intermediate between Lepiota and Amanita.

Noted by Fries as poisonous. It may or may not be, but as a matter of precaution it is described. A large species, pure white, extremely beautiful.

Massachusetts, Farlow.

=L. nauci´na= Fr. No translation applicable. =Pileus= 1–1½ in. broad, white, the disk of the same color, fleshy, soft, gibbous or obtusely umbonate when flattened, even, the thin cuticle splitting up into granules. =Stem= 1½-3 in. long, stuffed, at length somewhat hollow, but without a definite tube, attenuated upward from the thickened base, fibrillose, unspotted, white. =Ring= superior, tender, but persistent, adhering to the stem, at length reflexed. =Gills= free, approximate, crowded, ventricose, soft, white.

There is a prominent collar, as in the Clypeolarii, embracing the stem. Stature and appearance of L. excoriata, but commonly smaller, the superior ring adfixed, etc. Fries.

=Spores= subglobose, 6–7µ Massee.

L. naucina Fr. is the European species which has its American counterpart in L. naucinoides Pk. The variations in the American species are noted under L. naucinoides.

As Amanita phalloides—in its white form—the poisonous white Amanita, resembles L. naucina or L. naucinoides in some stages of its growth and may be confounded with it, careful note should be taken of their external differences. In L. naucinoides the bulb and stem are continuous, each passing into the other imperceptibly; in A. phalloides the junction of stem and bulb is abrupt and remains so, and the bulb is more or less enwrapped in the volva. The ring is also larger than in L. naucinoides and is pendulous, and the gills are permanently white. A certain means of distinguishing between them is by the application of heat as in cooking. On toasting both it will be found that the gills of the Amanita remain white, but those of the Lepiota turn quickly brown.

=L. naucinoi´des= Pk. No translation applicable. (Plates Plate XV, XII fig. 2, p. 32.) =Pileus= soft, smooth, white or snowy-white. =Gills= free, white, slowly changing with age to a dirty pinkish-brown or smoky-brown color. =Stem= ringed, slightly thickened at the base, colored like the pileus. =Spores= subelliptical, uninucleate, white, 8–10 long×5–8µ broad. Peck, 48th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Kansas, Cragin; Wisconsin, Bundy; New Jersey, Ellis; Iowa, Macbride; New York, Peck, 23d, 29th, 35th Rep.; Indiana, _H.I. Miller_, Dr. J.R. Weist.

L. naucinoides Pk. is the American counterpart of L. naucina Fr., a European species, excepting that the spores of the latter are described as globose. The caps are ovate when young and usually from 1½-3 in. across when expanded, but occasionally reach 4 in., smooth, but frequently rough or minutely cracked in the center, white or varying shades of white deepening in color at the summit. In a rare form var. squamo´sa, large, thick scales occur which are caused by the breaking up of the cap surface. When young the gills are white or faintly yellow, becoming pinkish or dull brown in age. The pinkish hue is not always apparent. The outer edge of the veil or ring is thickest; usually it is firmly attached to the stem, but movable rings are frequently noticed. When the plant ages the ring is often missing, but traces of it are always discernible. Stem rarely equal, often it is distinctly bulbous, generally tapering upward from a more or less enlarged base, hollow when fully grown, until then containing cottony fibers within the cavity or appearing solid, 2–3 in. long, ¼-½ in. thick.

Its habitat is similar to that of the common mushroom—lawns, pastures, grassy places—though unlike the latter it is found in woods. Until thoroughly acquainted with it, specimens found in woods and supposed to be L. naucinoides should not be eaten. An Amanita might be mistaken for it. It is readily distinguishable from the common mushroom and its allies by the color of the gills and spores which are white, and differences in stem and veil.

It is found from July until after hard frosts. It was first reported edible by Professor Peck in 1875, under the name of Agaricus naucinus.

The L. naucinoides is rewarding the favor with which it has been received as an esculent, it being equal to the common mushroom and quite free from insects. Large crops of it are reported from all over the country, and from many sections it is told of as a stranger. During 1897–98 the author has found it in plenty upon ground familiar to him for years, upon which it had not previously shown itself. The common mushroom must look to its laurels.

Its cultivation as a marketable crop is possible and probable.

=L. cepæsti´pes= Sow.—cepa, an onion; stipes, stem. (Plate XII, fig. 3, p. 32.) =Pileus= thin, at first ovate, then bell-shaped or expanded, umbonate, soon adorned with numerous minute brownish scales, which are often granular or mealy, folded into lines on the margin, white or yellow, the umbo darker. =Gills= thin, close, free, white, becoming dingy with age or in drying. =Stem= rather long, tapering toward the apex, generally enlarged in the middle or near the base, hollow. =Ring= thin, subpersistent. =Spores= subelliptical, with a single nucleus, 8–10×5–8µ.

=Plant= often cespitose, 2–4 in. high. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 lines thick.

Rich ground and decomposing vegetable matter. Also in graperies and conservatories. Buffalo, G.W. Clinton; Albany, A.F. Chatfield. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= elliptical, 7–8×4µ Massee; 8×4µ W.G.S.; 8–10×5–8µ Peck.

Haddonfield, N.J., Pennsylvania, McIlvaine; New York, Mrs. E. C. Anthony; Indiana, H.I. Miller. July to October.

Whoever has seen the seed-stalks of an onion knows the shape from which this fungus takes its name. The dense clusters are graceful, dainty, and contain many individuals of all ages—from the very young with egg-shaped heads, like pigmy C. comatus, to the fluff-capped eldest, willowy and fair to look upon. The out-door kind soon droops when matured; the young plants of a cluster will remain fresh for several days after taken from their habitat. Stems in these tufts are often quill-shaped, and the striations on the cap margins are shorter than those on their indoor cousins. These grow in hot-houses and stables. One of the two forms has a yellow cap, the other is white and fair.

These forms have often come to my table as a pleasant winter surprise. Children in the hot-houses of Haddonfield, N.J., watched for its appearance among the bedded plants, sure of a present when they brought me a meal of it. Both the white and yellow varieties were equally enjoyed.

The entire fungus is tender and delicious cooked in any way.

=L. farino´sa= Pk.—farina, meal. =Pileus= thin, rather tough, flexible, at first globose or ovate, then bell-shaped or convex, covered with a soft, dense, white veil of mealy down, which soon ruptures, forming irregular, easily-detersible scales, more persistent and sometimes brownish on the disk. =Flesh= white, unchangeable. =Gills= close, free, white, minutely downy on the edge. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, somewhat thickened at the base, slightly mealy, often becoming glabrous, hollow or with a cottony pith above, solid at the base, white, pallid or straw-colored, the ring lacerated, somewhat appendiculate on the margin of the pileus, evanescent. =Spores= subovate, 10–13×8µ.

=Pileus= 1.5–2.5 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 2–4 lines thick.

Mushroom beds in a conservatory, Boston, Mass. March. Communicated by E.J. Forster.

This species is related to L. cepæstipes, from which it may be distinguished by its pileus, which is not folded on the margin, and by its larger spores. It is edible. It is very distinct from Amanita farinosa. Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Ohio, Lloyd, Prof. William Miller (Lloyd Myc. Notes).

=L. America´na= Pk. (Plate XII, fig. 1, p. 32. Plate XV_a_.) =Pileus= at first ovate, then convex or expanded, umbonate, scaly, white, the umbo and scales reddish or reddish-brown. =Gills= close, free, white. =Stem= somewhat thickened at or a little above the base, hollow, bearing a ring, white. =Spores= subelliptical, uninucleate, 8–10×5–8µ.

The American lepiota belongs to the same genus as the parasol mushroom and the Smooth lepiota. It has one character in which it differs from all other species of Lepiota. The whole plant when fresh is white, except the umbo and the scales of the cap, but in drying it assumes a dull reddish or smoky-red color. By this character it is easily recognized.

In the very young plant the cap is somewhat egg-shaped and nearly covered by the thin reddish-brown cuticle, but as the plant enlarges the cuticle separates and forms the scales that adorn the cap. On the central prominence or umbo, however, it usually remains entire. The margin of the cap is thin and is generally marked with short radiating lines or striations. The gills do not quite reach the stem and are, therefore, free from it. Sometimes they are connected with each other at or near their inner extremity by transverse branches. They are a little broader near the margin of the cap than at their inner extremity. The stem affords a peculiar feature. It is often enlarged towards the base and then abruptly narrowed below the enlargement, as in the Onion-stemmed lepiota. In some instances, however, the enlargement is not contracted below and then the stem gradually tapers from the base upward. The stem is hollow and usually furnished with a collar, but sometimes this is thin and may disappear with advancing age. Wounds or bruises are apt to assume brownish-red hues.

The caps vary in width from 1–4 in.; the stems are from 3–5 in. long, and 2–5 lines thick. Sometimes plants attain even larger dimensions than these. The plants grow singly or in tufts in grassy ground or on old stumps. They may be found from July to October.

In flavor this species is not much inferior to the parasol mushroom, but when cooked in milk or cream it imparts its own reddish color to the material in which it is cooked. It is, however, a fine addition to our list of esculent species. Peck, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

I found several on a decaying willow trunk, and on the ground beside it, in Philadelphia. In July, 1898, large quantities, often clustered, grew under the great, open auditorium of the Pennsylvania Chautauqua, at Mt. Gretna, Pa., from ground covered with crushed limestone.

The caps are meaty and excellent in flavor. They should be broiled or fried.

GRANULOSI. Pileus granular or warty. Stem sheathed, etc.

=L. granulo´sa= Batsch.—granosus, full of grains. =Pileus= thin, convex or nearly plane, sometimes almost umbonate, rough, with numerous granular or branny scales, often radiately wrinkled, rusty-yellow or reddish-yellow, often growing paler with age. =Flesh= white or reddish-tinged. =Gills= close, rounded behind and usually slightly adnexed, white. =Stem= equal or slightly thickened at the base, stuffed or hollow, white above the ring, colored and adorned like the pileus below it. =Ring= slight, evanescent. =Spores= elliptical 4–5×3–4µ.

=Plant= 1–2.5 in. high. =Pileus= 1–2.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–3 lines thick. Woods, copses and waste places. Common. August to October.

This is a small species with a short stem and granular reddish-yellow pileus, and gills slightly attached to the stem, a character by which it differs from all the preceding. The ring is very small and fugacious, being little more than the abrupt termination to the coating of the stem. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 5–6×3µ B.; 3×4µ W.G.S.; elliptical, 4–5×3–4µ Peck.

Var. rufes´cens B. and Br. Pure white at first, then partially turning red and in drying acquiring everywhere a reddish tint.

Var. al´bida Pk. Persistently white.

Though small many plants grow neighboring. Being fleshy for their size, and of pleasing quality, they well repay gathering. Remove stems.

Open woods, Angora, West Philadelphia; Haddonfield, New Jersey, McIlvaine.

A. CUTICLE VISCID. NEITHER SCALY NOR WARTY.

=L. delica´ta= Fr.—delicatus, delicate. Up to 1½ in. across, reddish, becoming yellowish toward margin. Flesh well proportioned to cap, convex, obscurely umbonate, glabrous, slightly viscid. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, very thin, but covered with dense downy scales, equal, lighter than cap. =Ring= usually entire, membranaceous, fluffy from scales. =Gills= free, crowded, ventricose, white.

Haddonfield, N.J., January, 1896–97, in hot-houses. McIlvaine.

A delicate, delicious Lepiota. Though small, it is meaty. Its appearance in hot-houses (it is found in woods) insures a crop at a time of year when other species are not plentiful, and when anything edible in the toadstool line is most welcome to their lovers.

=L. lenticula´ris= Lasch.—lenticula, a lentil. =Pileus= at first globose, then convex, even, naked, pinkish-tan color. =Flesh= thick, spongy, white. =Gills= close to stem, but free from it, ventricose, crowded, whitish. =Stem= 4–6 in. high, thick, equal or swollen at base, solid but spongy, more or less covered with scales; above the ring it is frequently covered with drops of water more or less green, which leave spots when they dry. =Veil= superior and very large.

=Pileus= 3–4 in. across. =Stem= 4–6 in. long, ½ in. and more thick. In damp woods.

Redman’s Woods, Haddonfield, N.J. September, 1894. McIlvaine.

This species is included in Amanita by Fries and Stevenson. Massee places it in Lepiota. In the dozen or more specimens I have found, there was no trace of a volva, even when very young. I tested it carefully and at one time ate three good-sized caps without experiencing any indications of poison. I have seen it during but one season and not then (at one time) in sufficient quantity to make a meal off it. Cooked it has a slight cheesy flavor which is pleasant.

=L. illi´nita= Fr.—illino, to smear over. =Pileus= rather thin, soft, at first ovate, then campanulate or expanded, subumbonate, smooth, white, very viscid or glutinous, even or striate on the margin. =Gills= close, free, white. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, stuffed or hollow, viscid, white. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 5×4µ broad.

=Plant= 2–4 in. high. =Pileus= 1–2.5 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 lines thick.

Thin or open woods. Adirondack mountains. July to September.

This is a smooth white species with the stem and pileus clothed with a clear viscid or glutinous veil. The margin of the pileus is often even, but the typical form of the species has it striate. The flesh is soft and white. The species may be distinguished from the viscid white species of Hygrophorus by the free, not adnate nor decurrent lamellæ. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Springton and Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1887–1897. McIlvaine.

Not yet found by me in quantity. Several specimens eaten were of good flavor.

=L. rugulo´sa= Pk. =Pileus= thin, submembranaceous, broadly convex or nearly plane, umbonate, rugulose, widely striate on the margin, whitish. =Lamellæ= thin, narrow, close, free, whitish. =Stem= short, equal, slightly silky, whitish, the annulus thin, persistent, white. =Spores= elliptic, 7.5µ long, 4µ broad.

=Pileus= 12–20 mm. broad. =Stem= about 2.5 cm. long, 2 mm. thick.

Moist grassy places under trees. Washington, D.C. July. Mrs. E.M. Williams. Perhaps in the fresh state the pileus is not as distinctly rugulose as when dry. Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 27, January, 1900.

=ARMILLA´RIA= Fr.

Armilla, a ring.

(Plate XVII.)

=Pileus= and =Stem= continuous. =Veil= partial, sometimes only indicated by the scales which clothe the stem terminating in the form of a ring. =Spores= white. On the ground or on stumps.

In the young plant the veil extends from the stem to the pileus, sometimes forming scaly patches upon it; below the ring it is attached to the stem often in scales.

But for the presence of the ring the species of this genus could be distributed in Tricholoma, Clitocybe and Collybia, with which they agree in all other characters.

In Amanita and Lepiota, the other ringed genera of the white-spored series, the flesh of the stem and pileus is not continuous; and their stems are therefore easily separated. Amanita is also distinguished by its volva.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

TRICHOLOMATA. Page 52.

Gills sinuately adnexed, stem fleshy, ring often evanescent. (Like Tricholoma.)

CLITOCYBÆ. Page 55.

Gills not sinuate, more or less decurrent, narrowed behind; ring permanent. (Resembling Clitocybe.)

COLLYBLÆ. Page 58.

Gills adnate, equal behind; stem somewhat cartilaginous outside; ring permanent. (Resembling Collybia.)

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1. Armillaria mellea, 55 3–4. Lentinus 230 lepideus,

2. Armillaria mellea var. 56 exannulata,

I.—TRICHOLOMATA. Gills sinuately adnexed, etc.

=A. robus´ta= A. and S.—robustus, robust, sturdy. Substance of entire plant compact. =Pileus= 2–3 in. across, varying in shades of gray and brown, scaly, fibrillose on margin, decreasing toward center or smooth, convex or top-shaped and margin involute at first, expanding. =Flesh= firm, very thick. =Gills= broad, emarginate, nearly free, crowded, whitish, up to ½ in. broad. =Veil= large, membranaceous, sometimes floccose, remaining adherent to the stem. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, obese, solid, tapering at the base, brownish-white and fibrillose below veil, white and flocculose above, flesh of stem continuous with that of the cap.

Stevenson gives var. minor with even cap with both gills and ring very narrow.

=Spores= ovoid-spherical. 7µ. Q.

Edible, Curtis; District Columbia, Mrs. M. Fuller.

In mixed woods. Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, McIlvaine.

The substance of A. robusta differs from all other Armillaria in being very compact. It is not acrid but has a marked flavor. Cut into small pieces and well cooked it makes an acceptable dish. It is best in croquettes and patties, or served with meats.

=A. viscid´ipes= Pk.—viscidus, sticky; pes, a foot. =Pileus= fleshy, compact, convex or nearly plane, glabrous, whitish with a slight yellowish or reddish-yellow tint. =Flesh= white, odor peculiar, penetrating, sub-alkaline. =Gills= narrow, crowded, sinuate or subdecurrent, whitish. =Stem= equal, solid, viscid and slightly tinged with yellow below the narrow membranous ring, whitish above. =Spores= elliptical, 8×5µ.

=Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 6–12 lines thick.

In mixed woods. Rock City, Dutchess county. October.

It is a large fine fungus, easily known by its white and yellowish hues, its crowded gills, viscid stem and peculiar penetrating almost alkaline odor. The cuticle of the pileus is thin and soft to the touch, but it sometimes cracks longitudinally and is sometimes slightly adorned with innate fibrils. A. dehiscens is said to have a viscid stem, but it is also squamose and the pileus is yellowish-ochraceous. Peck, 44th Rep N.Y. State Bot.

Quite common in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. McIlvaine.

It loses its strong odor when cooked and is equal to other Armillaria in edibility. Unless well cooked it has a slight saponaceous flavor. This is easily overcome by a few drops of lemon juice or sherry.

=A. appendicula´ta= Pk.—bearing an appendicula or small appendage. =Pileus= broadly convex, glabrous, whitish, often tinged with rust color or brownish rust color on the disk. =Flesh= white or whitish. =Gills= close, rounded behind, whitish. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, solid, bulbous, whitish, the veil either membranous or webby, white, commonly adhering in fragments to the margin of the pileus. =Spores= subelliptical, 8×5µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3.5 in. long; 5–10 lines thick.

Auburn, Ala. October. C.F. Baker.

The general appearance of this species is suggestive of Tricholoma album, but the presence of a veil separates it from that fungus and places it in the genus Armillaria. The veil, however, is often slightly lacerated or webby and adherent to the margin of the pileus. Peck, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, Vol. 24.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., Angora, Pa. On decaying roots in ground. August to November. Found plentifully in resorts of other Armillaria. Edibility the same. McIlvaine.

=A. pondero´sa= Pk.—ponderosus, weighty, ponderous. =Pileus= thick, compact, convex or subcampanulate, smooth, white or yellowish, the naked margin strongly involute beneath the slightly viscid, persistent veil. =Gills= crowded, narrow, slightly emarginate, white inclining to cream color. =Stem= stout, subequal, firm, solid, coated by the veil, colored like the pileus, white and furfuraceous above the ring. =Flesh= white. =Spores= nearly globose, 4µ in diameter.

=Plant= 4–6 in. high. =Pileus= 4–6 in. broad. =Stem= about 1 in. thick.

Ground in woods. Copake, Columbia county. October.

The veil for a long time conceals the gills, and finally becomes lacerated and adheres in shreds or fragments to the stem and margin of the pileus. Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

New England, Frost; New York, Peck, Repts. 26, 29, 41. West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Ground in woods. September to November. McIlvaine.

Professor Peck says in 26th Report: “This species has not been found since its discovery in 1872.”

Where the Armillaria mellea frequents I have often found A. ponderosa. It was plentiful at Mt. Gretna, Pa., in September, 1898. Young specimens are quite as edible as A. mellea, and rather more juicy.

II.—CLITOCYBÆ. Gills not sinuate, etc.

=A. mel´lea= Vahl.—melleus, of the color of honey. (Plate XVI, fig. 1, p. 52.) =Pileus= adorned with minute tufts of brown or blackish hairs, sometimes glabrous, even or when old slightly striate on the margin. =Gills= adnate or slightly decurrent, white or whitish, becoming sordid with age and sometimes variegated with reddish-brown spots. =Stem= ringed, at length brownish toward the base. =Spores= elliptical, white, 8–10µ long. Peck, 48th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 9×5–6µ W.G.S.; 10×8µ B.; 8–10µ Peck.

The A. mellea is unusually prolific and is common over the United States and Europe. Specimens may be found in the spring-time, but in middle latitudes it is common from August until after light frosts. It is usually in tufts, some of which contain scores of plants and are showy over ground filled with roots, or on stumps or boles of decaying trees. It frequents dense woods and open clearings. I have seen acres of dense woodland at Mt. Gretna, Pa., so covered with it and its varieties that but few square yards were unoccupied.

A description of the typical A. mellea will rarely apply to any one plant. A combination of its variable features in one description would include something of nearly every white-spored Agaric under the sun. Yet there is something indescribable about it which once learned will unerringly betray it.

Its =Caps= vary from perfectly smooth, through tufts of scales and hairs, more or less dense, to matted woolliness. It may show any one of these conditions in youth and be bald in age. Some shade of yellow is the prevailing color, but this will vary from whitish to dark-purplish or reddish-brown. When water-soaked it is one color, when dry, another. Commonly the margins of the =Caps= are striated, sometimes they are smooth as a cymbal, and not unlike one, have a raised place or umbo in the center. =Flesh= white or whitish. =Gills= when young are white or creamy, usually running down the stem, sometimes slightly notched at attachment. They freckle in age and lose their fair complexion. The =Veil= or collar about the stem is as variable as fashion—thick and closely woven or flimsy as gossamer, or vanishing as the plant grows old. The =Stems= may be even as a lead pencil, or swollen like a pen-holder, or bulbous toward the base, or distorted by pressure in the tufts. It is as variable in color as the cap, usually darkening downward in hues of brown. The outside is firm and fibrous, sometimes furrowed, inside soft or hollow.

=Cap= 1–6 in. across. =Stem= 1–6 in. long, ¼-¾ in. thick.

Var. obscu´ra has the cap covered with numerous small blackish scales.

Var. fla´va has the cap yellow or reddish-yellow, but in other respects it is like the type.

Var. gla´bra has the cap smooth, otherwise like the type.

Var. radica´ta has a tapering, root-like prolongation of the stem, which penetrates the earth deeply.

Var. bulbo´sa has a distinctly bulbous base to the stem, and in this respect is the reverse of var. radicata.

Professor Peck writes: “Var. exannulata (Plate XVI, fig. 2, p. 52) has the cap smooth and even on the margin, and the stem tapering at the base. The annulus is very slight and evanescent or wholly wanting. The cap is usually about an inch broad, or a little more, and the plants grow in clusters, which sometimes contain forty or fifty individuals. It is more common farther south than it is in our state (N.Y.), and is reported to be the most common form in Maryland. This I call var. exannulata.” From Dr. Taylor, Washington, D.C.; Indiana, H.I. Miller.

To these may be added also var. al´bida Pk. in which the pileus is white or whitish.

A variety, perhaps a variation of var. bulbosa was sent to me by E. B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J., and afterward found by myself at Mt. Gretna, Pa. The =Cap= purplish-brown, convex, striate and light on margin, edge irregular with parts of veil attached. =Flesh= white, very thin. =Gills= decurrent, arcuate, pinkish-gray. =Stem= stuffed, fibrous, white above, dense floccose veil, same color as cap below, swollen toward base which is pointed, sulcate, white inside, closely clustered and some of the stems distinctly bulbous. =Taste= decidedly unpleasant. An intense acridity develops and increases when the juices of raw pieces are swallowed, and the salivary glands are much excited. The acridity is not lost in cooking. It simply can not be eaten. Specimens were sent by me to Professor Peck who referred it to A. mellea.

I have never seen the abortive form of Clitopilus abortivus, though found in many places and in great quantity, showing any part or trace of the original plant. But that a similar monstrosity occurs upon A. mellea is shown by individuals and parts of individuals of a cluster being aborted. Without such positive proof, no one would suspect either of these odd formations to be abortive of either C. abortivus or A. mellea, or any other fungus. I consider the abortive form of A. mellea far superior in substance and flavor to it or any of its varieties.

The Armillaria can not be ranked among the tender or high-flavored toadstools, yet their abundance, meaty caps and nourishing qualities place them among our most valuable food species.

The caps when chopped into small pieces make good patties and croquettes. They have an impressive flavor of their own, and offer an esculent medium for seasoning and the gravies of various meats.

=A. nardos´mia= Ellis—nardosmius, of the odor of nardus. (A name applied by the ancients to several plants, especially spica nardi—spikenard.) =Pileus= fleshy, firm, thick and compact on the disk, thin toward the margin, whitish, variegated with brown spots, with a thick, tough and separable cuticle. =Flesh= white. =Gills= crowded, subventricose, slightly emarginate, whitish. =Stem= solid, fibrous, not bulbous, sheathed below by the brown velvety veil, the ring narrow, spreading, uneven on the edge. =Spores= subglobose, 6µ in diameter.

=Pileus= about 3 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Ground in woods, Suffolk county. September. Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Several specimens from sandy grounds in pine woods, Haddonfield, N.J., were sent by me to Professor Peck and were identified by him. Plentiful at Mt. Gretna, Pa., September to frost, 1898. In mixed woods, on gravelly ground. Eaten in quantity by several persons. McIlvaine.

Cuticle of caps when dry breaking up into brownish, squamulose scales, margin involute. =Gills= subdecurrent. =Veil= thick, persistent. =Stem= short, subbulbous, solid. =Flesh= white. Very much resembles a short-stemmed Lepiota. Smell and taste strong, like almonds. Disappears in cooking.

III.—COLLYBIÆ. Gills adnate, stem somewhat cartilaginous.

=A. mu´cida= Schrad.—mucidus, slimy. =Pileus= commonly shining white, thin, almost transparent, hemispherical then expanded, obtuse, more or less radiato-wrinkled, smeared over with a thick tenacious gluten; margin striate when thinner. =Stem= 1½-3 in. long, 1–2 lines thick at the apex, thickened at the base, stuffed, thin, rigid, curved ascending, smooth, white, but sooty scaly at the base when most perfectly developed. =Ring= inserted at the apex of the stem, bent downward and glued close to the stem, furrowed, the white border again erect, with a swollen and entire margin, which sometimes becomes dingy brown. =Gills= rounded behind, obtuse, adhering to the stem and striato-decurrent, distant, broad, lax, mucid, always shining white.

Very variable in stature, from 1 in. (when of this size the stem is almost equal) to as much as 6 in. broad. The color of the pileus varies gray, fuliginous, olivaceous. The gills sometimes become yellow, but only from disease. Sometimes solitary, sometimes a few are joined in a cespitose manner at the base. Stevenson.

=Spores= elliptical, 15–16×8–9µ Massee; 17×14µ W.G.S.

North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; Pennsylvania, Schweinitz; Maryland, Miss Banning.

West Virginia mountains, 1882, Haddonfield, N.J., 1891–94, on beech trees and roots. McIlvaine.

Commonly considered esculent in Europe.

Dirt adheres so tenaciously to it that it is difficult to clean. This, however, occurs only when the fungus grows from roots and pushes its way up through covering earth. When growing from trees it is attractive and of good quality.

Should be chopped fine and well cooked.

=TRICHOLO´MA= Fr.

Gr.—a hair, a fringe.

(Plate XIX.)

=Pileus= symmetrical, generally fleshy, never truly umbilicate, seldom umbonate. =Veil= absent or appearing only as fibrils or down on the margin of the pileus. =Gills= sinuate (the small sudden curve near the stem always apparent in the young plant), sometimes with a slightly decurrent tooth. =Stem= central, usually stout, fleshy-fibrous, without a bark-like skin. =Flesh= continuous with that of the pileus. =Ring= and =Volva= absent. =Spores= white or dingy.

But one is known to be poisonous. Some are acrid or unpleasant in flavor. With one exception all grow on the ground in pastures and woods, appearing from May to late in the autumn.

Gills generally white or dingy, frequently spotted or stained. The pileus may be smooth or adorned with fibrous or downy scales, dry, moist, viscid or water-soaked.

The distinguishing feature of Tricholoma is the sinuate gills. In Collybia the stem bears a distinct bark-like skin; in Clitocybe the gills are never sinuate; species of Pleurotus are distinguished by growing on wood only, and Paxillus by their strongly-incurved margin and anastomosing gills.

In cooking Tricholoma consistency must be the guide to plan and time. The tougher varieties require to be cut into small pieces and to be well cooked, while the brittle and delicate varieties will cook quickly. Many of them make excellent soups.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

A. PILEUS VISCID, FIBRILLOSE, SCALY OR DOWNY, NOT WATER-SOAKED.

Stem fibrillose from the remains of the adnate universal veil.

LIMACINA (limas, a slug or snail, slimy). Page 61.

Cuticle of pileus viscid when moist, innately fibrillose or scaly, but not lacerated; flesh of pileus thick, firm; margin almost naked.

* Gills not discolored, nor becoming reddish.

** Gills discolored, usually spotted with reddish-brown.

GENUINA. Page 67.

Cuticle of the pileus never moist or viscid; torn into downy or floccose scales. Flesh soft, not water-soaked; margin involute and slightly downy at first.

* Gills not changing color, nor spotted with red or black.

** Gills becoming reddish or gray, the edge at last generally with reddish or black spots.

RIGIDA (rigeo, to be stiff). Page 74.

Pileus rigid, hard, somewhat cartilaginous when fleshy, very fragile when thin, cuticle rigid, granulated or broken up when dry into smooth scales, not torn into fibrils. Young specimens occur which are fibrillose from the veil, not from laceration of the cuticle.

* Gills white or pallid, not becoming spotted with red or gray.

** Gills becoming reddish, grayish or spotted.

SERICELLA (sericeus, silky). Page 74.

Pileus first slightly silky, soon becoming smooth, very dry, neither moist, viscid, water-soaked, nor distinctly scaly; rather thin, opaque, absorbing moisture, but is the same color as the gills. Stem fibrous, by which the smaller species resembling Collybia may be distinguished.

* Gills broad, rather thick, somewhat distant.

**:sericella2 Gills narrow, thin, crowded.

B. PILEUS EVEN, SMOOTH, NOT DOWNY NOR SCALY, NOT VISCID.

In rainy weather moist; when very young pruinose (but rarely conspicuously) from the universal veil. Flesh soft and spongy or very thin when it is water-soaked.

GUTTATA (gutta, a drop). Page 76.

Pileus fleshy, soft, fragile, marked with drop-like spots or rivulose. Appearing in spring, rarely in autumn.

Cespitose, in troops or often in rings.

* Gills whitish.

** Gills becoming reddish or smoky-gray.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1–2. TRICHOLOMA PERSONATUM, 79 5. TRICHOLOMA 68 COLUMBETTA,

3. TRICHOLOMA RUSSULA, 65 6. TRICHOLOMA HUMILE, 81

4. TRICHOLOMA TERREUM, 71

SPONGIOSA (spongia, a sponge). Page 78.

Pileus compact, then spongy, obtuse, even, smooth, moist but not hygrophanous; firm, growing in troops late in the autumn. Stem stout, base usually thickened, spongy fibrous. Gills at length decurrent but sinuate, by which character they are distinguished from Clitocybe.

* Gills not discolored.

** Gills discolored.

HYGROPHANA (Gr., wet; to appear). Page 80.

Pileus thin, somewhat umbonate; flesh at length soft, watery. Stem rootless, containing a pith, entirely fibrous.

Flesh not exceeding in depth the width of the not broad, thin gills; thinnest toward the margin, hence somewhat umbonate. Color of the pileus either moist or dry, very variable in the same species. Pileus sometimes pulverulent from the persistence of the veil in dry weather.

* Gills whitish, not spotted.

** Gills more or less violet, gray or smoky. Not represented.

Series A.

PILEUS VISCID OR FIBRILLOSE, DOWNY OR SCALY.

I.—LIMA´CINA. Viscous when moist.

* Gills not becoming discolored, nor becoming reddish.

=T. eques´tre= Linn.—equestre, belonging to a horseman or knight, from distinguished appearance. =Pileus= fleshy, compact, convex becoming expanded, obtuse, pale-yellowish, more or less reddish tinged, the disk and central scales often darker, the margin naked, often wavy. =Flesh= white or tinged with yellow. =Gills= rounded behind, close, nearly free, sulphur-yellow. =Stem= stout, solid, pale-yellow or white, white within. =Spores= 6.5–8×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 6–10 lines thick.

Pine woods, especially in sandy soil. Albany county. September to November.

This is a noble species but not plentiful in our state (N.Y.). The pileus is said to become greenish very late in the season. The stem, in the typical form, is described as sulphur-yellow in color, but with us it is more often white. The scales of the disk are sometimes wanting. In our plant the taste is slightly farinaceous at first, but it is soon unpleasant.

Var. pinastreti A. and S. is a slender form having a thin, even pileus, thinner and more narrow gills and a more slender stem. A. crassus Scop., A. aureus Schaeff., and A. flavovirens Pers. are recorded as synonyms of this species. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Professor Peck later says in “Mushrooms and Their Use,” p. 52: “I confidently add it to the list of edible species.”

New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In pine forests and groves. September to frost. McIlvaine.

I have eaten it since 1883. All disagreeable odor about T. equestre (which I have seldom noticed) disappears upon cooking. The substance is rather tough, but good.

=T. coryphæ´um= Fr.—chief, leader. From its distinguished appearance. =Pileus= very fleshy but not compact, convex then plane, obtuse, viscid, yellowish, streaked with small brownish scales. =Stem= solid, attenuated upward. =Gills= emarginate, crowded, white, edge yellow.

Large and of striking appearance. In shady beech woods.

Pronounced a good edible by the Boston Myc. Club.

The color of the plants is given as greenish-yellow. Bull. Boston Myc. Club, 1896.

=T. ustale= Fr.—uro, to burn. =Pileus= fleshy, convex, then plane, obtuse, even, smooth, viscid, bay-brownish. =Stem= stuffed, equal, dry, rufo-fibrillose, apex naked, silky, nearly smooth. =Gills= emarginate, crowded, white, at length with reddish spots. Cooke.

Chiefly in pine woods.

=Pileus= 3 in. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, about ½ in. thick.

=Spores= 5×8µ W.G.S.; 7–8×5µ Massee.

North Carolina, Curtis, pine woods, Schweinitz; Kansas, Cragin. Massachusetts. Edible. Boston Myc. Club, Bull. No. 5.

=T. resplen´dens= Fr.—shining brightly. =Pileus= fleshy, convex then nearly plane, even, bare, viscid, white, sometimes hyaline-spotted or yellowish on the disk, shining when dry, the margin straight. =Flesh= white, taste mild, odor pleasant. =Gills= nearly free when young, then emarginate, somewhat crowded, rather thick, entire, white. =Stem= solid, bare, subbulbous, even, dry, white. =Spores= 8×4µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 4–8 lines thick.

Thin woods. Catskill mountains. September. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., in mixed woods. October and November. McIlvaine.

It is of excellent flavor, consistency and food value.

=T. transmu´tans= Pk.—changing. =Pileus= convex, nearly bare, viscid when moist, brownish, reddish-brown or tawny-red, usually paler on the margin. =Flesh= white, taste and odor farinaceous. =Gills= narrow, close, sometimes branched, whitish or pale yellowish, becoming dingy or reddish-spotted when old. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, bare or slightly silky-fibrillose, stuffed or hollow, whitish, often marked with reddish stains or becoming reddish-brown toward the base, white within. =Spores= subglobose, 5µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Woods. The plants are often cespitose.

I suspect that Agaricus frumentaceus of Curtis’s catalogue belongs to this species. Both the pileus and stem, as well as the gills, are apt to assume darker hues with age or in drying, and this character suggested the specific name. The species is classed as edible. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Curtis catalogues T. frumentaceum as edible.

T. transmutans is reported from many states. It has a mealy taste and odor. Wherever it is found it is a valuable food species.

=T. sejunc´tum= Sow.—separated; from the peculiar manner in which the gills separate from the stem. =Pileus= fleshy, convex then expanded, umbonate, slightly viscid, streaked with innate brown or blackish fibrils, whitish or yellowish, sometimes greenish-yellow. =Flesh= white, fragile. =Gills= broad, subdistant, rounded behind or emarginate, white. =Stem= solid, stout, often irregular, white. =Spores= subglobose, 6.5µ.

=Pileus= 1–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 4–8 lines thick.

Mixed woods. Suffolk county, N.Y. September.

The plants referred to this species are not uncommon on Long Island, growing on sandy soil in woods of oak and pine. They are usually more or less irregular and the pileus becomes fragile. It is quite variable in color, sometimes approaching a smoky-brown hue, again being nearly white. The taste of the typical form is said to be bitter, but the flavor of our plant is scarcely bitter. In other respects, however, it agrees well with the description of the species. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 6µ. W.G.S.

Flesh is tender. Cooked, of good body and peculiar but pleasant flavor. A valuable species, baked, scalloped, fried.

=T. terri´ferum= Pk.—terra, earth; fero, to bear. =Pileus= broadly convex or nearly plane, irregular, often wavy on the margin, glabrous, viscid, pale-yellow, generally soiled with adhering particles of earth carried up in its growth. =Flesh= white, with no decided odor. =Gills= thin, crowded, slightly adnexed, white, not spotted or changeable. =Stem= equal, short, solid, white, floccose-squamulose at the apex. =Spores= minute, subglobose, 3µ.

=Pileus= 3–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. long, 6–8 lines thick.

Woods. Catskill mountains. September. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. August to frost. McIlvaine.

Not inviting, hard to clean, nevertheless edible and good.

=T. portento´sum= Fr.—portentosus, strange, monstrous. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, sooty, livid, sometimes violaceous, fleshy, but thin in comparison with the stoutness of the stem, convexo-plane, somewhat umbonate, unequal and turned up, viscid, streaked with black lines (innate fibrils), but otherwise even and smooth, the very thin margin naked. =Flesh= not compact, white, fragile. =Stem= commonly 3 in. often 4–6 in. long, 1 in. thick, stout, solid, the whole remarkably fibrous-fleshy, somewhat equal, naked, but fibrilloso-striate, white; the base, which is occasionally attenuato-rooted, villous. =Gills= rounded, almost free, 3–4 lines to as much as 1 in. broad, distant, white, but varying, becoming pale-gray or yellow. Fries.

=Spores= 4–5×4µ K.; 5×4µ W.G.S

West Virginia, 1882; New Jersey, Pennsylvania, in woods and open places. May to November. McIlvaine.

It is one of the first toadstools I experimented upon. I have been constant to it. Its caps fried in butter are unsurpassed.

** Gills discolored, usually spotted with reddish-brown.

=T. fla´vo-brun´neum= Fr.—flavus, yellow; brunneus, brown. =Pileus= fleshy, conical, then convex, at length expanded, subumbonate, viscid, clothed with streak-like scales. =Stem= hollow, somewhat ventricose, fibrillose, at first viscid, yellowish within, tip naked. =Gills= emarginate, decurrent, crowded, yellowish, then reddish. Fries.

Odor that of new meal. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, ½ in. thick, dull-reddish or brownish. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad, disk darker, dingy dull-red or reddish-brown.

North Carolina, Curtis; damp woods, A. fulvus, Schweinitz.

Edible, Cooke, 1891.

=T. rus´sula= Schaeff.—reddish. (Plate XVIII, fig. 3, p. 60.) =Pileus= fleshy, convex, becoming plane or centrally depressed, obtuse, viscid, even or dotted with granular squamules on the disk, red or incarnate, the margin usually paler, involute and minutely downy in the young plant. =Flesh= white, sometimes tinged with red, taste mild. =Gills= sub-distant, rounded behind or subdecurrent, white, often becoming red-spotted with age. =Stem= solid, firm, whitish or rose-red, squamulose at the apex. =Spores= elliptical, 7×4µ.

=Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 6–8 lines thick.

Mixed woods. Albany. Cattaraugus and Steuben counties. September and October.

According to the description the typical plant has the pileus incarnate and the stem rosy-red, but in the American plant the pileus is generally more clearly red and the stem white, though this is often varied by reddish stains. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mixed woods. August until after frost. At Mt. Gretna, Pa. 1897–1898 the patches were large, generous yielders.

Edible, Cooke; edible, Cordier, Roques.

T. russula is a dressy fungus and has a fashion of its own. The mottlings upon its cap, gill and stem, in shades of red, subdued though they be, give it a handsome personality distinct from any other.

The species is a variable one in its minor markings. When moisture is prevalent the caps of all are viscid. Both young and old are often cracked. Stems frequently not squamulose at apex, frequently rosy when young, often flattened. The fibrous interior of the stem and its fibrous connection with the flesh of the cap are very marked. Gills emarginate in youth as well as in age. It is solitary, gregarious, occasionally bunched.

An excellent fungus, a free late grower, meaty, easily cooked, and of fine flavor.

=T. frumenta´ceum= Bull.—frumentum, made of corn. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, whitish or clay-color and variegated dull red, truly fleshy, convex then plane, obtuse, viscous, dry in fine weather, even, smooth. =Flesh= white. =Stem= 3 in. long, ½ in. thick, solid, equal, fibrillose when dry, whitish. =Gills= rounded, somewhat crowded, rather broad, white, at length spotted-red.

Wholly becoming pale white, but the stem and pileus are alike marked-red, and the gills are at length reddish, wherefore, as well as for the strong smell of new meal, it is undoubtedly nearest to A. pessundatus. When full grown it has all the appearance of Entoloma. On the ground. Stevenson.

=Spores= 6µ W.G.S.

North Carolina, Curtis. Edible. Porcher says Dr. Curtis was the first to declare it edible.

=T. pessunda´tum= Fr.—pessum dare, bent downward. =Pileus= fleshy, compact, convex, very obtuse, repand, viscid, granulose or spotted. =Stem= solid, firm, at first ovato-bulbous, everywhere villose with whitish scales. =Gills= emarginate, nearly free, crowded, white, at length spotted with red.

In pine woods. Odor and taste mealy.

=Pileus= bay, reddish, paler at the margin. Stature of Ag. equestris. Fries.

=Spores= 5×2.5µ Massee; very minute, globose, 2–3µ C.B.P.

Reckoned edible, but very rare. Stevenson.

California, H. and M.

II.—GENUI´NA. Cuticle of pileus torn into downy or fibrillose scales.

* Gills not changing color nor becoming spotted.

(Plate XX.)

=T. decoro´sum= Pk.—decorus, decorous. =Pileus= firm, at first hemispherical, then convex or nearly plane, adorned with numerous brownish sub-squarrose tomentose scales, dull ochraceous or tawny. =Flesh= white. =Gills= close, rounded and slightly emarginate behind, the edge slightly scalloped. =Stem= solid, equal or slightly tapering upward, white and smooth at the top, elsewhere tomentose-scaly and colored like the pileus. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 5×4µ.

=Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 2–4 lines thick.

Decaying trunks of trees. Catskill mountains and Alleghany county. September and October.

A rare but beautiful species. It is often cespitose. It departs from the character of the genus in growing on decaying wood. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Tricholoma decorosum is not rare in Pennsylvania. I have found it at Angora, Philadelphia and in Chester county, Pa., growing in clusters and singly. At first sight one might take it for one of the many forms of Armillaria, but even cursory examination shows the difference.

It is of good consistency and flavor, having a decided mushroom taste.

=T. flaves´cens= Pk.—pale yellow. =Pileus= convex, firm, often irregular, dry, slightly silky becoming bare, sometimes cracking into minute scales on the disk, whitish or pale yellow. =Flesh= whitish or yellowish. =Gills= close, white or pale-yellow, emarginate, floccose on the edge. =Stems= firm, solid, often unequal, central or sometimes eccentric, single or cespitose, colored like the pileus. =Spores= subglobose, 5µ in diameter.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2.5 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Pine stumps. Albany and Rensselaer counties. October.

The species seems to be related to T. rutilans but has not the red or purplish tomentum of that fungus. It, like T. decorosum, is always lignicolous. T. rutilans is sometimes so. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Frequently found in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Pine stumps. September to frost. McIlvaine.

The flesh compares with that of T. rutilans, and makes an equally good dish.

=T. gran´de= Pk. =Pileus= thick, firm, hemispherical, becoming convex, often irregular, dry, scaly, somewhat silky-fibrillose toward the margin, white, the margin at first involute. =Flesh= grayish-white, taste farinaceous. =Gills= close, rounded behind, adnexed, white. =Stem= stout, solid, fibrillose, at first tapering upward, then equal or but slightly thickened at the base, pure white. =Spores= elliptical, 9–11×6µ.

=Pileus= 4–5 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 1–1.5 in. thick.

Among fallen leaves in woods. Cattaraugus county. September.

The plants are often cespitose, and then the pileus is more or less irregular and the gills somewhat lacerated. The species is related to T. columbetta, from which its larger size, constantly scaly pileus, more cespitose mode of growth, larger spores and farinaceous taste separate it. The scales of the pileus are brownish, and the pileus itself is sometimes slightly dingy on the disk. The young margin is pure white like the stem, and both it and the upper part of the stem are sometimes studded with drops of moisture.

The plant was found on trial to be edible, but not of first quality. The flesh is not very tender, nor the flavor captivating even in young specimens. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. Mixed woods. August to frost. McIlvaine.

Gross when old. Young specimens of medium quality and flavor.

=T. columbet´ta= Fr.—columba, a pigeon. (Plate XVIII, fig. 5, p. 60.) =Pileus= convex, then nearly plane, fleshy, obtuse, rigid, somewhat flexuous, dry, at first bare, then silky-fibrillose, becoming even or scaly, white, the margin at first involute, more or less tomentose. =Flesh= white, taste mild. =Gills= close, emarginate, thin, white. =Stem= stout, solid, unequal, nearly bare, white. =Spores= 7–8×4.5µ.

The species is very variable and the following varieties have been described:

Var. A. =Pileus= nearly always repand or lobed, at first bare, even, at length cracked-scaly, often reddish spotted, the margin when young inflexed, tomentose. =Stem= obese, even, unequal, swollen, an inch thick. The typical form.

Birch wood among mosses.

Var. B. =Pileus= subflexuous, silky-fibrillose, at length scaly, sometimes dingy-brown spotted, the margin scarcely tomentose. =Stem= longer, equal or slightly narrowed at the base.

Bushy places. Intermediate between A and C.

Var. C. =Pileus= regular, flattened, evidently fibrillose, sometimes spotted with blue, four inches broad. =Stem= equal, cylindrical, fibrillose-striate, four inches long.

Beech woods. A showy variety so diverse from variety A that it might be regarded as a distinct species, did not variety B connect them, and so much resemble both that it might with equal propriety be referred to either.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1–4 in. long, 3–12 lines thick.

Woods and pastures. Albany county, N.Y.

It may be distinguished from T. album by its mild taste. It is recorded as edible. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Edible, Curtis, Cooke, Stevenson.

This much varied Tricholoma is as varied in its habitat. I have found it on vacant lots in Philadelphia, in mixed woods at Devon, Pa., and in the forests of the West Virginia mountains, and eaten it since 1881.

It cooks readily and is of mild, agreeable flavor.

=T. ru´tilans= Schaeff.—rutilo, to be reddish. =Pileus= fleshy, campanulate becoming plane, dry, at first covered with a dark-red or purplish tomentum then somewhat scaly, the margin thin, at first involute. =Flesh= yellow. =Gills= crowded, rounded, yellow, thickened and downy on the edge. =Stem= somewhat hollow, nearly equal or slightly thickened or bulbous at the base, soft, pale-yellow variegated with red or purplish floccose scales. =Spores= 6.5–8×6.5µ.

(Plate XXI.)

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 5–8 lines thick.

On or about pine stumps, rarely on hemlock trunks. July to November. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= subglobose, 5–6µ diameter Massee; 6–8×6µ B.; 6×9µ W.G.S.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. May to November. McIlvaine.

Quite common in West Virginia mountains and in pine woods of New Jersey. The Boston Mycological Club reports it found in quantity in Massachusetts. The flesh when cooked is gummy, like the marshmallow confection. It is excellent.

** Gills becoming reddish or gray, etc.

=T. vacci´num= Pers.—vacca, a cow. =Pileus= fleshy, convex or campanulate, becoming nearly plane, umbonate, dry, floccose-scaly, reddish-brown, the margin involute, tomentose. =Flesh= white. =Gills= adnexed, subdistant, whitish, then reddish or reddish-spotted. =Stem= equal, hollow, covered with a fibrillose bark, naked at the apex, pale reddish.

=Spores= subglobose, 6µ.

=Pileus= 1–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Under or near coniferous trees. Greene and Essex counties. September and October. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Recorded as edible by Gillet.

Plentiful in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia. Have eaten it since 1885. Fair.

=T. fuligi´neum= Pk.—fuligineus, resembling soot. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, obtuse, often irregular, dry, minutely scaly, sooty-brown. =Flesh= grayish, odor and taste farinaceous. =Gills= subdistant, uneven on the edge, ash-colored becoming blackish in drying. =Stem= short, solid, equal, bare, ash-colored. =Spores= oblong-elliptical, 8×4µ.

=Pileus= 1–2.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. long, 3–5 lines thick.

Among mosses in open places. Greene county. September. Rare. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Quite common in Pennsylvania and New Jersey on mossy wood margins. It is of fair quality and flavor.

(Plate XXII.)

=T. ter´reum= Schaeff.—the earth. (Plate XVIII, fig. 4, p. 60.) =Pileus= fleshy, thin, soft, convex, campanulate or nearly plane, obtuse or umbonate, innately fibrillose or floccose-scaly, ashy-brown, grayish-brown or mouse color. =Flesh= white or whitish. =Gills= adnexed, subdistant, more or less eroded on the edge, white becoming ash-colored. =Stem= equal, varying from solid to stuffed or hollow, fibrillose, white or whitish. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 6–7×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 1–3 in. broad.= Stem= 1–2 in. long, 2–4 lines thick.

Woods. Albany, Rensselaer and Cattaraugus counties. September to November. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 7×5.5µ Morgan; 5–6µ, Massee; 6–7×4µ K.; 6µ W.G.S.

Eaten by Professor Peck. Eaten by McIlvaine. Quality fair.

=T. ter´reum= Schaeff.—var. fra´grans Pk. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, dry, innately-fibrillose or minutely floccose-scaly, grayish-brown or blackish-brown. =Gills= rather broad, adnexed, whitish or ash-colored. =Stem= equal, solid or stuffed, rarely hollow, whitish. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 6–7×4–5µ.

The Fragrant tricholoma has a distinct farinaceous odor and flavor. In other respects it closely resembles the Earth-colored tricholoma of which it is considered a mere variety. The typical European plant is said to be without odor or nearly so and has not been classed among the edible species by European writers. But our variety, though not high-flavored, is fairly good and entirely harmless. Its cap varies considerably in color but is some shade of gray or brown. Its center is without any prominence or very bluntly prominent, and its surface is commonly very obscurely marked with innate fibrils or in small plants may have very small flocculose tufts or scales. The flesh is whitish as also are the gills, though these sometimes assume a more decided grayish hue. They are rather broad and loose and sometimes uneven on the edge or even split transversely. They are usually deeply excavated next the stem and attached to it by a narrow part. The stem is whitish or slightly shaded with the color of the cap. It often has a few longitudinal fibrils, but never any collar. It may be either solid, stuffed or spongy within, or in large specimens, hollow.

The plants grow gregariously or sometimes in tufts on the ground under or near trees or in thin woods, especially of pine, or in mixed woods. The caps vary from 1–4 in. broad, and the stems from 1–3 in. long and from 2–6 lines thick. The plants occur in autumn. In Europe there is a variety of this species which also has a farinaceous odor, but it differs from our plant in having reddish edges to the gills. It is called variety orirubens. Peck, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Var. fragrans is plentiful and gregarious among New Jersey pines, October to frost. Other varieties are often found. Specimens found by me at Mt. Gretna, Pa., and sent to Professor Peck who identified them as var. fragrans Pk., were decidedly umbonate. Gills were easily separable from cap.

Var. fragrans is a favorite. It is pleasant to many, even raw. Plentiful salting while cooking develops a high and exquisite flavor.

=T. fumes´cens= Pk.—smoky. =Pileus= convex or expanded, dry, clothed with a very minute appressed tomentum, whitish. =Gills= narrow, crowded, rounded behind, whitish or pale cream color, changing to smoky-blue or blackish where bruised. =Stem= short, cylindrical, whitish. =Spores= oblong-elliptical, 5–6.5µ.

=Pileus= 1 in. broad. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. high, 2–3 lines thick.

Woods. Columbia county. October. Rare.

The species is remarkable for the smoky or blackish hue assumed by the gills when bruised and also in drying. It is apparently related to T. immundum Berk., but in that species the whole plant becomes blackish when bruised, and the gills are marked with transverse lines and tinged with pink. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. September to November, 1898. McIlvaine.

The size of cap sometimes attains to 3 in and stem to ½ in. in thickness. Taste at first farinaceous then sweetish. The caps are of excellent quality and flavor.

(Plate XXIII.)

=T. imbrica´tum= Fr.—covered with tiles. =Pileus= fleshy, compact, convex or nearly plane, obtuse, dry, innately scaly, fibrillose toward the margin, brown or reddish-brown, the margin thin, at first slightly inflexed and pubescent then naked. =Flesh= firm, thick, white. =Gills= slightly emarginate, almost adnate, rather close, white when young, becoming reddish or spotted. =Stem= solid, firm, nearly equal, fibrillose, white and mealy or pulverulent at the top, elsewhere colored like the pileus. =Spores= 6.5 × 4–5µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 4–10 lines thick. Under or near coniferous trees. Greene and Essex counties. September and October.

This is an edible species. It has a farinaceous odor and taste when fresh. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Closely resembles T. transmutans in size, color and taste. It is, however, easily separated by its dry cap and solid stem. Peck.

Plentiful in pine woods of New Jersey, and among hemlocks in West Virginia. Mt. Gretna, Pa., under pines. October and November, 1898. McIlvaine.

Specimens found at Mt. Gretna had caps dark umber when young, and margin incurved to stem. Gills yellowish. Stem up to 4 in. long, stout, solid, swollen at base, and having a short pointed ending, firm, fibrillose, white. Flavor farinaceous.

Flesh of good texture and taste.

III.—RIG´IDA. Pileus rigid, cuticle broken up into smooth scales, etc.

* _Gills white or pallid, not becoming spotted with red or gray. Not represented._

** Gills becoming reddish or grayish, spotted, etc.

=T. sapona´ceum= Fr.—sapo, soap. Strong, smelling of an undefinable soap. =Cap= 2–4 in. across, involute at first, convex then flattened, dry, glabrous, moist in wet weather, never viscid, brownish, more or less spotted or having the skin cracked into scales, occasionally covered with dark fibrils. =Flesh= firm, whitish becoming reddish when wounded. =Gills= emarginate, with a hooked tooth (uncinate) thin, distant, pale white. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, about ½ in. thick, often unequal, base sometimes long and rooting, usually smooth, at times reticulated with black fibrils, or is scaly. Distasteful.

The species is variable in size and color. Stevenson remarks: “Scarcely any species has been more confounded with others.” It may always be safely distinguished by its odor, by its distant gills, by the smooth cuticle of the cap cracking into scales, and by the change of color to reddish when bruised.

West Virginia mountains. August to frost. 1881–85. New Jersey, Pennsylvania. McIlvaine.

This fungus is not extremely unpleasant when eaten—like T. sulphureum, but no one will care to eat it. There is nothing in the flavor to recommend it or to inspire a cultivation of taste for it.

IV.—SERICEL´LA. Pileus slightly silky, soon smooth, etc.

* Gills broad, rather thick, somewhat distant.

=T. sulphu´reum= Bull.—sulphur, brimstone. =Odor= strong, fetid or like gas tar. =Cap= 1–4 in. across, subglobose, then convex and plane, slightly umbonate, sometimes depressed, fleshy, margin at first involute. =Color= dingy or reddish sulphur-yellow, at first silky, becoming smooth or minutely tomentose. =Flesh= thick, yellow. =Gills= rather thick, narrowed behind, emarginate or acutely adnate, sometimes appearing arcuate from shape of cap. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, equal or slightly bulbous, often curved, smooth striate, sulphur-yellow, stuffed, fibrous or hollow, yellow within, at times having yellow fibrous roots.

=Spores= 9–10×5µ Massee.

Very variable in size. Gregarious, common in mixed woods.

West Virginia, 1881. West Philadelphia, 1886. McIlvaine.

When quite young T. sulphureum is showy and inviting. Its smell is discouraging, its taste forbidding. No amount of cooking removes its unpleasant flavor. I have tried to eat enough of it to test its qualities, but was satisfied after strenuous efforts to mark it INEDIBLE.

=T. chrysenteroi´des= Pk.—like gold. =Pileus= fleshy, convex or plane, not at all umbonate, firm, dry, glabrous or slightly silky, pale-yellow or buff, becoming dingy with age, the margin sometimes reflexed, flesh pale-yellow, taste and odor farinaceous. =Gills= rather close, emarginate, yellowish, becoming dingy or pallid with age, marked with transverse veinlets along the upper edge, the interspaces veined. =Stem= equal, firm, solid, bare, fibrous-striate, yellowish without and within. =Spores= elliptical, 8–10×5–6µ.

=Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–4 lines thick.

Woods. Lewis and Cattaraugus counties. September.

Nearly allied to T. chrysenterum, but separable by the gills, which are somewhat veiny and not free, by the entire absence of an umbo and by its farinaceous odor and taste. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Frequently found at Angora, and in Woodland Cemetery, West Philadelphia.

Edible. Fair flavor and good quality.

=T. o´picum= Fr.—uncouth. =Pileus= 1–1½ in. across. =Flesh= rather thin, becoming grayish; convex, then expanded, obtusely-umbonate, at length usually upturned and split, very dry, even at first, then minutely scaly, gray. =Gills= broadly emarginate, ventricose, rather thick, scarcely distant, hoary. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 2–3 lines thick, equal, fibrillose, becoming almost glabrous, pallid then grayish, stuffed. Massee.

Among moss, in pine woods, etc.

Inodorous. Somewhat resembling T. saponaceum, but distinguished by the absence of smell.

Waretown, N.J. Under pines and open places in pine woods. August to September, 1889. McIlvaine.

When wet the caps become darker and have a mottled appearance. They are tender, but rather tasteless. The species serves to make quantity when cooked with others of higher flavor.

=T. pipera´tum= Pk.—piper, pepper. =Pileus= rather thin, firm, dry, convex, obtuse or subumbonate, virgate with innate brownish fibrils, varying in color from grayish-brown to blackish-brown, sometimes with greenish or yellowish tints. =Flesh= white or whitish, taste acrid. =Gills= broad, close, rounded behind, adnexed, whitish or yellowish. =Stem= generally short, equal, solid, silky, slightly mealy or pruinose at the top, white or slightly tinged with yellow. =Spores= elliptic, 6–7µ long, 5µ broad. =Pileus= 4–7 cm. broad. =Stem= 5–7 cm. long, 6–12 mm. thick.

The central part of the pileus is sometimes a little darker than the rest. The peppery or acrid taste is very distinct and remains in the mouth many minutes. This and the innately fibrillose character of the pileus are distinguishing characters of the species. The plants appear from September to November. Peck, Torr. Bull., Vol. 26.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. October to November, 1898, on damp ground among moss. McIlvaine.

=Cap= up to 3 in. across, bell-shaped, then convex, depressed in center and undulate, light-brown, darker toward center, dry, minutely fibrillose. =Flesh= thick, white, thin toward margin. =Gills= emarginate, unequal, not forked. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, hard, equal or enlarging toward base, white, silky, striate.

Though peppery raw, this Tricholoma is of good substance and flavor when cooked.

B. PILEUS EVEN, SMOOTH, NOT DOWNY, SCALY, NOR VISCID, ETC.

V.—GUTTA´TA. Pileus marked with drop-like spots or rivulose.

* Gills whitish.

=T. gambo´sum= Fr.—gambosus, swelling near the hoof. =Pileus= 3–4 in. and more broad, becoming pale-tan, fleshy, hemispherico-convex, then flattened, obtuse, undulated and bent backward, even, smooth, but spotted as with drops, at length widely cracked (not, however, torn into squamules), the margin at the first involute and tomentose. =Flesh= thick, soft, fragile, white. =Stem= 2 in. and more long, ½-1 in. thick, solid, fleshy-firm, almost equal, often curved-ascending at the base, white, downy at the apex. =Gills= rounded or emarginato-adnexed, with a somewhat decurrent tooth and when old sinuato-decurrent, crowded, ventricose, 2–3 lines broad, whitish. Fries.

Odor pleasant, of new meal. Often forming large rings or clusters. A whitish form must not be confounded with T. albellus.

=Spores= 13×11µ W.G.S.; 13–14×8–9µ Massee; 13×10µ Cooke.

Angora, Philadelphia. Chester and Lebanon county, Pa. McIlvaine. Fair.

** Gills becoming reddish or smoky-gray.

=T. tigri´num= Schaeff.—spotted like a tiger. =Pileus= 2 in. broad, pallid-brown, variegated with crowded and darker dingy-brown spots, compactly fleshy, convex then expanded, obtuse, repand. =Flesh= thick, firm, white, unchangeable, but thin at the involute margin. =Stem= 1 in. long and thick, very compact, solid, pruinate, white. =Gills= rounded behind, at length decurrent with a tooth, crowded, narrow, white, at length darker.

Solitary or cespitose. Very distinguished, obese, and without any marked smell of new meal. In fir woods and open grassy ground. Rare. June to July. Stevenson.

Edible, Cooke, Fries.

=T. albel´lum= Fr.—albus, white. =Pileus= about 3 in. broad, becoming pale-white, passing into gray when dry, fleshy, thick at the disk, thinner at the sides, conical then convex, gibbous when expanded, when in vigor moist on the surface, spotted (mottled) as with scales, the thin margin naked. =Flesh= soft, floccose, white, unchangeable. =Stem= curt, 1½-2 in. long, 1 in. thick at the base, reaching ½ in. toward the apex, solid, fleshy-compact, ovato-bulbous (conical to the middle, cylindrical above the middle), fibrillose-striate, white. =Gills= very much attenuated behind, not emarginate, becoming broad in front, very crowded, quite entire, white. Fries.

=Spores= elliptical, 6–7×4µ Massee; ovoid, 3µ W.G.S.; ovoid, 3µ Cooke.

=Pileus= not becoming yellow. =Odor= weak when fresh, taste pleasant, almost that of cooked flesh. There are two forms: one larger, solitary, another smaller, connato-cespitose, quite as in A. albellus Sow. It is often confounded with smaller forms of A. gambosus. Stevenson.

North Carolina, Curtis. Damp woods. Edible.

VI.—SPONGIO´SA. Pileus compact then spongy, smooth, moist.

* Gills not discolored.

=T. vires´cens= Pk.—viresco, to grow green. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, sometimes centrally depressed, moist, bare, dingy-green, the margin sometimes wavy or lobed. =Gills= close, gradually narrowed toward the outer extremity, rounded or slightly emarginate at the inner, white. =Stem= subequal, stuffed or hollow, thick but brittle, whitish, sometimes tinged with green. =Spores= broadly elliptical, 5×4µ.

=Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, 6–12 lines thick.

Thin woods. Essex county. July.

The dull smoky-green hue of the pileus is the distinguishing feature of this species. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Quite common in West Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. July to October. McIlvaine.

Edible. Tastes somewhat like many Russulæ, when cooked. Flavor good.

=T. fumidel´lum= Pk.—smoky. =Pileus= convex, then expanded, subumbonate, bare, moist, dingy-white or clay-color clouded with brown, the disk or umbo generally smoky-brown. =Gills= crowded, subventricose, whitish. =Stem= equal, bare, solid, whitish. =Spores= minute, subglobose, 4.5×4µ.

=Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–2.5 in. long, 2–3 lines thick.

Woods. Albany county and Catskill mountains. September and October.

The stem splits easily and the pileus becomes paler in drying. It sometimes becomes cracked in areas. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

On ground. Mt. Gretna. October and November. 1897. McIlvaine.

The species was plentiful among the leaf mold, growing from the ground in mixed woods.

The caps are delicate in substance and flavor.

=T. leucoceph´alum= Fr. Gr.—white; head. =Pileus= 1½-2 in. across, convex then plane, even, moist, smooth, but when young covered with a satiny down; water-soaked after rain. =Flesh= thin, tough, white. =Gills= rounded behind and almost free, white. =Stem= up to 2 in. long, ¼ in. thick, exterior hard, shining, fibrous; interior hollow but solid at base which is attenuated and rooting, twisted. =Smell= strong of new meal. Taste pleasant.

=Spores= 9–10×7–8µ.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. Grassy woods and borders. October to November, 1898. McIlvaine.

Quite common. The caps are excellent.

=T. al´bum= Schaeff.—albus, white. =Pileus= fleshy, tough, convex, becoming plane or depressed, obtuse, very dry, even, glabrous, white, sometimes yellowish on the disk, rarely wholly yellowish, the margin at first involute. =Flesh= white, taste acrid or bitter. =Gills= emarginate, somewhat crowded, distinct, white. =Stem= solid, elastic, equal or tapering upward, externally fibrous, obsoletely frosted at the apex, white. =Spores= elliptical, 5–6µ, long.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 4–6 lines thick.

Woods. Common. August to October. This species is variable in color and in size, being sometimes robust, sometimes slender. It grows singly, in troops or in tufts. It has no decided odor, but a bitter unpleasant taste. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Cooked, tender and of fair flavor.

** Gills becoming discolored.

=T. persona´tum= Fr.—wearing a mask (from its many varieties of colors). (Plate XVIII, p. 60.) =Pileus= compact, becoming soft, thick, convex or plane, obtuse, regular, moist, bare, variable in color, generally pallid or ashy tinged with violet or lilac, the margin at first involute and frosted with fine hairs. =Flesh= whitish. =Gills= broad, crowded, rounded behind, free, violaceous becoming sordid-whitish or dingy-brown. =Stem= generally thick, subbulbous, solid, fibrillose or frosted with fine hairs, whitish or colored like the pileus. =Spores= dingy white, subelliptical, 8–9×4–5µ. On white paper the spores have a slight salmon tint, but they are regular in shape, not angular as in Entoloma.

=Pileus= 2–5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 6–12 lines thick. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Woods and open places, and growing from old, matted stable straw. Common over the United States.

When T. personatum becomes known to the collector, either in the field or on the table, it is sure to become a favorite. It is fleshy, rotund, stocky, moist and smooth, with a tendency in its cap to be wavy-rimmed and jauntily cocked in wet weather. It grows singly or in troops, occasionally in tufts of from five to six individuals. A patch of it is valuable and worth husbanding with covering of fine straw. Cortinarius violaceus resembles it somewhat in color and shape, but it shows a spidery veil, and has brown spores. It is edible.

The common name of T. personatum in England is Blewits, which translated into understandable English is believed to be “blue-hats.” It is everywhere eaten, being of substantial substance, good flavor and cookable in any way. It is especially fine in patties, stews and croquettes.

=T. nu´dum= Bull.—naked. =Pileus= about 3 in. broad, becoming purple-violaceous then changing color, reddish, fleshy, comparatively thin, convexo-plane then depressed, obtuse, even, smooth, with a pellicle which is moist and manifest in rainy weather; margin inflexed, thin, naked. =Flesh= thin, pliant, colored. =Stem= about 3 in. long, ½ in. thick, stuffed, elastic, equal, almost naked, mealy at the apex, violaceous then becoming pale. =Gills= rounded then decurrent (on account of the depressed pileus), crowded, narrow, of the same color as the pileus or deeper violaceous, but soon changing color, at length reddish without the least tinge of violet. Stevenson.

=Spores= 7×3.5µ Massee; 6–8×4µ B.; 6×3µ W.G.S. On ground among leaves. Esculent, very good and delicate. Cordier. Edible. Roze. Edible, all American authorities.

VII.—HYGROPH´ANA. Pileus thin, water-soaked, etc.

* Gills whitish, not spotted.

=T. grammopo´dium= Bull. Gr.—a line; Gr.—a foot. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad, pallid-livid or brownish-red when moist, whitish when dry, fleshy, very thin toward the margin, campanulate then convex, and at length flattened, obtusely umbonate, even, smooth, pellicle moist in rainy weather, not viscous, separating, flesh-colored when moist, white when dry, soft, fragile. =Stem= tall, about 3–4 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, solid, elastic, equal with exception of the thickened base, cylindrical, firm, smooth, evidently longitudinally sulcate, whitish. =Gills= arcuato-adnate or broadly horizontally emarginate, acute at both ends, very crowded, quite entire, very many shorter, somewhat branched behind, white.

Odor moldy. Striking in appearance; the chief of this group. There is a variety wholly white. In pastures and grassy woods. Stevenson.

=Spores= 5–6µ Massee.

Distinguished by the grooved stem and crowded gills, which are adnate when the pileus is expanded. Often growing in rings.

North Carolina, Curtis. Not reported elsewhere. Esculent. Cooke. Much eaten in Europe.

=T. bre´vipes= Bull.—brevis, short; pes, a foot. =Pileus= about 2 in. broad, umber then becoming pale, fleshy, soft, convex then becoming plane, even, smooth, moist (opaque when dry); flesh of the pileus becoming brownish when moist, becoming white when dry. =Stem= solid, very rigid, at length fibrous, pruinate at the apex, externally and internally fuscous; otherwise very variable, sometimes very short, 2–3 lines only long and thick, attenuated downward; commonly 1 in., sometimes bulbous, sometimes equal, more slender. =Gills= emarginato-free, crowded, ventricose, disappearing short of the margin, quite entire, becoming fuscous then whitish. Solitary. Inodorous. The pileus is often stained with soil. Stevenson.

=Spores= elliptical, 7.5×5µ Peck; 7–4µ Massee.

Esculent and very delicate. Paulet. Esculent. Cooke.

=T. hu´mile= Pers.—low, small. (Plate XVIII, fig. 6, p. 60.) Very variable in form and color. =Cap= 2–3 in. across, convex then expanded, wavy, flattened, sometimes umbonate, sometimes depressed, glabrous, occasionally powdered with thin white dust, fragments of veil, sometimes viscid. =Color= changes with moisture, blackish, grayish, and having somewhat the appearance of an oyster. =Gills= rounded-adnexed, with a slight tooth, arcuately decurrent, crowded, 2–3 lines broad, whitish. =Flesh= soft, whitish or grayish. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, up to ½ in. thick, equal (misshapen by pressure when tufted), light gray, covered with fine down, stuffed, becoming hollow, soft, fragile. Gregarious, usually tufted.

=Spores= 7–8×5–6µ K.

Open woods, in gardens, among cinders, grass, etc., September to frost.

Woodland Cemetery, Philadelphia, 1897. McIlvaine.

Its tufted habit and fair size, fleshy cap of good flavor, make it a desirable species. It cooks readily and the caps are of fine flavor.

=T. pæ´didum= Fr.—pædidus, nasty. =Pileus= about 1-½ in. across. =Flesh= very thin, tough, becoming whitish; bell-shaped then convex, at length expanded, umbonate, at length depressed round the conical, prominent umbo, moist, virgate or streaked with innate fibrils radiating from the center, otherwise almost even, smoky-mouse color, opaque, margin naked. =Gills= adnexed with a slight decurrent tooth, slightly sinuate, crowded, narrow, white then gray. =Stem= about 1 in. long and 2 lines thick, base slightly bulbous, tough, slightly striate, naked, dingy-gray. =Spores= elliptic-fusiform, 10–11×5–6µ.

In gardens, on dung-hills, etc. Small, tough, color dingy, without a trace of violet tinge. Massee.

Edible. Cooks tender, and is of good flavor, notwithstanding its name, which in no way applies.

=T. subpulverulen´tum= Pers.—slightly dusty. =Pileus= 1–2½ in. across, convex then plane or depressed in center, even, innately pruinose, hoary, white, whitish, grayish, margin extending as a slight rim incurved beyond gills. =Flesh= white, thick, firm, hygrophanous. =Gills= rounded without a tooth, close, narrow, white. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, equal, solid, somewhat striate, whitish.

=Spores= 5×3µ Massee; 4×3µ W.G.S.

Biological grounds, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia. May to November, 1898. McIlvaine.

A species one is glad to find. It has a healthy substantial presence full of promise. It is a solitary grower among grass on lawns and pastures, but its individuals are neighborly. Caps and stems are excellent.

Grouped by F.D. Briscoe—Studies by C. McIlvaine. PLATE XXIV.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1–2–3. CLITOCYBE 108 8. CLITOCYBE AMETHYSTINA, 107 OCHROPURPUREA,

4. CLITOCYBE 108 9. CLITOCYBE ODORA, 90 OCHROPURPUREA (SECTION),

5. CLITOCYBE MAXIMA, 99 10. CLITOCYBE LACCATA, 107

6. CLITOCYBE MAXIMA 99 11. CLITOCYBE 100 (SECTION), INFUNDIBULIFORMIS,

7. CLITOCYBE NEBULARIS, 85

CLITO´CYBE Fr.

Gr.—sloping. (From the depression of the pileus.)

=Pileus= generally fleshy, becoming thin toward the margin, flexible or tough, plane or depressed, margin involute. =Gills= adnate or decurrent, never sinuate. =Stem= confluent and homogeneous with flesh of pileus, somewhat elastic, with a spongy stuffing, frequently becoming hollow, externally fibrous. Universal veil when present conspicuous on the pileus like frost or silky dew, but commonly wanting.

Growing on the ground, frequently in groups. The thinner and hygrophanous species appear late in autumn. Some are quite fragrant. Collybia, Mycena and Omphalia are separated by their stems being cartilaginous, not externally fibrous as in Clitocybe. Tricholoma by its sinuate gills.

Variations in species of Clitocybe are great. A few are easily fixed in the genus, but many of them will puzzle the amateur and perplex the expert. The gills are always attached to the stem, and usually run down it. They are not notched next to the stem as in Tricholoma.

Like Tricholoma, Clitocybe has many species, most of which are common, and are probably edible. I therefore give Professor Peck’s description of all Clitocybes thus far submitted to him.

I know of but one species which is injurious to some persons—Clitocybe illudens. Many eat and enjoy it. It does not agree with others. A few untried species are suspicious to a like extent. Clitocybe illudens possesses the property of phosphorescence.

Several species of Clitocybe have not been seen or tested by me, nor have I information that these have been tested.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

A. PILEUS FLESHY, OFTEN PALLID WHEN DRY, not hygrophanous.

Flesh firm, not watery, nor splitting into plates. Those which turn pale in drying differ from Series B by their silky luster.

DISCIFORMES (disk-shaped). Page 85.

Pileus somewhat equally fleshy; convex then plane or depressed, obtuse, regular; gills at first adnate or regularly adnato-decurrent. Normally solitary.

* Pileus gray or brownish.

** Pileus violet or reddish.

*** Pileus becoming yellowish.

**** Pileus greenish, becoming pale.

***** Pileus white, becoming shining white.

Distinguished from white hygrophanous species and white species of Paxillus.

DIFFORMES (irregularly shaped). Page 94.

Pileus fleshy in the center, thin at the margin, at first umbonate, then expanded and depressed, irregular. Gills unequally decurrent, longer in some places than in others, sometimes rounded on one side of the stem or only reaching it as in Tricholoma. Stem somewhat cartilaginous externally, but fibrous.

Cespitose, often grown together at base, variable in form, sometimes solitary.

INFUNDIBULIFORMES (funnel-shaped). Page 98.

Pileus becoming thin from the fleshy center to the margin, at length funnel-shaped or deeply umbilicately depressed in the center. Stem spongy, externally fibrous. Gills deeply and equally decurrent from the first. Pileus often becoming discolored or pallid, not hygrophanous.

* Pileus colored or becoming pale, the surface (at least under a lens) innately flocculose or silky, bibulous, not moist.

** Pileus colored or pallid, smooth, moist in rainy weather.

*** Pileus shining whitish, with scattered superficial flocci or becoming smooth.

B. PILEUS FLESHY-MEMBRANACEOUS.

Flesh thin, soft, watery, hygrophanous.

CYATHIFORMES (cup-shaped). Page 104.

Flesh of pileus thin, consisting of two separable plates, disk not compact, hygrophanous, depressed then cup-shaped; gills at first adnate then decurrent, descending, straight. Color dingy when moist.

ORBIFORMES (round-shaped). Page 109.

Pileus somewhat fleshy, hygrophanous, convex then flattened or depressed, polished, not squamulose nor mealy; gills plane, horizontal, thin, crowded, adnate or decurrent with a small tooth. Color dingy or becoming watery pale.

* Gills becoming ash-colored. Pileus at first dark.

** Gills whitish. Pileus becoming pale.

VERSIFORMES (variable in shape). Page 106.

Pileus thin, convex then deformed, tough, more or less squamulose or furfuraceous; gills adnate, broad, rather thick, generally distant. Color hygrophanous.

* Pileus squalid or brownish with dark squamules. None known to be edible.

** Pileus bright, of one color.

Series A.

I.—DISCIFOR´MES.

* Pileus gray or brownish.

=C. nebula´ris= Batsch.—nebula, a cloud. (Plate XXIV, fig. 7, p. 82.) The Clouded clitocybe, Clitocybe nebularis, takes its name from the clouded-gray appearance of its thick cap, which is at first convex, but when mature, either flat or a little depressed. Its flesh is white, thickest in the middle, and in a vertical section is seen to taper rapidly downward into the stem. The gills are close together and rather narrow for the size of the plant. They are white or yellowish-white. The stout solid stem usually tapers upward from the base and is whitish.

The cap is two to four inches or more broad, the stem one to two inches long and about half an inch thick. The Clouded mushroom grows in woods, and sometimes forms large tufts or clusters among fallen leaves. It is found in autumn, but is not very common in this country. Authors differ in their estimate of the edible qualities of this mushroom, but the more recent ones generally agree in classing it as edible. “Mushrooms and Their Use,” C.H. Peck.

=Spores= 4.5×3µ Cooke; elliptical 6×3.5µ Massee; 3×4µ W.G.S.

There has been great diversity of opinion as to the edibility of this species on the continent. Cordier and a friend suffered from it. Paulet counseled mistrust.

This fungus is quite common in the West Virginia mountains and in some parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where I have found it. It is, however, limited to localities. It is one of my favorites, being of marked flavor and agreeable consistency. I have not known it to harm anyone.

(Plate XXV.)

=C. cla´vipes= Pers.—clava, a club; pes, a foot. =Pileus= 1½-2½ in. across, rather convex at first, soon plane, at length almost obconical, very obtuse, even, glabrous, dry, sometimes all one color, brown, sooty, livid-gray, etc., sometimes whitish towards the margin, very rarely entirely white. =Flesh= loose in texture, white, thin at the margin. =Gills= deeply decurrent, continued down the stem as straight lines, rather distant, flaccid, quite entire, broad, entirely and persistently white. =Stem= 2 in. long, base ½ in. and more thick, conically attenuated upward, rather fibrillose, livid, sooty, solid, spongy within. =Spores= elliptical, 6–7×4µ.

In woods, especially pine. Resembling C. nebularis in color, but quite distinct. Smell pleasant, entire substance soft and elastic. Fries.

=Spores= elliptical, 6–7×4µ Massee; sub-ellipsoid, 5–7×3–4µ K.; 6×8µ W.G.S.

Found in pine woods of New Jersey, and under spruce in West Virginia. Its substance is spongy, therefore does not stew well. Cooked in any other way it is delicate and of excellent flavor.

=C. gangræno´sa= Fr.—gangræna, gangrene. =Pileus= fleshy, convex then plane, obtuse, whitish, at first sprinkled with white powder, then naked, variegated, streaked. =Gills= slightly decurrent, arcuate, crowded, dingy-white. =Stem= somewhat bulbous, soft, striate, spongy, solid.

Stinking; large, flesh becoming blackish and variegated with black. Stem curved, sometimes excentric. Pileus whitish, here and there greenish, livid, etc. Fries.

Var. nigres´cens Lasch. Whitish; pileus thin, soft, at first convex, obtuse then plane, somewhat umbonate, and somewhat depressed; gills decurrent, very much crowded, narrow, stem solid, downy.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1¼-1½ in. long, 2–3 lines thick.

Odor rather sweet, taste unpleasant. Cooke.

New Jersey, Haddonfield, pine woods. July to August. McIlvaine.

This Clitocybe is in every way unattractive. It is not poisonous, but no one would care to eat it.

(Plate XXVI.)

=C. me´dia= Pk.—medius, middle. Because intermediate between C. nebularis and C. clavipes. =Pileus= fleshy, convex, becoming plane or slightly depressed, dry, dark grayish-brown, the margin often wavy or irregular, flesh white, taste mild. =Gills= broad, subdistant, adnate or decurrent, whitish, the interspaces somewhat venose. =Stem= equal or but slightly thickened at the base, solid, elastic, not polished, colored like or a little paler than the pileus. =Spores= elliptical, 8×5µ.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 4–8 lines thick. Mossy ground in deep woods. North Elba. September.

This species is intermediate between C. nebularis and C. clavipes. In its general appearance, and in the character of the pileus and stem, it resembles C. nebularis, but in the character of the more distant gills and in the size of the spores it is nearer C. clavipes, of which it might perhaps be regarded as a variety. Two forms are distinguishable. In one the gills are more distant, slightly rounded behind, and adnate or abruptly terminated; in the other they are closer and more distinctly decurrent. The plant is edible. Peck, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

I have known this fungus very favorably since 1883, and regard it as one of the best. I have seen it in the West Virginia mountains only, but it will probably be found in cool, shaded, high localities all over the country. Both it and the C. nebularis are well worthy of search.

=C. viles´cens= Pk.—vilesco, of little value. =Pileus= convex, then plane or depressed, often irregular, glabrous, slightly pruinose on the involute margin, brown or grayish-brown, becoming paler with age, often concentrically rivulose. =Gills= close, adnate or decurrent, cinereous, sometimes tinged with dingy-yellow. =Stem= short, solid, sometimes compressed, grayish-brown, with a whitish tomentum at the base. =Spores= subglobose or broadly elliptical, 5–6.5µ; flesh whitish-gray, odor slight.

=Plant= gregarious, 1–2 in. high. =Pileus= 1–1.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick. Grassy pastures. Jamesville, August. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

A pale form of this species grows on sandy soil, in which the pileus is smoky white, but it becomes grayish-brown in drying. The mycelium binds together a mass of sand, so that when the plant is taken up carefully a little ball of sandy soil adheres to the base of the stem. The stem is sometimes pruinose. The flavor is mild and agreeable. Peck, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Sometimes plentiful about Philadelphia. Edible. Caps tender, slight flavor.

=C. comitia´lis= Fr.—belonging to an assembly. =Pileus= about 1½ in. across, fleshy, convex, then plane, obtuse, even, glabrous, rather moist but not hygrophanous, every part colored alike, sooty-umber, almost black. =Flesh= firm, white. =Gills= very slightly decurrent, horizontal, plane, thin, crowded, white. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, equally attenuated upward from the base, glabrous, sooty, elastic, stuffed. =Spores= elliptical, 7–8×4µ.

Damp places among mosses in pine woods, etc. Distinguished by the blackish color of the almost flat pileus, and the very slightly decurrent gills. Somewhat allied to C. clavipes, but firmer, smaller and inodorous. Massee.

Rather rare. Found in New Jersey among pines; in Pennsylvania in mixed woods.

Edible. Good texture and flavor.

** Violet or reddish.

=C. cyanophæ´a= Fr. Gr.—blue. =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, becoming bluish-dusky-brown, compact, convex then plane, obtuse, smooth. =Stem= 3 in. long, 1 in. thick at the base, attenuated upward, robust, solid, smooth, becoming azure-blue when young, abruptly white at the apex. =Gills= deeply decurrent, crowded, violaceous, then becoming pale.

New York, Albion. In woods. October. Edible. Dr. E.L. Cushing.

Specimens sent to me by Dr. Cushing are the first and only ones of the species I have seen. The description is accurate. The spores were cream color.

=C. monadel´pha= Morg.—monas, single; adelphos, a brother. From its cespitose habit. (Plate XXVII.) Densely cespitose. =Pileus= fleshy, convex then depressed, at first glabrous, then scaly, honey color, varying to pallid-brownish or reddish. =Stem= elongated, solid, crooked, twisted, fibrous, tapering at the base, pallid-brownish or flesh color. =Gills= short, decurrent, not crowded, pallid flesh color. =Spores= white, a little irregular, 7.5×5.5µ.

On the ground in wet woods, spring to late autumn. =Pileus= 1–3 in. =Stem= 3–7 in. Morgan.

Grassy places. Menands. Albany county. September. Edible. Resembling Armillaria mellea, but distinguished from it by the absence of a collar from the stem, by the more decidedly decurrent lamellæ and by the solid stem. It is also more agreeable in flavor. It is related to C. illudens in habit and manner of growth. Peck, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 8×5µ Peck.

October 15, 1898. Identified by Professor Peck. September until frost.

Grows in great clusters about roots, etc., at Mt. Gretna. Frequently much water-soaked and uninviting. Taste variable, sometimes strong, woody.

It is edible, but care should be exercised in collecting to get young, fresh groups.

=C. socia´lis= Fr.—socius, a companion. =Pileus= about 1 in. broad, pale-yellowish with a reddish tinge, fleshy, convex then expanded, acutely umbonate especially when young, even, smooth, dry. =Flesh= moderately thin, white. =Stem= 1 in. long, 2 lines or a little more thick, solid, fibrous, commonly ascending, smooth, reddish, the rooting base hairy. =Gills= plano-decurrent, scarcely crowded, becoming yellow. Fries.

A very pretty species, densely gregarious, inodorous. The stem is sheathed-hairy at the base like Marasmius peronatus. Its greatest affinity is with A. vernicosus, of which it is perhaps a variety. Stevenson.

Quite common in pine woods of New Jersey. Though small, goodly messes of it may be gathered from its patches. The caps make a pleasing dish.

*** Pileus becoming yellow.

None reported as tested for edibility.

**** Pileus greenish or becoming pallid.

=C. odo´ra= Bull.—odorus, fragrant. (Plate XXIV, fig. 9, p. 82.) Fragrant. =Pileus= about 2 in. across, flesh rather thick, tough; soon plane and wavy, even, smooth, pale dingy green, silky when dry. =Gills= adnate, rather close, broad, greenish or pallid. =Stem= about 1–1½ in. long, 2 lines thick, base incrassated, elastic, stuffed. =Spores= elliptical, 6–8×4–5µ. In woods. Massee.

Readily distinguished by the strong, aniseed smell, dingy bluish-green pileus, and the pallid or greenish gills.

Sometimes somewhat cespitose. Tough; size variable, color varies between pale green and greenish-gray, usually all colored alike, but the gills are sometimes white; smell pleasant, spicy, especially when dry. Fries.

=Spores= 6×5µ K.; 8×4µ B.

A rather delicate, even exquisite dish. Cooke.

Edible. Exceedingly spicy. The flavor is pleasant, but rather strong. A few specimens mixed with others of like texture but less flavor make a tasty dish.

=C. rivulo´sa= Pers.—rivus, a stream. (Named from rivulet-like streaks on pileus.) =Pileus= 1–3 in. across, flesh thin, convex then plane and depressed, obtuse, often undulately lobed, dingy flesh-color or reddish, becoming pale, glabrous, then covered with a whitish down. =Gills= slightly decurrent, broad, rather crowded, pinkish-white. =Stem= about 2 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, rather fibrillose, tough, elastic, whitish, stuffed. =Spores= elliptical, 6×3.5µ. Massee.

Among grass by road-sides, etc.

Not common, but when found it is basket-filling. I have found it in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and West Virginia.

Edible. The caps are rather tough but become glutinous and tender when well cooked. Flavor fine.

***** Pileus white, shining when dry.

=C. cerussa´ta= Fr.—cerussa, white lead. =Pileus= 1½-3 in. across, flesh thick at the disk, becoming thin toward the margin; convex then almost plane, obtuse, even, minutely floccose then almost glabrous, white. =Gills= adnate, then decurrent, very much crowded, thin, permanently white. =Stem= about 2 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, smooth, tough, elastic, naked, spongy and solid, white. Among dead leaves, etc.

Taste mild, smell almost obsolete. Stem rather thickened at the base and often tomentose. Pileus said to be gibbous, but not umbonate nor becoming rufescent. Gills not changing to yellowish. Fries.

=Spores= 3µ W.G.S.

Edible. Good.

=C. phylloph´ila= Fr. Gr.—leaf-loving. Whitish-tan. =Pileus= 1–3 in. across, rather fleshy, convex then plane, becoming umbilicate and depressed, sometimes wavy, smooth and even. =Gills= thin, subdistant, white then tinged with ocher, rather broad, very slightly decurrent. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, equal, stuffed then hollow, whitish, tough, silky-fibrillose. =Spores= 6×4µ.

Among leaves in woods, etc.

=Spores= 6×4µ Massee; 6×3µ W.G.S.; 5.5×2.8µ Morgan.

Found at Devon, Pa., 1888; Angora, West Philadelphia, 1897. It is equal to the Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) in texture, but not so high in flavor. Well cooked it is an agreeable and valuable food.

=C. pithyoph´ila= Secr. Gr.—pine-loving. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, dead-white when moist, shining whitish when dry, fleshy but thin, rather plane, umbilicate, at length irregularly shaped, repand and undulato-lobed, even, smooth, flaccid, the margin slightly striate when old. =Stem= somewhat hollow, rounded then compressed, equal, even, smooth, obsoletely or scarcely pruinose at the apex, white tomentose at the (not bulbous) base. =Gills= adnate, somewhat decurrent, very crowded, plane, 2–3 lines broad, distinct, quite entire, white.

Odor not remarkable, but pleasant. Gregarious, somewhat cespitose; white indeed, but when moist watery and somewhat hygrophanous, in which it evidently differs from A. phyllophila. A. tuba, which appears in the same places, is very like it. Stevenson.

=Spores= 6–7×4µ B.

Massachusetts, Sprague; New York, Peck, Bull. 1887.

Albion, Orleans county, N.Y., October, 1898, Dr. Cushing.

Several specimens received were clearly referable to C. pithyophila, though varying in having caps deeply depressed but not umbilicate. The white tomentosity at base was present but indistinct.

Four specimens were eaten and found good. Eaten enjoyably by Dr. Cushing.

=C. fus´cipes= Pk.—fuscus, dirty; pes, a foot. =Pileus= thin, broadly convex or plane, umbilicate, glabrous, whitish and striatulate when moist, pure white when dry, odor and taste farinaceous. =Gills= nearly plane, subdistant, adnate or slightly decurrent, white. =Stem= equal, glabrous or slightly mealy at the top, hollow, dingy brown when moist, paler when dry. =Spores= globose, 5–6µ.

=Pileus= 4–8 lines broad. =Stem= about 1 in. long. Under pine trees. Carrollton. September. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Edible. Its small size gives it minor importance, but a quantity of it makes an excellent meal.

=C. can´dicans= Pers.—candico, to be shining white. Entirely white. =Pileus= about 1 in. across, flesh thin, convex then plane or slightly depressed, umbilicate, regular or slightly excentric, even, with an adpressed silkiness, shining, shining white when dry. =Gills= adnate then slightly decurrent, crowded, very thin, narrow, straight. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 1–2 lines thick, even, glabrous, cartilaginous, polished, equal, hollow, base incurved, rooting, downy. =Spores= broadly elliptical or subglobose, 5–6×4µ. Massee.

Among damp fallen leaves, etc.

Entirely white, small, rather tough; approaching Omphalia in the structure of the stem. The following form is described by Fries as occurring in pine woods: Stem thin, flexuous, base glabrous; pileus plane, not umbilicate, naked (without silky down). Gills scarcely decurrent.

A remarkable form but scarcely to be separated as a species. Fries.

Quite common in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. The caps are excellent when well cooked.

=C. dealba´ta= Sow.—dealbo, to whitewash. =Pileus= about 1 in. or a little more broad, white, slightly fleshy, tough, convex then plane and at length revolute and undulated, always dry (not watery in rainy weather), even, smooth, somewhat shining, but as if innately pruinose under a lens. =Flesh= thin, arid, white. =Stem= 1 in. long, 2 lines thick, stuffed, wholly fibrous, at length also tubed, equal, but often ascending, whitish, mealy at the apex. =Gills= adnate, scarcely decurrent, thin, crowded, white.

=Pileus= sometimes orbicular, sometimes upturned and wavy. Odor weak, pleasant, but not very remarkable. Most distinct from A. candicans in the nature of the stem.

Edible. Its top is exceedingly like ivory. Its charming flavor is exceeded by very few other fungi. Stevenson.

Among leaves and grass. Woodland Cemetery, Philadelphia.

This charming fungus is common over the land. I have known it since 1881, and found it from North Carolina to West Virginia.

=C. robus´ta= Pk.—robustus, stout. =Pileus= thick, firm, at first convex, soon plane or slightly depressed in the center, glabrous, white, the margin at first involute or decurved, naked. =Flesh= white. =Gills= narrow, close, decurrent, whitish. =Stem= stout, rather short, solid, glabrous, equal or slightly tapering upward, often with a bulbous base, white. =Spores= elliptical, 8×4–5µ.

=Pileus= 3–4 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 8–12 lines thick.

Woods among fallen leaves. Catskill mountains. September to November.

This large and robust fungus is closely allied to C. candida Bres., from which it differs in the naked margin of the pileus, the absence of any marked odor and especially in the more elliptical shape of its spores. The same plant has been collected in Maryland by Mr. L.J. Atwater, who considers it edible, having eaten it with satisfaction and safety. Peck, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

This fungus is quite plentiful in Pennsylvania and in open oak woods in New Jersey. Its size and sometimes gregarious growth give it a permanent food value. Its texture is coarse, but when cooked it is highly satisfactory.

=C. gallina´cea= Scop.—gallina, a hen. Application not apparent. White; acrid. =Pileus= 1–1½ in. across, rather fleshy at the disk, margin thin; convex then depressed, but not funnel-shaped, even, dry, opaque. =Gills= slightly decurrent, narrow, crowded, thin. =Stem= about 1½ in. long, 2 lines thick, equal, even, solid. Among grass, moss, etc.

Resembling C. dealbata in form, but smaller, opaque, dingy-white, taste somewhat acrid. Stem solid, but not cartilaginous, about 2 in. long, equal, ascending or flexuous, excentric, at first floccosely mealy, always opaque, white. Pileus slightly fleshy, convex then plane, not depressed, obtuse, ½-1 in. broad, unequal, dry, pruinosely hoary; flesh white, compact, but thin. Gills adnato-decurrent, thin, crowded, plane. Fries.

It loses its acridity in cooking and is quite equal to C. dealbata.

=C. trunci´cola= Pk.—truncus, trunk of a tree. =Pileus= thin, firm, expanded or slightly depressed in the center, smooth, dry, white. =Gills= narrow, thin, crowded, adnate-decurrent. =Stem= equal, stuffed, smooth, often excentric and curved, whitish.

=Plant= 1 in. high. =Pileus= 1 in. broad. =Stem= 1 line thick.

Trunks of frondose trees, especially maples. Croghan. September. Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 5×3.5µ Morgan.

Found on maple trees in West Philadelphia, Pa. Edible. Good quality.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1. CLITOCYBE MULTICEPS, 95 2. CLITOCYBE MULTICEPS, 95 VAR.

II.—DIFFOR´MES.

=C. decas´tes= Fr. Gr.—a decade; a number of ten. From the stems being often joined in bundles of about ten. Densely cespitose. =Pileus= 5–12 in. across, soon almost plane, disk gibbous or obtuse; margin at first shortly incurved, then expanded, very much waved and often lobed, even, glabrous, dingy-brown or livid when moist, pale clay-color when dry. =Flesh= exceedingly thin except at the disk, whitish. =Stem= 4–7 in. long, ½-1½ in. thick, usually slightly thinner upward, rather soft, entirely fibrous, solid, white, usually curved and ascending, coalescent into a solid mass at the base. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, or often more or less adnexed, up to ½ in. broad, rather narrowed towards the margin, often wavy. =Spores= globose, smooth, 4µ diameter.

On the ground and on sawdust.

Albion, Orleans county, N.Y., Dr. Cushing. October, 1898.

On ground in grassy places (Woodland Cemetery, May 22, 1897). McIlvaine.

Particularly welcome to toadstool lovers are the early comers. The present species is among the first. It is rich in quantity, substance and flavor.

=C. mul´ticeps= Pk.—multus, many; caput, a head. (Plate XXVII_a_, p. 94.) =Pileus= fleshy, thin except on the disk, firm, convex, slightly moist in wet weather, whitish, grayish or yellowish-gray. =Flesh= white, taste mild. =Gills= close, adnate and slightly decurrent, whitish. =Stems= densely cespitose, equal or slightly thickened at the base, solid or stuffed, firm, elastic, slightly pruinose at the apex, whitish. =Spores= globose, 5–8µ.

=Pileus= 1–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Open places, grassy ground, etc. Albany and Sandlake. June and October. This species forms dense tufts, often composed of many individuals. In this respect it is related to such species as C. tumulosa, C. aggregata and C. illudens. From the crowding together of many individuals the pileus is often irregular. Sometimes the disk is brownish and occasionally slightly silky. The gills are sometimes slightly sinuate, thus indicating a relationship to the species of Tricholoma. The taste, though mild, is somewhat oily and unpleasant. The plants appear in wet, rainy weather, either early in the season or in autumn. Specimens have been sent to me from Massachusetts by R.K. Macadam and Professor Farlow, and from Pennsylvania by Dr. W. Herbst. Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, New Jersey, Mt. Gretna, Pa. In May, and in autumn months. Very variable in size, color, shape of gills, texture and taste. McIlvaine.

The early spring clusters are remarkable for their tenderness and excellence. Clusters of hundreds of individuals grew abundantly at Mt. Gretna in May, 1899. When the fungus was young the gills were sometimes adnate, almost free, often decurrent. The varying color of oysters is well seen in C. multiceps.

Edible. They should be well cooked. The addition of a little lemon juice or sherry conceals a slight raw taste sometimes present.

PAGE. CLITOCYBE ILLUDENS 96

=C. illu´dens= Schw.—mocking, deceiving. (Plate XXIX_a_, p. 96.) =Pileus= fleshy, convex or expanded, smooth, generally with a small umbo. =Gills= not crowded, unequally decurrent, some of them branched, narrowed toward each end, the edge, in dry specimens, discolored. =Stem= firm, solid, long, smooth, tapering at the base.

=Height= 5–8 in., breadth of pileus 4–6 in. =Stem= 6–8 lines thick.

=Spores= 4–5µ Peck.

Grows in clumps or large masses about stumps or decaying trees from August to October. Its bright, deep yellow is attractive from a distance. As many as fifty plants may form a cluster. Cap from 2–6 in., fleshy, convex or expanded, often with a raised center directly over the stem; flesh juicy and yellow; gills yellow, widely separated, running down stem unequally; stem long, firm, solid, smooth, tapering toward base. When cooked the taste is rather saponaceous. Strong stomachs can retain a meal of them, but the fungus generally sickens the eater. Many testings show it to contain a minor poison. It is not deadly, but should not be eaten. Bull. No. 2, Phila. Myc. Center.

New York, Peck, Rep. 23–49. Well known in southern states. Indiana, H.I. Miller.

The mysterious property of phosphorescence is possessed by this fungus. As heat is known to develop in masses of the fungus it is of interest to know whether it is from the phosphorescence or a ferment. Its radiance by night surpasses its splendor by day. Mr. H.I. Miller, of Terre Haute, Ind., first drew the writer’s attention to this quality. A large box of specimens sent by him retained their luminous quality after three days of travel to such an extent that the print of a newspaper could be read when held close to the mass.

Mr. Miller writes: “There is something about this fungus which generates heat. When I bring in a basketful of it, for the pleasure its phosphorescence affords my friends, I find that after having been in the basket for two or three hours, and while piled one bunch upon top of another, that to insert one’s hand among the different clusters is like putting it close to a hot stove.”

This fungus is so inviting in quantity and beauty that one turns from it with a regret that lingers. Eaten in quantity it acts upon some persons as an emetic. I have several times eaten of it without other than pleasurable sensations, but persons partaking of the same cooking have been sickened.

=C. fumo´sa= Pers.—fumus, smoke. =Pileus= 1–3 in. across, fleshy, margin thin; convex, often gibbous when young, regular or wavy, even, pellicle not separable, glabrous, sooty-brown, soon livid or gray when dry. =Gills= adnate in regular forms, but often decurrent when the pileus is irregular, crowded, distinct, grayish-white from the first. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3–6 lines thick, almost equal, often twisted or curved, glabrous, dingy-white, apex mealy, solid, fibrous. =Spores= subglobose, 5–6µ diam.

In woods. Autumn.

Gregarious, somewhat cespitose, tough, rather cartilaginous. Pileus truly obtuse, never streaked, often regular. Smell none. Fries.

Var. po´lius. Densely and connately cespitose. =Pileus= convex, then plane, obtuse, smooth, gray. =Stem= flexuous, smooth. =Gills= crowded, whitish. Edible. Cooke, 1891.

Var. polius found growing in large quantities in Boston navy yard in stone barn. Determined by Professor Peck. A fair edible. R.K. Macadam.

This woods-growing Clitocybe has been many times found by me in a hot-house in Haddonfield, N.J. Professor Peck confirmed my identification. Either its spores or mycelium had evidently been carried thither in the wood-earth used by florists. The hot-house crops appeared in March, and continued until June.

Several of the plants showed an effort to comply with some condition unusual to them, by producing gills upon the upper side of the pileus. Those below were venose and crisped.

This wild species had thus been brought into cultivation. The cultivated plants were much more tender than the wild. Both are excellent.

=C. connex´a= Pk.—connexus, joined. From its relation to Tricholoma. =Pileus= thin, convex or expanded, subumbonate, clothed with a minute appressed silkiness, white, the margin sometimes faintly tinged with blue. =Gills= crowded, narrow, white inclining to yellowish. =Stem= equal or tapering downward, solid, whitish.

=Plant= 2–3 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2 lines thick.

Ground in woods. Croghan. September.

The gills sometimes terminate rather abruptly and are not strongly decurrent, hence it might easily be mistaken for a Tricholoma. The margin of the pileus is sometimes marked with slight ridges as in Ag. laterarius. The odor is weak but aromatic and agreeable. Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found in plenty in oak woods near Philadelphia, and in West Virginia; a few specimens in southern New Jersey. Autumn.

Edible, and quite equal to most of the Clitocybes.

=C. tumulo´sa= Kalchbr.—tumulus, a mound. Cespitose. =Pileus= 1–2 in. across, disk fleshy, margin thin; conico-convex then expanded, obtusely umbonate or obtuse, even, glabrous, brownish-umber, becoming pale, margin drooping. =Gills= more or less decurrent or slightly emarginate, crowded narrow, white, then grayish. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, unequal, usually thicker below, minutely downy, pallid, solid.

On the ground in woods. Spring and autumnal months. Readily distinguished by the densely clustered habit, and the umber pileus. The gills are very variable, sometimes distinctly decurrent, at others rounded behind, and almost resembling a Tricholoma. =Spores= subglobose, 5–6µ. Massee.

California, H. and M.; New York, Peck, Rep. 42.

Sent to me by Mrs. Mary Fuller, Washington, D.C. The specimens eaten were of good consistency and flavor.

III.—INFUNDIBULFOR´MES.

* Pileus colored or becoming pale, etc., surface innately flocculose or silky; not moist.

=C. gigante´a= Sow.—giganteus, of gigantic size. =Pileus= 6–10 in. across. =Flesh= rather thin in proportion to the size of the fungus, white, or tinged with tan, glabrous when moist, slightly flocculose when dry; margin involute then spreading, glabrous, rather coarsely grooved. =Gills= slightly decurrent, broad, very much crowded, branched and connected by veins, whitish then pale tan-color, not separating spontaneously from the hymenophore. =Stem= 1–2 in. long and nearly the same in thickness, equal, pallid, solid. =Spores= white, 5×3µ.

In woods, etc.

A very distinct species, very showy, large, subcespitose, entirely whitish tan-color; without close affinities. Stem solid, compact, and firm inside and outside, 2½ in. long, ½ in. thick, equal, even, glabrous. Pileus depressed from the first, then broadly, i. e., plano-infundibuliform, thin but equally fleshy, soft, not flaccid, but easily splitting from the margin toward the center (almost papery and involute when old), upward of a foot broad, often excentric and generally sinuately lobed, moist and adpressedly downy when growing, slightly flocculose and cracked into scales when dry; margin at first very thin, involute, pubescent, soon spreading, glabrous, at length revolute, coarsely furrowed or radiately wrinkled. Gills slightly decurrent, closely crowded, almost 3 lines broad (2–3 times as broad as thickness of flesh of pileus), connected by veins, thin, fragile, straight, but sometimes varying to crisped and anastomosing, whitish then yellowish or tinged with rufous, smell weak. Fries.

This species was placed in Clitocybe in Syst. Myc. and Epicrisis, but in Hym. Europ. Fries removed it to Paxillus in which he is followed by Stevenson. Cooke and Massee continue it in Clitocybe. Dr. Somers found one measuring over 15 inches in diameter. R.K.M.

North Carolina, Schweinitz. Edible, Curtis; Wisconsin, Bundy; California, H. and M.; Nova Scotia, Dr. Somers.

Large quantities of Clitocybe gigantea grow in the West Virginia mountains, and in woods around Philadelphia. July to November.

Its substance is coarse, but of good flavor. It should be chopped fine.

=C. max´ima= Gärtn and Meyer. (Fl. Wett.)—greatest. (Plate XXIV, fig. 5, page 82.) =Pileus= as much as 1 foot broad, becoming pale-tan or whitish, fleshy, compact at the disk, otherwise thin, somewhat flaccid (not capable of being split), broadly funnel-shaped, gibbous with a central umbo, always very dry, the surface becoming silky-even or squamulose; margin involute, pubescent, always even. =Flesh= white, at length soft. =Stem= as much as 4 in. long, 1 in. thick, solid, compact, but internally spongy, elastic, attenuated upward, fibrillosestriate, whitish. =Gills= deeply decurrent, pointed at both ends, somewhat crowded, soft, simple, whitish, not changeable.

The pileus is always very dry because the surface absorbs moisture. Odor weak, pleasant, almost that of A. infundibuliformis. On account of its gigantic stature and color, it has often been interchanged with A. gigantea Sow.; it is in no wise, however, allied to that species, but is so closely allied to A. infundibuliformis that it might be taken for a very luxuriant form of it. Stevenson.

=Spores= 6×4µ Massee; 5×3µ, W.G.S.

New England, Frost; California, H. and M.

Common in the West Virginia mountains, mixed woods in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. June to November. McIlvaine.

It is coarse, dry, hard, but chopped fine and cooked in various ways, either by itself or with meats, it is a good food.

=C. infundibulifor´mis= Schaeff.—infundibulum, a funnel; forma, form. (Plate XXIV, fig. 11, p. 82.) The Funnel-form clitocybe, Clitocybe infundibuliformis, is a neat and pretty species easily recognized by the funnel shape of its mature cap and by its pale red color. When very young the cap is slightly convex and often adorned with a slight umbo in its center. As it matures the margin becomes elevated so that the cap assumes a shape somewhat resembling that of a wine glass. The margin is sometimes wavy. The flesh is thin and white. The gills are close, thin, white or whitish and decurrent. The stem is smooth, colored like or a little paler than the cap and mostly tapering from the base upward.

The cap is 2–3 in. broad, the stem 1½-3 in. long and ¼-½ in. thick.

The funnel-shaped mushroom grows in woods or copses in summer and autumn, especially in wet seasons. It is somewhat variable in color, but is usually a pale-red, tinged with buff, and sometimes becoming more pale with age. It delights to grow among fallen leaves, and often there is an abundant white cottony mycelium at the base of the stem. When it grows in clusters the caps are apt to be irregular because of mutual pressure. “Mushrooms and Their Use.” Peck.

=Spores= 5–6×3–4µ B.

Very common and in plenty after rains, when large patches of it may be found. I have usually found the light pinkish-buff color to abound, and the stem thinner than described by Prof. Peck. Size of cap from 1–3 in.

It is a good, reliable food species. The stem should be removed, and the caps well cooked.

** Pileus colored or pallid, smooth, moist in wet weather.

=C. subzonal´is= Pk.—sub, under; zonalis, pertaining to a zone. =Pileus= thin, centrally depressed or subinfundibuliform, marked with two or three obscure zones, with a slight appressed silkiness, pale yellow. =Gills= close, narrow, equally decurrent, some of them forked, pallid or yellowish. =Stem= equal, slightly fibrillose, stuffed, pale yellow.

=Plant= 2 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 lines thick.

Ground in woods. Croghan. September. Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found in oak woods, Angora, West Philadelphia, growing singly. Specimens few. Edible; pleasant.

=C. gil´va= Pers.—gilvus, pale brownish-yellow. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, pale yellowish, fleshy, compact, convex then depressed, very obtuse, even, smooth, dampish when fresh, polished and shining when dry, here and there spotted as with drops, the margin remaining long involute. =Flesh= compact, not laxly floccose, but at length fragile, somewhat of the same color as the pileus. =Stem= 1–2 in. and more long, ½ in. and more thick, solid, fleshy, stout, not elastic, somewhat equal, smooth, paler than the pileus, villous at the base. =Gills= decurrent, thin, very much crowded, often branched, arcuate, narrow, pallid then ochraceous.

Odor not remarkable. The stem has been noticed at length also hollow, perhaps eroded by larvæ. It corresponds with the Paxilli. The primary form, which is very different from all the rest, is curt, obese, robust, scarcely ever infundibuliform. Stevenson.

=Spores= 4–5×5µ K.; 4–5µ Massee.

North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; Pennsylvania, Schweinitz; New York, Peck, R. 51, under pines. July to September.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. July, 1898, ground, mixed woods. McIlvaine.

=Pileus= 1–2½ in. across, depressed, almost infundibuliform, smooth. =Color= varied lemon to bright orange. =Flesh= lemon color throughout. =Gills= varying in color, usually same color as pileus. =Stem= all of one color, same as pileus, stuffed, sometimes short, and pointed, sometimes thickened at base. Taste and smell pleasant. Edible; good.

=C. subinvolu´ta= Batsch.—turned under at the margin. =Pileus= brick color, convex, depressed, smooth, margin closely involute. =Flesh= pallid. =Stem= paler, stout, straight, somewhat equal, veined on the lower part with oblique coalescing slightly elevated wrinkles, tomentose and inclining to flesh color above toward the gills, base obtuse. =Gills= decurrent, rather broad, of the same color as the pileus.

The stem is rough on the surface and destitute of luster. It resembles Paxillus involutus in size and habit, in the crenate and involute margin of the pileus, and in the stem being obsoletely veined at the base and tomentose toward the gills. Stevenson.

New England, Frost; New York, Peck, Rep. 22.

Edible, Cooke.

=C. geo´tropa= Bull. Gr.—the earth; Gr.—to turn. From the turned down margin. =Pileus= 2–5 in. across. =Flesh= thick, white convex, then plane and finally more or less depressed, obtusely umbonate, the prominence remaining after the pileus becomes depressed, very smooth, even, margin thin, incurved, downy, pale pinkish-tan or buff. =Gills= decurrent, crowded, narrow, simple, white, then colored like the pileus. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, 1 in. or more thick at the base, slightly attenuated upward, compact, fibrillose, colored like the pileus or paler, solid. =Spores= elliptical, 6–7×4–5µ. Massee.

In woods and on their borders. Often in rings or troops.

Differs from C. maxima in being firmer, glabrous, and color much more variable; from C. gilva in the thinner pileus, less crowded gills, and white flesh.

=Spores= 5–7µ W.G.S.

In England and on the continent it is considered excellent and superior to most edible fungi.

Found in West Virginia, 1881; Haddonfield, N J., 1891. Spring and autumn. McIlvaine.

Edible, coarse, dry. In stews and mixed to form croquettes or patties, it is a desirable species, owing to its plentifulness.

=C. splen´dens= Pers.—splendens, shining. Solitary. =Pileus= 2–3 in. across, flesh rather thick, white, plane then depressed or funnel-shaped, glabrous, shining, yellowish. =Gills= deeply decurrent, narrow, crowded, simple, white. =Stem= about 1 in. long, 3 lines thick, glabrous, colored like the pileus, solid, slightly thickened at the base or equal. Massee.

In woods, among pine leaves, etc.

Intermediate between C. gilva and C. flaccida. The typical form of C. gilva differs in the compact pileus, often with drop-like markings, the very much crowded, somewhat branched, pale ochraceous gills and flesh. Fries.

Sent to me from Trenton, N.J., by E.B. Sterling.

Edible; quality good, deficient in flavor.

=C. inver´sus= Scop.—inverto, inverted. =Pileus= 2–3 in. across. =Flesh= thin, fragile; convex, soon funnel-shaped, margin involute, glabrous, even, reddish or dull brownish-orange. =Gills= decurrent, simple, pallid then reddish. =Stem= about 1½ in. long, 2 lines thick, glabrous, rather rigid, paler than the pileus, stuffed, soon hollow. =Spores= subglobose, 4µ diameter. Massee.

Among leaves, etc.

Gregarious, subcespitose, forming very large tufts, especially late in the autumn, deformed. Smell peculiar, slightly acid. Stem sometimes stuffed, usually hollow, hence compressed, rather rigid and corticated outside, not elastic, without a bulb, glabrous, whitish; the somewhat rooting base with white down, and often growing together in tufts, variously deformed, curved, ascending, etc. Fries.

=Spores= subglobose, 4µ Massee; 3µ W.G.S.

Closely resembles C. infundibuliformis, but differs from it in the color of gills and flesh. The entire plant is dark in color. Solitary; in troops; cespitose.

Found in mixed woods. Haddonfield, N.J. Summer and autumn.

That part of the plant which readily breaks away from the stem is tender and of good flavor. The remainder is tough.

=C. flac´cida= Sow.—flaccidus, limp. =Pileus= 2–3 in. across, flaccid, orbicular, umbilicate, umbo persistently absent, margin spreading, arched, glabrous, even, rarely cracking into minute squamules, tawny-rust colored, shining, not becoming pale. =Flesh= thin, pallid, rather fragile when fresh, but quite flaccid when dry. =Gills= deeply decurrent, arcuate, crowded, narrow, about 1 line broad, white, then tinged yellowish. =Stem= imperfectly hollow, elastic, tough, 1–2 in. long, 2–3 lines thick somewhat equal, polished, naked, reddish-rust color, base thickened, downy. =Spores= subglobose, 4–5×3–4µ.

Among leaves, etc. Gregarious, stems often grown together at the base. Sometimes solitary and regular. Summer and autumn. Massee.

=Spores= subglobose, 4–5×3–4µ.

Found in 1886 in West Philadelphia—oak woods. Since in New Jersey, North Carolina, and interior of Pennsylvania.

Edible. Well cooked it compares favorably with C. infundibuliformis and others of like texture.

*** Pileus shining white.

=C. cati´na= Fr.—catinus, a bowl. =Pileus= 2 in. broad, at first white, in no wise hygrophanous, then passing into pale flesh-color during rain, and into tan-color in dry weather, fleshy, moderately thin, plane then funnel-shaped, always obtuse, even, smooth. =Flesh= thin, flaccid, white. =Stem= 3 in. long, 1½ in. thick, stuffed, internally spongy, elastic, tough, thickened and tomentose at the base. =Gills= decurrent, straight, descending, not horizontal, broad, not much crowded, persistently white. Fries.

Ray Brook, Adirondack mountains. August. The pileus is at first white, but in wet weather it becomes pallid or discolored with age. The plants were found growing among pieces of bark of arbor vitæ lying on the ground. Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Quite common in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Woods among dead leaves. August until frost.

Edible. Excellent in flavor and quality.

Series B.

IV.—CYATHIFOR´MES.

=C. cyathifor´mis= Bull.—cyathus, a cup; formis, form. =Pileus= 1½-3 in. across, flesh thin, plano-depressed when young, then infundibuliform, even, glabrous, hygrophanous, rather slimy and usually dark brown when moist, becoming pale and opaque when dry, undulate in large specimens, the margin remains involute for a long time. =Flesh= watery, similar in color to the pileus, splitting. =Gills= adnate, becoming decurrent with the depression of the pileus, joined behind, distant, grayish-brown, sometimes branched. =Stem= spongy and stuffed inside, elastic, at length often hollow, 2–4 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, attenuated upward, brownish-fibrillose, fibrils forming an imperfect reticulation, colored like the pileus or a little paler, apex naked (not mealy), base villous. Massee.

On the ground in pastures and woods, rarely on rotten wood.

Usually blackish-umber, but varies to paler grayish-brown, pinky-tan, pale cinnamon or brownish; then dingy-ochraceous or tan-color. Margin expanded when old, and also indistinctly striate. Fries.

Var. cineras´cens Fr. =Pileus= up to 1 in. across, thin, infundibuliform, pale smoky-brown. =Gills= decurrent, yellowish-white. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 1½ line thick, grayish, reticulately fibrillose, hollow.

=Spores= 8×5µ W.G.S.; 10–12×5–6µ, B.; 9×6µ Morgan.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. Among leaves in woods. September to October. Gregarious. McIlvaine.

Fair in quality.

=C. bruma´lis= Fr.—bruma, winter. From its late appearance. =Pileus= about 1 in. across. =Flesh= thin, expanded, umbilicate then infundibuliform and usually variously waved and lobed, glabrous, flaccid, hygrophanous, livid, whitish or yellowish when dry, disk often darker. =Gills= decurrent, about 1 line broad, crowded, pallid. =Stem= up to 2 in. long and about 2 lines thick, nearly equal, slightly curved, glabrous, whitish, often compressed, imperfectly hollow. =Spores= 4–5×3–4µ.

In woods, etc.

Truly autumnal, being most abundant in November. There are two forms: (a) on pine leaves in pine woods; (b) among heather. (a) Stem rather firm, hollow, about 2 in. long, 2 lines thick, equal or slightly thickened at the apex, at length compressed, somewhat incurved, glabrous, naked, becoming livid, white when dry, base white and downy. Flesh of pileus membranaceous, at first convex, umbilicate, margin reflexed, about 1 in. across, then funnel-shaped, often irregular and undulate, up to 2 in. broad, glabrous, even, livid when moist, whitish then becoming yellowish when dry, disk at first usually darker. Gills decurrent, at first arcuate, then descending, 1 line broad, crowded, distinct, livid then yellowish-white, smell weak, not unpleasant. (b) Entirely watery white; stem hollow, somewhat striate, base glabrous; pileus infundibuliform, margin deflexed, milky-white when dry. Gills less crowded, but rather broader, whitish. Fries.

=Spores= 3µ W.G.S.; 4–5×3–4µ Massee.

Edible. Cooke.

=C. morbi´fera= Pk.—morbus, disease; fero, to bear. =Pileus= thin, fragile, glabrous, convex, becoming plane or centrally depressed, slightly hygrophanous, grayish-brown when moist, whitish or cinereous when dry, sometimes slightly umbonate. =Gills= narrow, close, adnate or slightly decurrent, whitish or pallid. =Stem= short, equal, hollow, colored like the pileus or a little paler. =Spores= minute, broadly elliptical, 4µ long, almost as broad.

=Pileus= .5–1.5 in. broad. =Stem= about 1 in. long, ⅙–¼ in. thick. Grassy ground and lawns. November. Washington, D.C. F.J. Braendle.

The species seems related to C. expallens, but the margin of the pileus is not striate as in that fungus. The taste is very disagreeable and remains in the mouth a long time. Two persons were made ill by eating it, but their sickness lasted only about three hours. Peck.

I have not seen this species. Its reputation is bad. Caution should be observed.

V.—VERSIFOR´MES.

Pileus bright, of one color.

=C. trullisa´ta= Ellis. =Pileus= fleshy, plano-convex, at length depressed in the center, innate fibrous-scaly, becoming smoother on the disk, margin thin. =Gills= unequal, not crowded, coarse and thick, adnate with a decurrent tooth, at length white pulverulent, purple-violet at first, becoming dark brick-red. =Stem= stuffed, fibrillose, with a long club-shaped base penetrating deeply into the sand. =Spores= large, cylindric-oblong, 15–20µ.

In old sandy fields. September to October.

The interior of the stem in the young plant is like the gills, violet-purple, and the club-shaped base is covered with a tomentose coat, to which the sand adheres tenaciously.

Related to A. laccatus and A. ochropurpureus B.

Resembles the larger forms of A. laccatus, but it has a stouter habit, the pileus is more squamulose, the stem is bulbous or thickened at the base, the mycelium is violet-colored and the spores are oblong. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, November, 1874.

New Jersey, Ellis; New York, Peck, Rep. 33.

Haddonfield, Watertown, N.J. Sandy soil in pine woods. McIlvaine.

Densely cespitose. Caps and stems brown, glutinous and so incrusted with sand that it is almost impossible to clean them. Edible, but not desirable.

=C. lacca´ta= Scop.—made of lac. (Plate XXIV, fig. 10, p. 82.) =Pileus= thin, fleshy, convex, sometimes expanded, even or slightly umbilicate, smooth or minutely tomentose-scaly, hygrophanous when moist, dull reddish-yellow or reddish flesh-colored, sometimes striatulate when dry, pallid or pale dull ochraceous. =Gills= broad, rather thick and distant, attached, not decurrent, flesh-colored. =Stem= slender, firm, fibrous, stuffed, equal, concolorous.

=Height= 1–6 in., breadth of pileus 6 lines to 2 in. Common. June to October.

An extremely variable and abundant species occurring almost everywhere throughout the season. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 8–9µ Massee; 8–10µ B.

Var. pallidifo´lia Pk.—pallidus, pale; _folium_af. Gills whitish or pallid, decurrent.

Var. stria´tula Pk.—stria, a furrow. Pileus moist, smooth, thin, showing shading radiating lines, extending from near the center to the margin. In wet or damp places.

A form occurs with a decidedly bulbous base. Gills appearing emarginate with a decurrent tooth.

Clitocybe laccata is made the type of a new genus by Berkeley and Broome. Massee accepts the genus but it is not generally accepted by the standard authors. It is a well defined genus, and a fitting place for C. laccata, C. amethystina, C. ochropurpurea, C. tortilis, which it puzzles anyone to identify as Clitocybe.

=C. amethys´tina= Bolt.—amethystinus, color of an amethyst. (Plate XXIV, fig. 8, p. 82.) =Pileus= 1–2½ in. across, dark-purple, umbilicate, smooth, minutely tomentose, involute. =Gills= dark-purple, decurrent, broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. high, fibrillose, purple, streaked with white fibrils, equal, densely covered with white tomentum at base.

Also written Clitocybe laccata amethystina Sacc.

“In my opinion it is a good species and should be kept distinct as Bolton gave it, and not be tacked on to C. laccata as a variety. I should write it Clitocybe amethystina Bolt.” Peck, letter September 17, 1897.

New York, Peck, Rep. 41; New Jersey, Sterling; Mt. Gretna, Pa., on wood soil, June to frost, 1897–1898, McIlvaine.

Generally included in C. laccata as a variety, and has therefore been reported under that name.

Great quantities of C. amethystina grew in troops on beds made up of wood earth about the cottages at Mt. Gretna, Pa. The woods over them is dense.

The caps are tough, but they cook readily and make a pleasing dish.

=C. tor´tilis= Bolt.—tortilis, twisted. =Pileus= membranaceous, convexo-plane then depressed, obscurely marked with radiating striæ. =Stem= hollow, twisted, fragile. =Gills= adnate, thick, distant, fleshy-rose, cespitose, small, irregular, pileus and stem rusty in color.

Hard ground in an old road. Sandlake. August. A species closely allied to C. laccata and appearing like an irregular dwarf form of that species. Sometimes cespitose. Peck, 41st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Excepting that this fungus is frequently found with C. laccata, and might be taken for a new species if not here described, it would not be separated from C. laccata.

Its edible qualities are similar.

=C. ochropurpu´rea= Berk.—ochra, ocher; purpureus, purple. (Plate XXIV, figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, p. =82=.) =Pileus= subhemispherical, at length depressed, fleshy, compact, tough, pale yellow, slightly changing to purplish, cuticle easily separable; margin inflexed, at first tomentose. =Stem= paler, here and there becoming purplish, solid, swollen in the middle, occasionally equal. =Gills= thick, purple, broader behind, decurrent. =Spores= white or pale yellow.

=Pileus= 2 in. broad. =Stem= 2½ in. high, ¾ in. thick in the center.

August. On clayey soil in woodlands.

Its spores darken when shed in quantity, have a granulated and light-lilac appearance. It is a solitary grower, sometimes reaching the height of six inches. The upturned, wavy pileus, showing the purple gills in contrast with the pale Naples-yellow of the cap is markedly attractive. The stem is often rough with fibers, hard and tough. The caps are tough. It grows in grassy woods and open places. The novice, even the expert, will be puzzled to place it in its genus.

Specimens were sent to me by Miss Lydia M. Patchen, Westfield, N.Y., and E.B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J. I afterward found many at Mt. Gretna, Pa. I reported their edible qualities to Prof. Peck who wrote, September 3, 1897: “I have often wished it was edible, but it has such a disagreeable flavor when fresh that I have never ventured to eat it. I have known it to be mistaken for the common mushroom, but not eaten.”

Though tough it cooks tender and is excellent. Stew and put in patties or croquettes.

VI.—ORBIFOR´MES.

* Gills becoming ash-colored.

=C. di´topa= Fr. Gr.—twofold; Gr.—a foot. Probably from stems growing two together. =Pileus= thin, submembranaceous, convex, rarely with a small umbo, smooth, hygrophanous, brown when young and moist, grayish-white when dry. =Gills= grayish, close, thin, attached, not decurrent. =Stem= slender, equal, smooth, hollow.

=Height= 1–2 in., breadth of pileus 6–18 lines. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.

Pine woods. West Albany. October.

The plant has the odor and taste of new meal. I have seen no specimens with the pileus depressed. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=C. meta´chroa= Fr. Gr.—changing color. Separated from C. ditopa by its thicker, depressed pileus, its thicker, less close gills, and the absence of odor.

Pine woods. West Albany. October. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Moderately plentiful in New Jersey pines. September to October.

Edible, tough; when well stewed of good flavor.

** Gills whitish.

=C. compres´sipes= Pk.—compressus, pressed together; pes, a foot. =Pileus= thin, convex or expanded, umbilicate, glabrous, hygrophanous, brownish when moist, whitish or pale yellow when dry, margin thin. =Gills= close, subarcuate or horizontal, adnate or subdecurrent, whitish. =Stem= firm, hollow, generally compressed, slightly pruinose. =Spores= elliptical, 5–6.5×4–4.5µ. =Flesh= white when dry, odor slight, farinaceous.

=Plant= gregarious, 1–1.5 in. high. =Pileus= 6–16 lines broad. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.

Grassy places. Albany. July.

The moist pileus is sometimes obscurely zonate. The odor is not always perceptible unless the pileus is moist or broken. The stem is sometimes compressed at the top only, sometimes at the base only, and rarely it is wholly top-shaped. Peck, 33d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found on open lots in West Philadelphia. Though small it usually grows in troops which yield fair quantity. The caps are tender and of good flavor.

=C. fra´grans= Sow.—fragrans, fragrant. Smell strong, spicy. =Pileus= about 1 in. across. =Flesh= rather thick; convex, soon expanded and slightly depressed or umbilicate, even, glabrous, hygrophanous, uniform watery-white, disk not darker, whitish when dry. =Gills= slightly decurrent, rather crowded, 1 line broad, distinct, whitish. =Stem= about 2 in. long, equal, slightly curved, elastic, glabrous, whitish, stuffed then hollow.

In woods among moss, etc.

Distinguished from other species resembling it in color and size, by the fragrant smell resembling aniseed. Massee.

=Spores= 6×4µ. W.G.S.

Found in West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. July to severe frosts. McIlvaine.

Edible. The strong taste of anise is not lost in cooking.

=C. pino´phila=—pine loving. =Pileus= thin, convex, umbilicate or centrally depressed, glabrous, moist, pale tan-color, paler or alutaceous when dry. =Gills= moderately close, subarcuate, adnate or slightly decurrent, whitish. =Stem= equal, stuffed or hollow, glabrous or subpruinose, colored like the pileus. =Spores= nearly elliptical, 4–6µ long; odor and taste resembling that of fresh meal.

=Plant= 1–2 in. high. =Pileus= about 1 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.

Ground under pine trees. Albany and Ticonderoga. July and August. Peck, 31st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Quite plentiful in pine woods of New Jersey. Edible; pleasant.

=COLLY´BIA= Fr.

Gr.—a small coin.

=Pileus= fleshy, usually thin, margin incurved at first, not corrugated. =Stem= different in substance from the pileus, but confluent with it; hollow, with a cartilaginous bark, internally cartilaginous or soft, often rooting. =Gills= free or obtusely adnexed, membranaceous, soft.

Growing on the ground, wood, leaves and decaying fungi.

In Clitocybe and Tricholoma the substance of the stem and pileus is alike; they differ in the character of the stem. Tricholoma has no distinct bark-like coat, and in Clitocybe the stem is covered with minute fibers. In Mycena as in Collybia the stem is different in substance from the pileus, but is distinguished by the margin of the pileus being straight. It is most closely allied to Marasmius, which is characterized by its tough coriaceous substance, which when dried fully revives and expands on being moistened. The line between them can not always be closely drawn, and there are numerous species which it is difficult to place with certainty in either genus. This does not apply to the fleshy edible species of this genus as they are quite distinct from Marasmius.

Peck’s 49th Report contains a monograph of the New York species of Collybia, supplemented by one of those found in other states.

Several common, prolific, long-season, delicious fungi occur in this genus. They vary in size from “a small coin” to five inches across. They grow in woods, on wood, on ground, on leaves, on lawns and among moss and grass in shaded places. The writer has tested many species raw, and eaten small quantities cooked, which are not herein described for the reason that not enough of a species was found to test to full extent. So far as is reported and as his experience goes, there is not a poisonous species in Collybia. Many of them are strong in odor.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

Series A. GILLS WHITE OR BRIGHTLY COLORED, NOT GRAY. FLESH WHITE.

STRIÆPEDES (striate-stemmed). Page 113.

Stem stout, hollow or imperfectly filled with a spongy pith; grooved or striate with fibers.

* Gills broad, rather distant.

** Gills narrow, crowded.

VESTIPEDES (clothed-stemmed). Page 118.

Stem thin, equal, hollow or with a pith, even, velvety, downy or covered with a bloom.

* Gills broad, rather distant.

** Gills very narrow, closely crowded.

LÆVIPEDES (even-stemmed). Page 120.

Stem thin, equal, hollow, naked, smooth—except the base—apparently not striate, but some species are minutely striate under a lens.

* Gills broad, lax, usually more or less distant.

** Gills narrow, crowded.

Series B. GILLS BECOMING GRAY. HYGROPHANOUS.

TEPHROPHANÆ. Page —-.

Color brownish becoming gray. Allied to the last section of Tricholoma and Clitocybe, but distinguished from them by the cartilaginous stem.

Some are strong scented. None known to be edible.

STRIÆ´PEDES.

* Gills broad, rather distant.

=C. radica´ta= Relh.—radix, a root. (Plate XXIX, p. 112.) =Pileus= 1½-4 in. across, from convex to nearly plane, broadly umbonate, frequently wrinkled toward and at the umbo, glutinous when moist. Color variable, usually brown in grayish shades, from dark to almost white. =Flesh= thin, white, elastic. =Gills= white, thick, tough, distant, ventricose, adnexed, rounded or notched behind like Tricholoma, sometimes with a decurrent tooth. =Stem= 4–8 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, smooth, firm, same color as pileus, tapering upward, becoming vertically striate or grooved, often twisted, ending in a long, tapering, pointed root deeply planted in the earth.

=Spores= elliptical, 14–15×8–9µ Massee; 11×17µ W.G.S.; 11×9µ W.P.; 16–17×10–11µ B.

Often sombre, but erect, neat and handsome. Growing solitary and in troops in woods, usually near stumps, if much decayed, sometimes on them, or on shaded lawns and grassy places. June to October.

Var. furfu´racea Pk. =Stem= furfuraceous, less distinctly striate.

Var. pusil´la Pk. Plant small. =Pileus= about 1 in. broad, passing gradually into the typical form. =Stem= slender.

Professor Peck says: “The variety furfuracea is common and connects this species with C. longipes, which has a villose stem and dry velvety pileus.” 49th Rep.

Common to the United States. Edible. Curtis, according to Dr. F. Peyre Porcher of Charleston, S.C., was the first to declare this edible.

A very attractive species. The purity of its gills is especially noticeable. I began eating it in 1881, and it has continued to be a favorite. The caps should be broiled or fried. They are sweet, pleasing in texture, and delicately flavored.

=C. platyphyl´la= Fr. Gr.—broad; a leaf. (Plate XXVIII, fig. 1, p. 114.) =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, dusky and gray then whitish, fleshy-membranaceous, thin, fragile, soon flattened, obtuse, watery when moist, streaked with fibrils. =Stem= 3–4 in. long, ½ in. thick, stuffed, soft, equal, fibrilloso-striate, otherwise smooth, naked or obsoletely powdered at the apex, whitish, shortly and bluntly rooted at the base. =Gills= obliquely cut off behind, slightly adnexed, ½ in. and more broad, distant, soft, white.

Odor not remarkable. It inclines toward the Tricholomata in the somewhat membranaceous cuticle of the soft stem. Fries. =Spores= 13×19µ W.G.S.

Solitary, gregarious, rarely clustered. On rotten wood, roots, ground near stumps, among leaves, etc. June to October.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1. COLLYBIA PLATYPHYLLA, 114 3. COLLYBIA DRYOPHILA, 120

2. COLLYBIA PLATYPHYLLA 114 4. COLLYBIA FUSIPES, 116 (AFTER RAIN),

Distinguished by the very broad and deeply emarginate gills, which frequently slope up behind to near the cap then with a short turn downward connect with the stem which is either stuffed or hollow, and by the abundant, cord-like rooting mycelium. The gills are very broad. Professor Peck says: “The species is quite variable. The pileus is sometimes irregular and even eccentric, the thin margin may be slightly striate, is often split and in wet weather may be upturned or revolute. The lamellæ are sometimes ½ in. broad or more and transversely split. They may be obscurely striated transversely and even veiny above with venose interspaces. Occasionally a slight anise-like odor is perceptible, but in decay the plants have a very disagreeable odor and disgusting appearance.” 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, 1880–1885; Haddonfield, N.J., 1896. Gregarious, and in large bunches. Mt. Gretna and Eagle’s Mere, Pa., 1897, McIlvaine.

When fresh, in good condition, the caps are good, but they are not nearly equal in substance or flavor to C. radicata and C. longipes. They are best broiled or fried.

Var. re´pens Fr. =Pileus= more fleshy, depressed. =Stem= hollow, compressed, pruinate at the apex, with a creeping, string-like mycelium.

It is best distinguished by its white, villous, anastomosing, very much branched mycelium which creeps a long distance in a rooting string-like manner. The so-called roots are quite different from the stem, not a prolongation of the stem itself. Fries.

Clearly a variety of C. platyphylla. C. platyphylla is quite variable, even puzzling. Edible qualities the same.

=C. long´ipes= Bull.—longus, long; pes, a foot. =Pileus= 1–2 in. across, conical then expanded, umbonate, dry, minutely, beautifully velvety. =Color= from pale to date-brown, sometimes umber. =Flesh= white, thin, elastic. =Gills= white, broad, tough, thick, adnexed, distant, ventricose, rounded behind, emarginate. =Stem= 4–6 in. long, 2–4 lines thick, tapering upward, usually densely and minutely velvety like the cap, nearly same color, with a long, tapering root.

On much decayed stumps and logs. July to October. Closely resembles C. radicata. It is readily distinguished by its velvety cap and stem. It is more glutinous.

=Spores= spheroid, 12µ Q.

California. Edible. H. and M.

West Virginia mountains, 1880–1885; Cheltenham, Pa., 1889. McIlvaine.

Excepting from California, C. longipes has not previously been reported as found in the United States. It is not plentiful in the forests of West Virginia, yet I often found it upon rotting stumps and logs, solitary, but up to a dozen in the same vicinity. It is unmistakable. Its rich yet dull velvety cap and stem and the purity of its gills hold the finder’s admiration.

The caps fried or broiled are delicious, resembling in every way those of C. radicata.

=C. fu´sipes= Bull.—fusus, a spindle; pes, a foot. (Plate XXVIII, fig. 4, p. 112.) =Pileus= 1–3 in. broad, reddish-brown, becoming pale and also dingy-tan, fleshy, convex then flattened, umbonate (the umbo at length vanishing), even, smooth, dry, here and there broken up in cracks when dry. =Stem= 3 in. and more long, commonly ½ in., but here and there as much as 1 in. broad, fibrous-stuffed then hollow, remarkably cartilaginous externally, swollen, ventricose in the middle, attenuated at both ends, often twisted, longitudinally furrowed, red or reddish-brown, rooted in a spindle-shaped manner at the base. =Gills= annulato-adnexed (joined into a ring), soon separating, free, broad, distant, firm, connected by veins, crisped, white then becoming somewhat of the same color as the pileus, often spotted. Stevenson.

=Spores= 6×3µ W.G.S.; 4–5×2–4µ B.

Solitary, gregarious, usually densely clustered on decaying wood, roots, etc. August until after heavy frosts.

West Virginia, 1882, McIlvaine.

In the West Virginia mountains C. fusipes is frequent. Caps in the clusters rarely exceed 1½ in. across. They show an auburn or burgundy shade of brown in their color. When young they are smooth and appear to remain so unless rained upon or moistened, when they crack more or less finely in drying. At first the connection of the gills with the stem is peculiar—they join in a collar-like ring at the top of the stem. As the cap expands the gills part more or less and separate from the stem. The stem is markedly spindle-shaped, though variously flattened by compression in dense clusters; the outside often splitting, breaking and turning out from the stem.

The caps, alone, are good, the stem being hard and refractory. The caps are very fine, cooked in any way.

The caps dry well, and are a pleasant addition to gravies, soups and other dishes. They make a choice pickle.

** Gills narrow, crowded.

=C. macula´ta= A. and S.—macula, a spot. =Pileus= fleshy, firm, convex or nearly plane, even, glabrous, white or whitish, sometimes varied with reddish spots or stains. =Flesh= white. =Gills= narrow, crowded, adnexed, sometimes nearly or quite free, white or whitish. =Stem= generally stout, firm, equal or slightly swollen in the middle, striate, white, stuffed or sometimes hollow, commonly narrowed at the base, rooting, often curved at the base, rarely slightly thickened and blunt. =Spores= subglobose, 4–6µ broad, sometimes showing a slight point at one end.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–6 lines thick.

Var. immacula´ta Cke. This differs from the type in having no reddish spots or stains.

This species is easily recognized by its large size, firm or compact substance and white color. It grows in soil filled with decaying vegetable matter or on much decayed wood. Peck, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Philadelphia, Pa. Weed grown lot near University of Pennsylvania. September to frost. Grew gregariously over a large lot. The plants varied greatly in size and appearance. The gills of most were crenulate (scalloped). Assorted specimens were sent Professor Peck who wrote: “They are all forms of C. maculata.”

The caps were stewed and eaten in abundance by many, and pronounced “Fine.”

(Plate XXX.)

=C. butyra´cea= Bull.—butyrum, butter; buttery to the touch. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, normally reddish-brown, but becoming pale, fleshy, convex then expanded, more or less umbonate, dry, even, smooth. =Flesh= buttery, soft, somewhat hygrophanous, flesh-color then white. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, attenuated upward from the thickened white downy base, hence much thinner at the apex, 2–3 lines only, but at the base ½-1 in. thick, externally covered over with a rigid cartilaginous cuticle, internally stuffed with soft spongy pith, or hollow only when old, striate, reddish, commonly smooth, but varying with white deciduous scales, and occasionally wholly downy with soft hairs. =Gills= slightly adnexed, somewhat free, thin, crowded, notched at the edge, white, never spotted-reddish. Stevenson.

=Spores= 6–10×3–5µ B.; elliptical, 7–9×4–5µ.

=Cap= greasy looking. =Umbo= dark.

The color of the cap is variable. The species differs from C. dryophila in having an umbonate pileus, slightly uneven gill-edges and stem which tapers upward.

Solitary and in troops under coniferous trees. Spring, autumn.

West Virginia, Chester county and Eagle’s Mere, Pa., McIlvaine.

The caps cook quickly, are tender and have a good flavor.

VESTI´PEDES.

* Gills broad, rather distant.

(Plate XXIX_b_.)

=C. velu´tipes= Curt.—velutum, velvet; pes, a foot. =Pileus= 1–4 in. broad in the same cluster, tawny, sometimes paler at the margin, moderately fleshy at the disk, but thin at the circumference, convex then soon becoming plane, often eccentric, irregular and bent backward, smooth, viscous; margin spreading and at length slightly striate. =Flesh= watery, soft, slightly tawny-hyaline. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 1–4 lines thick, tough, externally cartilaginous, umber then becoming black, densely, minutely velvety, commonly ascending or twisted, commonly equal, even, internally fibrous-stuffed and hollow. =Gills= broader and rounded behind, slightly adnexed, so as at first sight to appear free, somewhat distant, very unequal, becoming pallid-yellow or tawny. Fr.

=Spores= ellipsoid, 7µ W.G.S.; 6×4µ B.; elliptical, 7×3–3.5µ Massee.

Our American plant, common to the states, is rarely found attaining such dimensions. Its usual size is from 1–2 in. across, more frequently at 1–1¼. It is generally found in clusters more or less dense. The color varies from yellowish to a dark yellowish-brown. The center is darker than the margin. The cap viscid when moist, often irregular from crowding. Gills may be rounded or notched at their attachment to the stem, whitish or yellowish. Stem usually hollow, 1–4 in. long, 1–3 lines thick, whitish when young becoming colored with the dense brownish velvety hairs.

It grows on stumps, roots in the ground, trunks and earth heavily charged with wood matter. I have found it in every month of the year. The heavier crop appears in September, October and November, and lasts until long after heavy frosts. Then sporadic clusters spring up wherever the winter sun gives them encouragement.

It sometimes does considerable damage to the tree so unfortunate as to be its host. It begins its growth upon some injured or decayed spot and by continually insinuating itself under the surrounding bark it, by its mycelium and growth, pries the bark away from the wood until the tree is entirely denuded.

It is a valuable species, not only on account of its continuous growth, but because of its plentifulness and excellent substance.

** Gills very narrow, closely crowded.

=C. con´fluens= Pers.—=Pileus= ¾-1½ in. broad, thin, tough, flaccid, convex or nearly plane, obtuse, rarely somewhat umbonate, glabrous, hygrophanous, reddish grayish-red or reddish-brown and often striatulate on the margin when moist, pallid, whitish or grayish when dry. =Lamellæ= narrow, crowded, free, whitish or yellowish-gray. =Stem= 2–5 in. long, 1–2 lines thick, equal, cartilaginous, hollow, clothed with a short dense somewhat pulverulent whitish pubescence or down. =Spores= minute ovate or subelliptical, slightly pointed at one end, 5–6×3–4µ.

Among fallen leaves in woods. Common. July to October.

The plants commonly grow in tufts, but sometimes in lines or arcs of circles or scattered. They revive under the influence of moisture and thereby indicate an intimate relationship to the genus Marasmius. The pileus varies much in color, but commonly has a dull reddish or russety tinge when moist, sometimes approaching bay-red. It fades in drying and becomes almost white or grayish-white, but sometimes the center remains more deeply colored than the margin. The stem is commonly rather long in proportion to the width of the pileus. Occasionally it is somewhat flattened either at the top or throughout its entire length. Sometimes the stems become united at the base which union is suggestive of the specific name. Peck, 49th Rep.

West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, McIlvaine. July to frost.

The caps of C. confluens are of excellent substance and flavor. Their quantity makes up for their small size. I have gathered them 2 in. across, but their average size is about 1 in. They dry well.

LÆVI´PEDES.

* Gills broad, more or less distant.

=C. esculen´ta= Wulf.—esculent. =Pileus= ½ in. and more broad, ochraceous-clay, often becoming dusky, slightly fleshy, convex then plane, orbicular, obtuse, smooth, even or when old slightly striate. =Flesh= tough, white, savory. =Stem= 1 in. and more long, scarcely 1 line thick, or thread-like and wholly equal, obsoletely tubed, tough, stiff and straight, even, smooth, slightly shining, clay-yellow, with a long perpendicular, commonly smooth, tail-like root. =Gills= adnexed, even decurrent with a very thin small tooth, then separating, very broad, limber, somewhat distant, whitish, sometimes clay-color.

Gregarious but never cespitose. The tube of the stem is very narrow. Stevenson.

The smallest edible Collybia. Cooke. Edible. In dense woods. Curtis. It is dried and preserved. Cordier.

In pastures and grassy places. Spring and early summer.

Edible, but rather bitter flavor. In Austria, where it is in great plenty in April, large baskets are brought to market under the name of Nagelschwämme—nail mushrooms.

Professor Peck describes C. esculentoides Pk., 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot., which he states: “Differs from the type in its paler and more ochraceous color and in its farinaceous flavor, and is related to the European C. esculenta from which it differs essentially in the umbilicate pileus and in the absence of any radicating base to the stem.”

** Gills narrow, crowded.

=C. dryophil´a= Bull. Gr.—oak-loving. (Plate XXVIII, fig. 3, p. 112.) =Pileus= 1–3 in. across, bay-brown-rufous, etc., becoming pale, but not hygrophanous, slightly fleshy, tough, convexo-plane, obtuse, commonly depressed in the center, even, smooth; margin at first inflexed then flattened. =Flesh= thin, white. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 1–3 lines thick, cartilaginous, remarkably tubed, thin, even, smooth, somewhat rooting, commonly becoming yellow or reddish. =Gills= somewhat free, with a small decurrent tooth, but appearing adnexed when the pileus is depressed, crowded, narrow, distinct, plane, white or becoming pale.

There are numerous monstrous forms which are very deceiving: a. =Stem= elongated, waved, decumbent, inflated at the base; =pileus= broader, lobed; =gills= white. b. Funicularis, larger, cespitose, the lax and decumbent =stem= equal and hairy at the base, =gills= sulphur-yellow. These forms, analagous with A. repens Bull., occur on heaps of leaves. c. Countless specimens growing together in a large cluster; =stems= thick, inflated, irregularly shaped, sulcate, brown, the mycelium collecting the soil in the form of a ball; =pileus= very irregularly shaped, full of angles, undulated, blackish then bay-brown. In gardens. Stevenson.

=Spores= elliptic-fusiform, 7–8×4µ; 6µ W.G.S.

Professor Peck, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot., gives the following: =Pileus= thin, convex or nearly plane, sometimes with the margin elevated, irregular, obtuse, glabrous, varying in color, commonly some shade of bay-red or tan-color. =Flesh= white. =Lamellæ= narrow, crowded, adnexed or almost free, white or whitish, rarely yellowish. =Stem= equal or sometimes thickened at the base, cartilaginous, glabrous, hollow, yellowish or rufescent, commonly similar in color to the pileus. =Spores=, 6–8×3–4µ.

=Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 1–2 lines thick.

Woods, groves and open places. Common. June to October.

West Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. McIlvaine.

C. dryophila is so common and variable that descriptions would fail to cover it in its eccentricities. The writer has eaten it in all the forms obtained since 1881. A very pretty form grew in large quantities among pine needles at Eagle’s Mere, Pa., in August, 1897. It was cooked and served at the hotel table. Many ate it and were delighted.

Dr. Badham refers to a case in which illness was caused by eating it. In my eighteen years' experience with it, knowing it to have been enjoyably eaten by scores of persons, I have not heard of the slightest discomfort from it.

=C. spinulif´era= Pk.—spinula, a little thorn. =Pileus= fleshy, thin, convex or nearly plane, glabrous, hygrophanous reddish tan-color tinged with pink and slightly striatulate on the margin when moist, paler when dry, adorned with minute colored spinules or setæ. =Gills= narrow, close, rounded behind and free, pale cinnamon-color, becoming somewhat darker with age, spinuliferous. =Stem= slender, tough, glabrous, shining, hollow, reddish-brown, often paler or whitish at the top, especially in young plants, with a whitish myceloid tomentum at the base. =Spores= elliptical or nearly so, 4µ.

=Plant= cespitose. =Pileus= 8–16 lines broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, about 1 line thick.

Prostrate trunks and ground among leaves in woods. Lewis county. September.

In this species the lamellæ, under a lens, appear to be minutely pubescent or velvety. This is due to the colored spinules or setæ which clothe them. Peck, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Angora, Pa. September, 1897. Among moss in mixed woods. September to frost. McIlvaine.

Specimens identified by Professor Peck. Stems of some tapered at base.

Excepting the extreme base of stems the whole plant is tender and of good flavor.

(Plate XXXI.)

=C. acerva´ta= Fr.—acervus, a heap. =Pileus= fleshy but thin, convex or nearly plane, obtuse, glabrous, hygrophanous, pale tan-color or dingy pinkish-red and commonly striatulate on the margin when moist, paler or whitish when dry. =Gills= narrow, close, adnexed or free, whitish or tinged with flesh-color. =Stem= slender, rigid, hollow, glabrous, reddish, reddish-brown or brown, often whitish at the top, especially when young, commonly with a white matted down at the base. =Spores= elliptical, 6×3–4µ.

=Plant= cespitose. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, about 1 line thick.

Decaying wood and ground among fallen leaves in woods. Adirondack mountains. August and September. Peck, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

This very pretty plant resembles forms of C. dryophila. The coloring of the stems is often extremely delicate, like paintings upon rice paper.

West Virginia mountains; Eagle’s Mere, Pa. August to frost. McIlvaine.

The entire plant is tender, delicate and of fine flavor. In these qualities it is not distinguishable when cooked from the smaller forms of C. dryophila.

MYCE´NA Fr.

Gr.—a fungus.

(Plate XXXII.)

=Pileus= regular, rarely depressed in the center, thin, usually streaked with longitudinal lines, at first conico-cylindrical, margin at the first straight, closely embracing the stem which is attenuated upward. =Stem= hollow, slender, cartilaginous. =Gills= adnate or adnexed, sometimes with a small tooth, never decurrent. =Spores= white.

Generally small and slender, growing on branches, twigs, heaps of leaves, sometimes on the ground, some minute species on single dead leaves. Long, rooting stems are not uncommon. Clitocybe and Omphalia are separated by their decurrent gills and in Collybia the margin is at first incurved.

In this genus the species of the various sections are not always distinguished by single sharply defined characteristics, so that it will sometimes be necessary to pay attention to all the features. Species with a thread-like stem are found in other sections than Filipedes and some of the Lactipedes are slippery when moist, but not truly viscous.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

CALODONTES (kalos, beautiful; odontes, teeth). Page 126.

Stem juiceless, not dilated into a disk at the base. Edges of gills darker, minutely toothed.

ADONIDEÆ (Adonis, referring to beauty). Page 126.

Stem juiceless, not dilated at the base. Gills of one color, not changing color. Color pure-colored, bright, not becoming brownish or gray. On the ground.

RIGIPEDES (rigid-stemmed). Page 126.

Stem firm, rigid, rather tough, juiceless, more or less rooting. Gills changing color, white, then gray or reddish, generally at length connected by veins.

Tough, persistent, inodorous, usually on wood, very cespitose, but individuals of the same species sometimes grow singly on the ground.

FRAGILIPEDES (fragile-stemmed). Page 130.

Stem fragile, juiceless, fibrillose at the base, scarcely rooting. Pileus hygrophanous. Gills becoming discolored, at length somewhat connected by veins.

Thin, fragile, often soft, normally growing singly on the ground. A few strong smelling, cespitose on wood.

FILIPEDES (thread-stemmed). Page 130.

Stem thread-like, flaccid, somewhat tough, rooting, juiceless, generally extremely long in proportion to the pileus. Gills becoming discolored, paler at the edge.

Straight, growing singly on the ground; inodorous. Pileus dingy-brown, becoming paler.

LACTIPEDES (milky-stemmed). Page 130.

Gills and rooting stem milky when broken.

GLUTINIPEDES (glutinous-stemmed). Page 131.

Stem juiceless but externally sticky with gluten. Gills at length decurrent with a tooth.

BASIPEDES (base-stemmed). Page 131.

Stem dry, rootless, the base naked and dilated into a disk or small hairy bulb. Growing singly, slender, soon becoming flaccid.

INSITITIÆ (insero, to insert or graft). Page 131.

Stem very thin, dry, growing as if inserted in the supporting surface, not downy, not disk-like at the base.

Gills adnate with a small decurrent tooth. Small, very tender, becoming flaccid with the first touch of the sun.

Mycena is a large genus composed of small species. About sixty members have been found in America. They are from ½ to 1 in. across the cap, with thin stems and altogether delicate appearance. Yet the flesh of most of them has a gummy consistency in the mouth, and they shrink but little in stewing. Heretofore not any appear to have been reported as edible, probably because the size of the species has not attracted experimenters. While some have a strong odor and taste of radishes, and one species is bitter, it is probable that all are edible. The writer has eaten, raw and cooked, small quantities (all he has found) of many species not here reported as edible, which will, when further tested, be reported upon.

The substance and flavor of those here given is remarkably pleasant. Their late coming, hardiness and abundance are commendable qualities.

I.—CALODON´TES. Stem juiceless. Gills minutely toothed. None tested.

II.—ADONI´DEÆ. Stem juiceless. Gills of one color, etc. None tested.

III.—RIGIDI´PEDES. Stem rigid. Gills at first white, changing color, etc.

=M. prolif´era= Sow.—proles, offspring; fero, to bear. (Plate X, figs. 6, 7, p. 28.) =Pileus= ⅔-1¼ in. across, slightly fleshy, expanded bell-shape, dry, the broad umbo darker (dingy-brown), slightly striate, and at length furrowed or rimosely split at the margin (pale yellowish or becoming brownish-tan). =Stem= 2½-3 in. long, firm, rigid, smooth, shining, slightly striate, rooted. Gills adnexed, somewhat distinct, becoming pale white.

Inodorous, only at length nauseous. Very closely allied to M. galericulata, in habit approaching nearest to M. cohærens. The stems are pallid at the apex, but slightly tawny-bay-brown below, and glued together by hairy down at the base. There is a white form with transparent stem—on trunks. Fries.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. On ground in grass. Mycelium spreading on leaves. McIlvaine.

Found in great plenty. Base of stems is sometimes white when in dense tufts.

The whole plant is tender, cooking in fifteen minutes, and is of fine flavor. No one will want a better fungus.

=M. rugo´sa= Fr.—ruga, a wrinkle. =Pileus= ash-color but becoming pale, very tough, slightly fleshy at the disk, otherwise membranaceous, bell-shaped then expanded, at length rather plane, somewhat obtuse, more or less corrugated (unequal with elevated wrinkles), always dry, not moist even in rainy weather, striate at the circumference. =Stem= commonly short, remarkably cartilaginous, tubed, rigid, tough, straight, at length compressed, even, smooth, pallid, with a short oblique hairy root. =Gills= arcuato-adnate, with a decurrent tooth, united behind in a collar, somewhat distant, connected by veins, broad, ventricose, white then gray, edge sometimes quite entire, sometimes with saw-like teeth.

Always inodorous. Formerly connected with M. galericulata. M. rugosa is arid, very tough, more rarely cespitose, the pileus firm, somewhat obtuse, wrinkled but without striæ, the gills arcuato-adnate with a hooked tooth, white then ash-color. The genuine M. galericulata is fasciculato-cespitose, somewhat fragile, the pileus thinner, at first conical and umbonate, striate without wrinkles, the gills adnate, with a decurrent tooth, white then flesh-color. Between these there is a long series of intermediate forms. Fries.

California, H. and M.; Kansas, Cragin; Wisconsin, Bundy; New York, September, Peck, 46th Rep.; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. On decaying wood and ground near stumps. August to November. McIlvaine.

The tenacity frequently occurring in Mycena is well shown in this species. The caps and stem cook tender, but it is better to discard the stems, as the two do not become tender at the same time.

=M. galericula´ta= Scop.—galericulum, a small peaked cap. (Plate Plate X, fig. 5, p. 28.) =Pileus= somewhat membranaceous, conical bell-shaped then expanded, striate to the umbo, dry, smooth, becoming brownish-livid or changeable in color. =Stem= rigid, polished, even, smooth, with a spindle-shaped root at the base. =Gills= adnate, decurrent with a tooth, connected by veins, whitish and flesh-colored.

Very protean. Normally growing in bunches, the numerous stems (never sticky) glued together with soft hairy down at the base. But it occurs also solitary, larger, pileus as much as 2 in. broad, wrinkled-striate. The essential marks by which it is distinguished from A. rugosa are these: =Stem= in general thinner, less tense and straight, often curved, more fragile. =Pileus= membranaceous, conico bell-shaped, umbonate, striate but not corrugated, moist in rainy weather. =Gills= adnate, with a decurrent tooth, more crowded, whitish then flesh-colored. The color both of the pileus (normally dingy-brownish then livid) and of the stem (normally becoming livid-brownish) is much more changeable than that of A. rugosa, becoming yellow, rust colored, etc. It is not so tough and pliant as A. rugosa. Forms departing from the type are very numerous; the most beautiful is var. calopus (Gr., beautiful; Gr., a foot) with chestnut-colored stems, united in a spindle-shaped tail. Fries.

=Spores= spheroid or subspheroid, 9–10×6–8µ K.; 8–11×4–6µ B.; 6–7×4µ Massee.

Common. Autumnal. Very variable. On trunks, fallen leaves.

Two well-marked varieties of this very variable species were observed the past season. One grows on the ground among fallen leaves. It has a dark brown pileus, close lamellæ and a very long stem, generally of a delicate pink color toward the top. It might be called var. longipes. The other grows under pine trees, has a broadly convex or expanded grayish-brown pileus and a short stem. It might be called var. expansus. Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

“M. alcalina is closely allied to it (M. galericulata), but has a stronger alkaline odor and a rather more fragile stem. In one of your specimens I detect a slight incarnate tint to the gills, and this is pretty conclusive evidence that it belongs to M. galericulata. Species of Mycena are not generally reckoned among edible fungi or even promising fungi; I suppose on account of the thin flesh of the cap, but of course it is possible to make up in numbers what is lacking in size. I am glad to know you have found this to be an esculent one.” Letter Professor Peck to C. McIlvaine, October 5, 1893.

The caps and stems when young make as good a dish as one cares to eat. The substance is pleasant, and the flavor delicate. They are best stewed slowly in their own fluids, after washing, for ten minutes and seasoned with pepper, salt and butter.

=M. parabo´lica= Fr.—shaped like a parabola. =Pileus= becoming black at the disk, inclining to violaceous, otherwise becoming pale, whitish, somewhat membranaceous, at first erect and oval, then parabolic, obtuse, never expanded, moist, somewhat shining when dry, smooth, even, striate toward the entire margin. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 1 line thick, tubed, tense and straight but not very rigid, thickened and bearded-rooted at the base, pale below, dark violaceous above, when young white-mealy, otherwise even, smooth, dry. =Gills= simply adnate, ascending, somewhat distant, rarely connected by veins, quite entire, white, somewhat gray at the base.

=Stem= less rigid than that of A. galericulatus. Truly gregarious or cespitose. Fries.

=Spores= 12×6µ B.; elliptical, 11–12×6µ Massee.

Trenton, N.J. June. E.B. Sterling; West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, on decaying stumps, trunks of oak, chestnut, poplar, pine. June until far into the winter. McIlvaine.

=Plant= up to 2½ in. high. =Caps= usually about ½ in., but reaching ¾ in.

A neat, attractive plant, whether single or in dense tufts. Its smell is strong of fresh meal, and taste of that delicate flavor one finds in the succulent base of the round, swamp rush, when pulled from its sheath—one that every country school boy and girl knows. It is pleasant raw, and delicious when cooked.

=M. latifo´lia= Pk.—latus, broad; folium, a leaf. =Pileus= convex, rarely somewhat umbonate, striatulate, grayish-brown. =Gills= white, broad, hooked, decurrent-toothed. =Stem= slender, smooth, hollow, subconcolorous, white-villous at the base.

=Height= 1–1.5 in., breadth of pileus 4–6 lines. =Stem= .5 lines thick.

Under pine trees. Center. October.

A small species with quite broad gills, growing among the fallen leaves of pine trees. Gregarious. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. Among pine needles, scattered, sometimes four or five in a cluster. September to October. McIlvaine.

Autumnal. Not rare. The caps though small are tenacious in the mouth and lose little in cooking. The substance is agreeable and flavor fine.

IV.— FRAGILI´PEDES. Stem fragile, juiceless, etc. None tested.

V.—FILI´PEDES. Stem thread-like, etc.

=M. collaria´ta= Fr.—collare, a collar. =Pileus= ½ in. and more broad, typically dingy-brown, but becoming pale, commonly gray-whitish, becoming brownish only at the disk, membranaceous, bell-shaped then convex, somewhat umbonate, striate, when dry rigid, smooth, not soft nor slightly silky. =Stem= about 2 in. long, tubed, thread-like but almost 1 line thick, tough, dry, smooth, even or slightly striate under a lens, becoming pale. =Gills= adnate, joined in a collar behind, thin, crowded, hoary-whitish or obsoletely flesh-colored.

The gills are somewhat distant when the pileus is expanded. There is not a separate collar as in Marasmius rotula; the gills are only joined in the form of a collar, and remain cohering when they separate from the stem. Fries.

Spores 8–10×4–6µ B.

New York. Old stumps and rotten logs. June. Peck, 23d Rep. Mt. Gretna, Pa. Cespitose on decaying wood. July, September and October. McIlvaine.

Very much like M. galericulata, but gills not connected by veins. The caps usually have a pinkish hue, often brownish. The stems are not as tender as the caps. The flavor is excellent.

VI.—LACTI´PEDES. Stem and gills milky, etc.

=M. hæma´topa= Pers. Gr.—blood; Gr.—a foot. =Pileus= about 1 in. broad, white flesh-color, fleshy-membranaceous, slightly fleshy chiefly at the disk, conical then bell-shaped, obtuse, nay convex and spuriously umbonate, naked, even or slightly striate at the margin, which is at the first elegantly toothed. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 1 line and more thick, remarkably tubed, rigid, normally everywhere powdered with whitish, delicate, soft hairy down, sometimes, however, denuded of it. =Gills= adnate, often with a small decurrent tooth, the alternate ones shorter, in front disappearing short of the slight margin of the pileus, whitish and wholly of the same color at the edge.

Cespitose (very many of the stems conjoined and hairy at the base), firm, stature almost that of M. galericulata, wholly abounding with dark blood-colored juice.

On stumps. Frequent. September. Stevenson.

=Spores= spheroid-ellipsoid, 10×6–7µ K.

I find a non-cespitose form of this species with red-margined gills. Its red juice, however, will serve to distinguish it and show its true relations. Peck, 31st Rep.

Common in tufts like M. galericulata and of about the same size, but is readily distinguished by its red juice. This pretty plant can often be gathered in considerable quantity, and well repays the collector.

VII.—GLUTINI´PEDES. Stems gelatinous, etc.

None tested.

VIII.—BASI´PEDES. Stem dilated at base, etc.

None tested.

IX.—INSITI´TIÆ. Stem inserted.

None tested.

HIA´TULA Fr.

(Plate XXXIII.)

Hio, to gape.

=Pileus= symmetrical, very thin, without a distinct pellicle, formed by the union of the backs of the gills, splitting when expanded. =Gills= almost or quite free, white. =Stem= central. =Spores= white.

Allied to Lepiota in the thin pileus and free gills, but differing in the entire absence of a ring. Not at all deliquescent as in the genus Coprinus, near to which it was at one time placed by Fries. Massee. Reported from North Carolina.

OMPHA´LIA Fr.

Gr.—belonging to an umbilicus.

(Plate XXXIV.)

=Pileus= generally thin, usually umbilicate at first, then funnel-shaped, often hygrophanous, margin incurved or straight. =Gills= truly decurrent from the first, sometimes branched. =Stem= distinctly cartilaginous, polished, tubular, often stuffed when young. =Flesh= continuous with that of the pileus but differing in character. =Spores= white, somewhat elliptical, smooth.

Generally on wood, preferring hilly woods and a damp climate.

Resembling Collybia and Mycena in the flesh of stem and pileus being different in texture and in the externally cartilaginous stem. It is perfectly separated by the gills being markedly decurrent from the first.

The American species of Omphalia number between thirty-five and forty. Many of them are common. Few woods are free from them. Several of them are beautiful. They are usually small and lacking in substance. Raw, the writer has not found one that is objectionable in any way; a few have a woody taste. But two species have been found by him in sufficient quantity to make a dish. It is probable that all are edible. At best the species of Omphalia are valuable in emergency only.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

COLLYBARII.

* Pileus dilated from the first, margin incurved.

MYCENARII.

Pileus campanulate at first, margin straight and pressed to the stem.

COLLYBA´RII. * Pileus dilated from the first; margin incurved.

=O. onis´cus= Fr. Gr.—a wood-louse. From the ashy color. =Pileus= scarcely 1 in. broad, dark ashy becoming pale, gray-hoary when dry, somewhat membranaceous, or slightly fleshy, flaccid, fragile when old, convexo-umbilicate or funnel-shaped, often irregular, undulato-flexuous, even-lobed, smooth, even, margin striate. =Stem= 1 in. long, 1 line and more thick, stuffed then tubed, slightly firm, moderately tough, sometimes round, curved, sometimes unequal, compressed, ascending, undulated, gray. Gills shortly decurrent, somewhat distant, quaternate, ash-color. Not cespitose. Fries.

=Spores= 12×7–8µ B.

Massachusetts, Sprague; California, H. and M., who record it as edible.

=O. umbellif´era=—umbella, a little shade; fero, to bear. From its umbrella-like shape. (Plate XXXIV, p. 132.) =Pileus= about ½ in. broad, commonly whitish, slightly fleshy-membranaceous, convex then plane, broadly obconic with the decurrent gills, not at all or only slightly umbilicate, hygrophanous, when moist watery, rayed with darker striæ, when dry even, changeable in appearance, silky, flocculose, rarely squamulose, the margin, which is at first inflexed, crenate (scalloped). =Stem= short, not exceeding 1 in. long, almost 1 line thick, stuffed then soon tubed, slightly firm, equal or dilated toward the apex into the pileus, of the same color as the pileus, commonly smooth, but varying pubescent, white villous at the base. =Gills= very broad behind, triangular, decurrent, very distant, edge of the gills straight.

Cosmopolitan. The common form is to be found everywhere from the sea level to 4,000 feet. Stevenson.

=Spores= 3×4µ W.G.S.; 10×4µ W.P.; green variety 10×6µ W.P.; broadly elliptical, 8–10×5–6µ Peck.

O. umbellifera is known the world over. It is very variable in size and color. With us it is seldom over ¾ in. broad. =Stem= ½-1 line thick. It grows on decaying wood and ground full of decaying material. There are several varieties. All are edible, but not worth describing. This description is given that the student may recognize one of our common plants, and eat it, if very hungry.

MYCENA´RII.

=O. campanel´la= Batsch.—campana, a bell. =Pileus= thin, rather tough, hemispherical or convex, glabrous, umbilicate, hygrophanous, rusty yellow-color and striatulate when moist, paler when dry. =Gills= moderately close, arcuate, decurrent, yellowish, the interspaces venose. =Stem= firm, rigid, hollow, brown, often paler at the top, tawny-strigose at the base. =Spores= elliptical, 6–7×3–4µ.

=Pileus= 4–8 lines broad. Stem about 1 in. long, scarcely 1 line thick.

Much decayed wood of coniferous trees. Very common. May to November. Peck, 45th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= ellipsoid, 6–8×3–4µ C.B.P.; 7×3µ W.P.; 6–9×3–4µ B.

The quantity alone, in which this small species can be found, makes it worth mentioning as an edible species. It is common over the United States where coniferous trees abound. Its favorite habitat is upon the rotting debris of these trees. Occasionally it grows from the ground, but only from that which is heavily charged with woody material. It is social in troops, or affectionate in clusters, or maintains a single existence.

It is edible, of good substance when stewed, tender and of fair flavor.

PLEURO´TUS.

Gr.—a side; Gr.—an ear.

=Stem= excentric, lateral or none. Epiphytal (very rarely growing on the ground), irregular, fleshy or membranaceous. Fries.

The excentric, generally lateral stem, absent in some of the species, separates this from other genera of the white-spored series.

=Pileus= varying from fleshy in the larger to membranaceous in the smaller forms, but never becoming woody. =Veil= generally wanting, when present its remains sometimes appear on the margin of the pileus, or as an evanescent ring on the stem. =Gills=, edge acute, generally decurrent, in some species with a well-marked tooth, rarely simply adnate. =Stem= fleshy, confluent and homogeneous with the pileus.

Wood, dead or alive; a few species appear on the ground.

P. ulmarius and others of the larger forms, when growing in an upright position, may have the stem central and the pileus horizontal. The stems of some species of Clitocybe and Omphalia if growing laterally are sometimes excentric and oblique.

This genus is analogous to Claudopus, pink-spored, and Crepidotus, brown-spored.

=Spores= white, but those of P. sapidus are faintly tinged with lilac, and of P. ostreatus, var. euosmus, with purple.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

EXCENTRICI. Page 137.

Pileus entire, laterally extended, excentric, not truly lateral.

* Veil fugacious, fragments adhering to stem or margin of pileus.

** Veil none, gills sinuate or obtusely adnate.

*** Veil none, gills very decurrent, stem distinct, almost vertical.

**** Veil none, gills very decurrent, stem proper absent, pileus lateral, extended behind into a short, stem-like oblique base.

DIMIDIATI. Page 144.

Pileus not at first resupinate, lateral, prolonged without a definite margin behind, into a very short lateral, stem-like base.

RESUPINATI. Page 146.

Pileus resupinate from the first, then reflexed.

If any odium attaches to the word toadstool, it should be forgotten and forever banished in presence of this cleanly, neat, handsome genus, choice in its growing places from lichen-covered stumps, or bark-clad boles, or highly perched limbs, or the scented surfaces of decaying wood. Several of its species perfume themselves throughout with pleasant spicy odors. Many are most accommodating in their constant coming.

Mr. H.I. Miller, superintendent Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad, writes: “Most of the mushroom books give greatest space to the A. campester. For some parts of the country this may be desirable, but for Indiana and Ohio, considering the food value, the P. ostreatus is the best fungus we have in these states, from the fact that anybody wanting a mess can nearly always obtain a basketful of this variety, whereas the others depend upon a good many weather conditions. Having located a few logs and stumps in the spring, where the P. ostreatus grows, these same stumps and logs can be used all season. The crops are successive, and while some of the spots seem to be barren for a few days at a time, the others will be bearing. It does not make much difference what the kind of log or stump, whether it be beech, oak or elm, or what the species of tree. I think I have found them on all our forest trees, and it is not necessary for the tree to be dead. If there is a decaying portion, the spores seem to be carried by the little black beetle that infests the ostreatus, from one place to another, and wherever a small spot of dead wood is found we are likely to find the P. ostreatus. This being the only edible mushroom that we can find in large quantities all through the season in this neck of the woods, it seems to me that a general knowledge of it will serve the economic purpose more than any other fungi.”

The presence of the P. ostreatus and its esculent companions is noted from our northern boundary to the gulf. Poplar, maple, birch, hickory, ash, apple, laburnum and oak trees are its favored residences. Deer feed upon it, and kine are attracted by its scent even when deep under snow. When properly selected and slowly cooked, the Pleuroti are toothsome.

From the fact that the spores of this fleshy and valuable genus find fostering lodgment in many trees when in decay, it is more than probable that the several species can be propagated by planting their spores upon such decaying woods, or by transplanting the mycelium.

Growths of P. ostreatus, P. sapidus, P. salignus, and probably other species of Pleurotus, can be forced, by watering the spots upon which they are known to grow. Dr. Kalchbrenner mentions that the P. sapidus is in this way cultivated in Hungary. Acting upon this mention the writer had good success with P. ostreatus. Experiments in this direction are likely to be interesting and rewarding.

No species is suspected of being noxious.

An analysis of P. ostreatus is given by Lafayette B. Mendel, Sheffield Laboratory of Physiological Chemistry, Yale University, as follows:

Water 73.70%

Total solids 26.30

The dry substance contained:

Total nitrogen 2.40

Extractive nitrogen 1.27

Protein nitrogen 1.13

Ether extract 1.6

Crude fiber 7.5

Ash 6.1

Material soluble in 85% 31.5 alcohol

American Journal of Physiology, Vol. 1, No. 11, March 1, 1898.

I.—EXCEN´TRICI.

*Veil fugacious, etc.

=P. dry´inus= Pers. Gr.—oak. =Pileus= 2 in. broad, whitish, variegated with spot-like scales which become dingy-brown, lateral, oblique, rather plane. =Flesh= thick. =Stem= very curt and obese, commonly 1 in. long and thick, somewhat lateral, somewhat woody, squamulose, white, with a short, blunt root. =Veil= scarcely conspicuous on the stem, but appendiculate round the margin of the pileus when young. =Gills= not very decurrent, somewhat simple, not anastomosing behind, narrow, white, becoming yellow when old.

On trunks, oak, ash, willow, etc. Stevenson.

=Spores= 10×4µ Massee.

Edible. Cordier, Cooke.

When young the caps are tender; of the consistency, when cooked, of Polyporus sulphureus. In taste and smell the species varies from other Pleuroti, in having a distinct musk-like flavor. This is agreeable, reminding one of the common mushroom—A. campester.

**Veil none, gills sinuate, etc.

=P. ulma´rius= Bull.—ulmus, an elm. =Pileus= 3–5 in. and more broad, becoming pale-livid, often marbled with round spots, fleshy, compact, horizontal, moderately regular although more or less excentric, convex then plane, disk-shaped, even, smooth. =Flesh= white, tough. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 1 in. thick, solid, firm, elastic, somewhat excentric, curved-ascending, thickened and tomentose at the base, not rarely villous throughout, white. =Gills= horizontal, emarginate or rounded behind, slightly adnexed, broad (broader in the middle), somewhat crowded, whitish.

The pileus is sometimes cracked in a tessellated manner. Stevenson.

=Spores= nearly globose, 5µ long Morgan; 5–6.5µ broad Peck; 6µ W.G.S.

Var. aceri´cola—acer, maple; colo, to inhabit. Plant smaller, cespitose.

Trunks and roots of maple trees. Adirondack mountains. September.

Var. populi´cola—populus, poplar; colo, to inhabit. Plant subcespitose, stem wholly tomentose. West Albany. Peck, Monograph, N.Y. Species of Pleurotus, Rep. 39.

The gills are sometimes torn across like those of Lentinus.

The historic elms of Boston Common have borne copious crops of this well-known and easily distinguished species from time immemorial. Every fall, about the first of September, if the season is favorable, later if not, copious crops appear decorating the trunks, and branches, sometimes at a height of thirty or forty feet. Growth takes place where branches have broken off or the trees have been wounded from other causes. They occur very generally on elms in the outlying districts of the city, but are rare in the country, seeming to be distinctly urban in their tastes. No damage is apparent from their growth.

Immediately in the rear of Independence Hall, Philadelphia, a fine cluster appears with equal autumnal regularity.

Though the elm tree is the chosen habitat of this fungus, it is little less select in its choice than other members of its genus.

When young and small P. ulmarius is tender and of acceptable flavor. The stems and centers of older specimens should be cut away, and the tender parts of the caps, only, used.

=P. tessula´tus= Bull.—tessela, a small cube for pavement. =Pileus= becoming pale-tawny, horizontal, compactly fleshy, convex then plane, and in a form which is somewhat lateral depressed behind, irregular, even, smooth, variegated with round and hexagonal paler spots. =Flesh= thick, white. =Stem= short, 1 in. or little more long, solid, compact, equal or attenuated at the base, very excentric, curved-ascending, even, smooth, white. =Gills= sinuate behind, uncinato-adnate, thin, crowded, white or becoming yellow.

Solitary; according to some cespitose. The pileus is not cracked in a tessellated manner, as one might easily imagine from the name, but variegated with spots. Smaller than A. ulmarius (to which it is too closely allied), but almost more compact, with a smell of new meal.

On trunks. Stevenson.

North Carolina, Schweinitz. Edible. Curtis. Edible. Cordier.

On specimens growing cespitose and singly, found at Haddonfield, N.J. September, 1895, on trunk of apple tree, and at Eagle’s Mere, Pa., singly on sugar maple, August, 1898, the margin of caps were beautifully marked, but not cracked.

In quality it is better than P. ulmarius.

=P. subpalma´tus= Fr.—sub and palma, a palm. =Pileus= 3–5 in. across. =Flesh= thick, soft, variegated; convex then more or less flattened, irregularly circular, obtuse, wrinkled, smooth, with a gelatinous cuticle, rufescent. =Stem= excentric or almost lateral, but the pileus is always marginate behind, fibrillose, short, equal, flesh fibrous, soft. =Gills= adnate, 3–4 lines broad, crowded, joined behind, dingy. Massee.

On old trunks, squared timber, etc.

Very remarkable for having the flesh variegated as in Fistulina hepatica. Pileus, especially when young, covered with a viscid pellicle. Fr.

=Spores= minutely echinulate, nearly globose, 5.6×7µ Morgan.

Ohio, Morgan; Wisconsin, Bundy.

I frequently found this species in North Carolina, growing from oak ties and standing oak timber. I did not notice distillation of rufescent drops from the cap. The soft flesh had good flavor. The gelatinous cuticle imparts its character to the dish. Mixed with Lentinus lepideus, a much tougher plant, which grows in great abundance in the same localities, it makes toothsome food.

=P. lignati´lis= Fr.—lignum, wood. Dingy whitish. =Pileus= 1–4 in. broad, rarely central, commonly more or less excentric, occasionally wholly lateral, often kidney-shaped, fleshy, thin, but compact and tough, fissile, convex then plane, obtuse and often umbilicate, flocculoso-pruinate, at length denuded with rain, repand, margin at first involute then expanded, undulato-lobed when luxuriant. =Stem= sometimes 2–3 in., sometimes 3–4 lines long (even obliterated), stuffed then hollow, always thin, unequal, curved, curved or flexuous, tough and flexile, whitish, everywhere pruinato-villous, rooting and somewhat tomentose at the base. =Gills= adnate, very crowded and narrow, unequal, divergent in the lobes, shining white. Fries.

Exceedingly variable, wholly inconstant in form; substance thin and pliant; commonly densely cespitose, but also single. Odor strong of new meal.

On wood, beech, etc. Stevenson.

Parasitic on a rotten plant of Polyporus annosus on elm. W.G.S.

White and grayish-white, margin faintly striate; white-spotted, odor distinctly farinaceous. C.M.

=Spores= 3–4µ long, Morgan, Cooke, W.G.S.; 4–5µ K.

Var. abscon´dens Pk.—obscure. New York, Peck, Rep. 31, 39.

On trunks, scattered, sometimes loosely clustered. Griffins, Delaware county, N.Y. September. New York, Peck, Rep. 31, 39.

Kingsessing, near Philadelphia; Mt. Gretna, Pa. McIlvaine.

This is a good species in every way. I have not found it in extended quantity, but it is probable that it will be found in plenty when closer observed and better known.

=P. circina´tus= Fr.—to make round. Wholly white, not hygrophanous. =Pileus= about 3 in. broad, orbicular, horizontal, fleshy, tough, convex then plano-disk-shaped, obtuse, even, but covered over with a shining whitish slightly silky luster. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, stuffed, elastic, equal, central or slightly excentric, commonly straight, smooth, bluntly rooted at the base. =Gills= adnate, slightly decurrent, crowded, broad (as much as 3 lines), white. Fries.

An exceedingly distinct species. Regular, solitary, with a weak, pleasant, not mealy odor. The pileus is a little thicker than that of A. lignatilis, but less compact; the gills are twice as broad. As A. lignatilis is changeable, this is always constant in form.

On rotting birch stump. Stevenson.

California, H. and M.

Found at Eagle’s Mere, Pa., August, 1898, on birch trees. Generally solitary; sometimes six or eight on one tree, beautifully shining white, at a distance resembling young Polyporus betulinus. Large quantities of it grow in the extensive birch forests at Eagle’s Mere, yielding a ready food supply. Its flavor is pleasant, and texture, when cooked, quite tender.

=P. pubes´cens= Pk.—pubes, down or soft hair. =Pileus= fleshy, convex, suborbicular, pubescent, yellowish. =Gills= broad, subdistant, rounded behind, sinuate, pallid tinged with red. =Stem= short, firm, curved, eccentric, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, 8µ broad.

=Pileus= about 2 in. broad. Stem scarcely 1 in. long.

Trunks of trees. Lyndonville. C.E. Fairman. Peck, 44th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, on oak trunks. McIlvaine.

High, agreeable flavor; texture about as in P. ostreatus.

*** Gills decurrent; stem distinct, etc.

(Plate XXXVI.)

=P. sa´pidus= Kalchb.—savory. Cespitose, or several pilei appearing to spring from a common branched stem. =Pileus= 1–3 in. across. =Flesh= thick, excentric, regular, convex or obtusely gibbous then depressed, glabrous, white or brownish. =Stem= stout, solid, several usually springing from a thickened knob, whitish, 1–2 in. long, expanding upward into the pileus. =Gills= decurrent, rather distant, narrow, whitish. =Spores= elliptical, 10–11×4–5µ.

On elm trunks.

A very variable species; according to Kalchbrenner, the spores have a faint tinge of lilac, and the pileus is white, tawny, brownish, or umber on the same trunk. The white form only has been met with in this country. Massee.

=Spores= with a lilac tinge, oblong or a little curved and pointed, 8.3×3.7µ Morgan; oblong, 9–11.5×4–5µ Peck; 10–11×4–5µ Massee.

Not observed in England until 1887.

Quite common throughout the United States, growing upon decaying wood, whether above or under ground. It has few distinct features. The only positive one distinguishing it from P. ostreatus is its lilac-tinted spores. The tint is faint but noticeable upon white background. Excepting for purposes of the student, its separation, as a species, from P. ostreatus is not necessary. When old it has more body than the latter, but is equally superior as a food fungus.

Professor Peck remarks of it: “A stew made of it is a very good substitute for an oyster stew.”

It can be cultivated by watering the places upon which it is known to appear.

=P. pome´ti= Fr.—pometum, an orchard. =Pileus= white, fleshy, soft, sub-flaccid, irregular, involute, convex, even, smooth, disk depressed. =Gills= decurrent, crowded, separate behind. =Stem= 2–3 in. high, 3–4 lines thick, excentric, solid, tough, ascending, rooting.

On trunks of pear and apple trees.

Especially distinguished by the rooting stem.

North Carolina, edible, Curtis; California, H. and M.

**** Gills decurrent. Stem lateral, etc.

=P. ostrea´tus= Jacq.—ostrea, an oyster. (Plate XXXV, p. 134, XXXV_a_, p. 142.) =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, when young almost becoming black, soon becoming pale, brownish-ash color, passing into yellow when old, fleshy, soft, shell-shaped, somewhat dimidiate, ascending, smooth, moist, even, but sometimes with the cuticle torn into squamules. =Stem= shortened or obliterated, firm, elastic, ascending obliquely, thickening upward, white, strigoso-villous at the base. =Gills= decurrent, anastomosing behind, somewhat distant, broad, white, sometimes turning light yellow, and without glandules.

For the most part cespitose, imbricated, very variable, sometimes almost central. The pileus is at first convex and horizontal, then expanded and ascending. Stevenson.

=Spores= 10–12×4–5µ Massee; 7.5–10×4µ Peck.

General over the United States.

Var. glandulo´sus Ag. g. Bull.—With the habit of the typical form, but larger. Pileus dark brown, becoming pale. Gills white, with scattered small wart-like or glandular bodies.

On trunks. A very constant but somewhat rare variety; easily known by the dark-brown pileus. The gland-like bodies on the gills are due to the outward growth of the hyphæ of the trama in minute patches here and there. Massee.

Var. euos´mus Berk.—strong-smelling. Strong scented, imbricate. Pileus fleshy, depressed, shining, silky when dry, at first white with a tinge of blue, then brownish. Stem short or obsolete. Gills decurrent, ventricose, dingy, white. =Spores= 12–14×5µ, pale pinkish-lilac.

On elm trunks. Pilei very much crowded, 2 in. or more across, deeply depressed, unequal, at first white, invested with a slight blue varnish, at length of a pale brown. Stems distinct above, connate below. Gills rather broad; running down to the bottom of the free portion of the stem. Spores oblong, narrow, oblique, white, tinged with purple. The whole plant smells, when first gathered, strongly of tarragon. B. and Br.

Found at Richmond, Ind., Dr. J.R. Weist. On hickory stump at Mt. Gretna, Pa., McIlvaine; Haddonfield, N.J., T.J. Collins.

This esculent fungus closely allied to P. ostreatus, and differing only in having lilac spores, has been followed from book to book by a bad reputation, probably because of its “rosy” or lilac spores—all fungi having pink spores having been, until recently, ignorantly branded by authors as poisonous. The writer has eaten meals of it many times, as have his friends. It is in every way equal to P. ostreatus.

The rare qualities of this species are stated in the descriptive heading of the genus. Its very name implies excellence. The camel is gratefully called the ship of the desert; the oyster mushroom is the shellfish of the forest. When the tender parts are dipped in egg, rolled in bread crumbs, and fried as an oyster they are not excelled by any vegetable, and are worthy of place in the daintiest menu.

=P. salig´nus= Schwam.—salix, willow. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, sooty ash-color or ochraceous, fleshy, compact, spongy, somewhat dimidiate, horizontal, at first pulvinate, even, at length depressed behind and here and there strigose, the incurved margin entire. =Stem= always short, firm, more or less tomentose. =Gills= horizontal, hence less manifestly decurrent, separate behind, but branched in the middle, crowded, dingy, often eroded at the edge, not glandular.

Among the larger and firmer species. Solitary, scarcely ever cespitose. It is commonly confounded with A. ostreatus, but is certainly a different species. Although the stature is in general the same, it is easily distinguished by the pileus being more compact, and more pulverulent when young, then depressed, by the gills being thinner, more crowded, somewhat branched, but not anastomosing behind, and dingy soot-color; the spores also are dingy. Stevenson.

=Spores= oblong or cylindrical-oblong, 8×4µ W.G.S.; 8–10×3–4µ B.

Dr. Curtis wrote of this: “Indeed I have found several persons who class this among the most palatable species. To such persons a dish of fresh mushrooms need seldom be wanting, as this one can be had every month of the year in this latitude.”

In New Jersey, in the vicinity of Philadelphia, Pa., I have found P. salignus in quantity. It has been sent to me by Dr. J.R. Weist, of Richmond, Ind., who writes, “I have eaten it with great enjoyment.”

In 1881 I found it frequently on water beeches and willows, and thoroughly tested its edible qualities. R.K. Macadam, Boston.

When young or fresh, it is quite equal to any Pleurotus. When old, as with others of the Pleuroti, it is tough. Nevertheless their margins are always edible unless decaying.

II.—DIMIDIA´TI.

=P. petaloi´des= Bull.—petal of a flower. =Pileus= 1–2 in. long, dingy-brown, becoming pale, dimidiate, fleshy, but in no wise compact, rather plane, somewhat spathulate, continuous with the stem and depressed behind, hence the villous down of the stem ascends to this point (the disk) of the pileus, otherwise smooth, even, margin at first involute then expanded. =Stem= about ½ in. long, sometimes however very short, solid, firm, compressed, channeled when larger, more or less villous, whitish. =Gills= decurrent, very crowded, very narrow (scarcely beyond 2 mm. broad), linear, very unequal, white then ash-color.

Taste bitter. The form on wood is somewhat horizontal, gregarious here and there imbricated. Stevenson.

=Spores= 9–10×4µ Massee; 8×4µ W.G.S.; minutely globose, 3–4µ Peck.

Edible. Cooke, Cordier.

=P. spathula´tus= Pers.—shaped like a spathula. =Pileus= rather thin, 1–2 in. broad, ascending, spathulate, tapering behind into the stem, glabrous, convex or depressed on the disk and there sometimes pubescent, alutaceous or brownish tinged with gray, red or yellow. =Gills= crowded, linear, decurrent, whitish or yellowish. =Stem= compressed, sometimes channeled above, grayish-tomentose. =Spores= elliptical, 7.6×4–5µ broad; odor and taste farinaceous.

Ground. Sandlake. June. Edible.

It grows singly or in tufts and is an inch or more in height. The margin is thin and sometimes striatulate and reflexed. Toward the base the flesh is thicker than the breadth of the gills. The cuticle is tough and separable. The flesh is said by Gillet to be tender and delicate. Persoon describes the disk as spongy-squamulose, but in our specimens it is merely pubescent or tomentose. Peck, 39th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Recorded as edible by Professor Peck. At Eagle’s Mere, Pa., I found many specimens agreeing with this description. They grew from decaying wood under ground, yet had the appearance of growing from the earth. It is probable that others have been deceived. In quality I found this to be one of the best.

=P. sero´tinus= Fr.—late. =Pileus= fleshy, 1–3 in. broad, compact, convex or nearly plane, viscid when young and moist, dimidiate kidney-shaped or suborbicular, solitary or cespitose and imbricated, variously colored, dingy-yellow, reddish-brown, greenish-brown or olivaceous, the margin at first involute. =Gills= close, determinate, whitish or yellowish. =Stem= very short, lateral, thick, yellowish beneath and minutely tomentose or squamulose with blackish points. =Spores= minute, elliptical, 5µ long, 2.5µ broad.

Dead trunks of deciduous trees. Peck, 39th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1887, and at Mt. Moriah, near Philadelphia, from August until November, 1898. Upon these findings the pileus was tomentose at base, as was the short stem.

The species is not noticeably viscid after its youth. The viscidity can be detected in old specimens by moistening the pileus. Its flavor is not marked, nor is its texture as pleasing as most others of its genus, but being a late species it satisfies the longing of the mycophagist for his accustomed food.

=P. pulmona´rius= Fr.—pulmo, lung, from texture. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, ash-colored, continuous with the stem, fleshy, soft, but tough, flaccid, obovate or kidney-shaped, plane or reflexo-conchate at the margin, even, smooth. =Flesh= thin, soft, white. =Stem= very short, solid, exactly lateral, horizontal or ascending, round, villous, expanded into the pileus. =Gills= decurrent but ending determinately, moderately broad, distinct, not branched or anastomosing at the base, livid or ash-color.

The primary form is solitary. The pileus is ashy-tan when dried. It differs from A. salignus alike in the definitely lateral stem and in the thin flaccid pileus. Fries.

Not previously reported.

Found by Miss Madeleine Le Moyne, Washington, Pa., September, 1898, and sent to writer. Gills 3 lines broad, not narrow in proportion to flesh.

Taste and smell similar to P. ostreatus. Cooked it is tender, and more succulent than P. ostreatus.

III.—RESUPINA´TI.

=P. mastruca´tus= Fr.—mastruca, a sheepskin. =Pileus= up to 2 in. long and 1 in. broad, sessile, at first resupinate then expanded and horizontal, often lobed, upper stratum of pileus gelatinous, brown, bristling with squarrose or erect squamules. =Flesh= thickish. =Gills= radiating from the point of attachment, broad, rather distant, grayish-white.

On old trunks. Imbricated. Readily distinguished by the brown, squarrosely scaly pileus. Massee.

=Spores= oblong, oblique, 8×5µ Morgan.

In June, 1886, the writer found this species in oak woods near Philadelphia. It grew on fallen trunks and on decaying spots of living timber.

It is edible, and of good flavor, but is rough in the mouth. If found in quantity, the extract of it would make a delicate soup.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1. HYGROPHORUS PRATENSIS (WHITE 5. HYGROPHORUS VAR.), 152 CANTHARELLUS, 156

2. HYGROPHORUS PRATENSIS (COLORED 6. HYGROPHORUS VIRGINEUS, VAR.), 152 153

3. HYGROPHORUS PRATENSIS (AFTER 7. HYGROPHORUS NIVEUS, RAIN), 152 153

4. HYGROPHORUS MINIATUS, 159

HYGROPH´ORUS Fr.

Gr.—moist; Gr.—to bear.

(Plate XXXVIII.)

=Pileus= regular or undulated and wavy, often viscid or moist. =Flesh= of the pileus continuous with that of the stem and descending as a trama into the gills. =Gills= adnate or adnexed, more or less decurrent, waxy, often thick and forked, edge always thin and sharp, often branched.

On the ground. Many species are brightly colored. =Spores= white.

This genus differs from the preceding genera in the manifest trama, the substance of which is similar to that of the pileus; from Lactarius and Russula by the trama not being vesicular, but somewhat floccose with granules intermixed; from Cantharellus, its nearest ally, by the sharp edge of the gills. The Cortinarii, Paxilli and Gomphidii are at once distinguished from it by their colored spores and the changing color of their gills, as well as by other marks. From all the other genera of Agaricini it is distinguished by a mark peculiar to itself, viz., by the hymeneal stratum of the gills changing into a waxy mass, which is at length removable from the trama. This altogether singular character is specially remarkable in H. caprinus, coccineus, murinaceus, etc. Hence the gills seem full of watery juice, but they do not become milky like those of the Lactarii. Fries.

From the description by Fries, the author of the genus, it is manifest that one has to wait the ripening of the fungus before the peculiar characteristic mark of the genus, i. e.—gills turning into a waxy mass, easily removable from the cap—can be observed. Many of the species are difficult to determine when fresh. Nevertheless, there is an indescribable, watery, waxy, translucent appearance about the gills which catches the eye of the expert, and is soon learned by the novice. The white spores readily separate the genus from kindred shapes in the colored-spored genera.

So far as tested none of the species is poisonous. One English species is fetid. It is probable that they are all edible, varying in quality only. Fries well, and is superior in croquettes and patties.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

LIMACIUM (limax, a slug). Page 148.

Universal veil viscid, with occasionally a floccose partial one, which is annular or marginal.

* White or becoming yellowish.

** Reddish.

*** Tawny or yellow.

**** Olivaceous-umber.

***** Dingy cinereous or livid.

None known to be edible.

CAMAROPHYLLUS (Gr.—a vault; a leaf). Page 152. (From the arched shape of the gills.)

Veil none. Stem even, smooth or fibrillose, not rough with points. Pileus firm, opaque, moist after rain, not viscid. Gills distant, arcuate.

* Gills deeply and at length obconically decurrent.

** Gills ventricose, sinuately arcuate or plano-adnate.

HYGROCYBE (Gr—moist; Gr—the head). Page 155.

Veil none. Whole fungus thin, watery, succulent, fragile. Pileus when moist viscid, shining when dry, rarely floccoso-scaly. Stem hollow, soft, without dots. Gills soft. Most of the species are brightly colored and shining. This tribe is the type of the genus.

* Gills decurrent.

** Gills adnexed, somewhat separating.

LIMA´CIUM.

* White or yellowish-white.

=H. chry´sodon= Fr. Gr—gold; a tooth. From tooth-like squamules. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, white, shining when dry, but commonly yellowish with minute adpressed squamules at the disk, light yellow-flocculose at the involute margin, fleshy, convex then plane, obtuse, viscid. =Flesh= white, sometimes reddish. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, about ½ in. thick, stuffed, soft, somewhat equal (sometimes, however, irregularly shaped or thickened at the base), white, with minute light yellow squamules, which are more crowded and arranged in the form of a ring toward the apex. =Gills= decurrent, distant, 3 lines broad, thin, white, somewhat yellowish at the edge, sometimes crisped.

Odor not unpleasant. There is a manifest veil, not woven into a continuous ring, but collected in the form of floccose squamules at the apex of the stem and the margin of the pileus. Var. leucodon with white squamules. Fries.

In woods.

The lamellæ are said to be crisped, and when young, to have the edge yellow-floccose; but I have seen no such specimens. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 8×4µ Cooke.

West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. McIlvaine.

A pleasant, excellent species, whose rarity is regrettable.

=H. ebur´neus= Bull. Fr.—ebur, ivory. Wholly shining white. =Pileus= fleshy, sometimes thin, sometimes somewhat compact, convexo-plane, somewhat repand, even, very glutinous in rainy weather, margin soon naked. =Stem= sometimes short, sometimes elongated, stuffed then hollow, unequal, glutinous like the pileus, rough at the apex with dots in the form of squamules. =Gills= decurrent, distant, veined at the base, 3–4 lines broad, tense and straight, quite entire. Fries.

Odor mild, not unpleasant. Very changeable. The veil is absent, unless the very plentiful gluten which envelops the stem be regarded as a universal veil; margin of the young pileus involute, only at the first pubescent, soon naked. The stem is soft internally, at length hollow, attenuated toward the base.

In woods and pastures. Frequent. September to October. Stevenson.

The whole plant is pure white when fresh, but in drying the gills assume a cinnamon-brown hue. Peck, Rep. 26.

=Spores= 6×5µ Cooke; 4×5µ W.G.S.; 5–6µ K.; 6×4µ C.B.P.

A common and wide-spread species frequenting woods and pastures.

Edible. Curtis.

The author ate it in West Virginia, in 1882; at Devon, Pa., 1887; Haddonfield, N.J., 1890. It is well flavored but in texture is not of first quality.

=H. pena´rius= Fr.—penus, food. =Pileus= tan-color, opaque, fleshy, especially when young, at first umbonate, then very obtuse, hemispherical then flattened, even, smooth, commonly dry, margin at first involute, exceeding the gills, undulated when flattened. =Flesh= thick, hard, whitish, unchangeable. =Stem= curt, 1½ in. or more long, about ½ in. thick at the apex, solid, compact, hard, attenuated at the base into a spindle-shaped root, ventricose to the neck, again attenuated upward or wholly fusiform-attenuated, pale-white, smeared with tenacious, easily dried slime, warty. =Flesh= firm, but externally more rigid, cuticle somewhat fragile. =Veil= not conspicuous. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, acute behind, distant, thick, 3–4 lines broad, veined, tan inclining to pale. Fries.

Odor pleasant, taste sweet. The fusiform root is as long as the stem.

In mixed woods. Stevenson.

=Spores= 7–8×4–5µ.

Edible. Cooke.

Large specimens occurred in mixed woods, in November, 1898, at Mt. Gretna. The caps varied from 1½-5 in. across. The color was white, tinged with yellow, much lighter than described. The caps look coarse and the stems are not inviting; but the caps have a pleasant odor. When stewed for twenty minutes they are meaty and tasty.

** Reddish.

=H. erubes´cens= Fr.—erubesco, to become red. =Pileus= 2–4 in. and more broad, white becoming everywhere red, fleshy, gibbous then convexo-plane, viscid, adpressedly dotted with squamules or becoming smooth, sometimes wholly compact, sometimes thin towards the margin which is at the first naked. =Flesh= firm, white. =Stem= sometimes short, robust, 2 in. long, 1 in. thick and attenuated upward, sometimes elongated, 4 in. long, equal or attenuated at the base, solid, flexuous, with red fibrils, dotted with red upward. =Gills= decurrent, distant, soft, white, with red spots. Fries.

Veil none. The ground color is white, as it is also internally, but it everywhere becomes red and the pileus often rosy blood-color. Handsome, growing in troops, commonly forming large lax circles.

In pine woods. Stevenson.

=Spores= ellipsoid, very obtuse at both ends, 8–10×4–5µ K.; 8×4µ Cooke.

Edible. Cooke.

*** Tawny or yellow.

=H. ni´tidus= B. and Rav.—shining. =Pileus= thin, fleshy, convex, broadly umbilicate, smooth, shining, viscid, pale yellow with the margin striatulate when moist, nearly white when dry. =Gills= arcuate, decurrent, yellow. =Stem= slender, brittle, smooth, viscid, hollow, yellow. =Flesh= yellow.

=Height= 2–4 in., breadth of =Pileus= 8–12 lines. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.

Swamps. Sandlake. August.

The cavity of the stem is very small. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found in many states and places, usually on moist ground beside streams, or spring heads. It sometimes parades itself in irregular processions, at others in sparse patches. It is delicate in flavor, and tender cooked.

**** Olivaceous-umber.

=H. limaci´nus= Fr.—limax, a slug. =Pileus= 1½-2½ in. broad, disk umber then sooty, paler round the margin, fleshy, convex then flattened, obtuse, smooth, viscid. =Flesh= rather firm, white. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, ½ in. thick, solid, firm, ventricose, sticky, flocculose, fibrilloso-striate, roughened with squamules at the apex. =Gills= adnate, then decurrent, somewhat distant, thin, white inclining to ash-color. Fries.

Veil entirely viscous, not floccose.

In woods among damp leaves. Stevenson.

=Spores= 12×4µ Cooke.

New York, Peck, Rep. 34. Thin woods and open places.

Reported edible Bulletin No. 5, 1897, Boston Mycological Club.

=H. hypoth´ejus= Fr. Gr.—under; Gr—sulphur (under gluten). =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, at first smeared with olivaceous gluten, ash-colored, when the gluten disappears, becoming pale and yellowish, orange or rarely (when rotting) rufescent, fleshy, thin, convex then depressed, obtuse, even, somewhat streaked. =Flesh= thin, white then becoming light yellow. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 2–3 lines and more thick, stuffed, equal, even, viscous, but rarely spotted with the veil, at length hollow. Partial veil floccose, at the first cortinate and annular, soon fugacious. =Gills= decurrent, distant, distinct, at first pallid (even whitish) soon yellow, sometimes flesh-color. Fries.

Very protean, changeable in color and variable in size. Stem not scabrous. There is no trace of the veil when the plant is full grown. Appearing after the first cold autumn nights, and lasting even till snow.

In pine woods. Frequent. Stevenson.

=Spores= 10×6µ Cooke; 12×4µ W.G.S.

Hollis Webster, in Bulletin No. 5, 1897, Boston Mycological Club, writes: “H. hypothejus Fr., when dried, is crisp and nutty, and very good to carry in the pocket for occasional nibble.”

II.—CAMAROPHYL´LUS.

* Gills deeply decurrent, etc.

=H. praten´sis= Fr.—pratum, a meadow. (Plate XXXVII, figs. 1, 2, 3, p. 146. Plate XXXVIII, p. 147.) =Pileus= 1–2 in. and more broad, somewhat pale yellowish, compactly fleshy especially at the disk, thin toward the margin, convex then flattened, almost top-shaped from the stem being thickened upward, even, smooth, moist (but not viscous) in rainy weather, when dry often rimosely incised, here and there split regularly round. =Flesh= firm, white. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, stuffed, internally spongy, externally polished-evened and firmer, attenuated downward, even, smooth, naked. =Gills= remarkably decurrent, at first arcuate, then extended in the form of an inverted cone, very distant, thick, firm, brittle, connected by veins at the base, very broad in the middle, of the same color as the pileus. Fries.

Very protean. Veil none. The flesh of the pileus is formed as it were of the stem dilated upward. The typical form resembles the Cantharelli. Everywhere becoming light yellow-tawny, but varying with the stem and gills pale-white.

In pastures. Common. Stevenson.

=Spores= 6×4µ Cooke; 6–10×4–6µ K.

Common over the United States. West Virginia, 1881, North Carolina, 1890, Pennsylvania, 1887, Mt. Gretna, 1897–1898. McIlvaine.

Gregarious, and often in tufts, sometimes in partial rings.

An exceedingly variable species. White, buff, smoky, pinkish colors are common. The cap shapes are also diverse. The margins of some are incurved; of others repand. The weather seems to have much to do with their shapes.

M.C. Cooke says: “It requires careful cooking, as it is liable to be condemned as tough, unless treated slowly, but it is a great favorite abroad.” He calls them “Buff Caps.”

All fungi are the better for slow cooking. The H. pratensis in all its forms is excellent, but particularly so in croquettes and patés.

=H. virgin´eus= Fr.—virgo, a virgin. (Plate XXXVII, fig. 6, p. 146.) Wholly white. =Pileus= fleshy, convex then plane, obtuse, moist, at length depressed, cracked into patches, floccose when dry. =Stem= curt, stuffed, firm, attenuated at the base, externally becoming even and naked. =Gills= decurrent, distant, rather thick. Fries.

=Flesh= sometimes equal, sometimes abruptly thin. Commonly confounded with H. niveus, but it is more difficult to distinguish it from white forms of H. pratensis. It is distinguished chiefly by its smaller stature, by the color being constantly white, sometimes becoming pale, by the obtuse pileus being scarcely turbinate, at length cracked into patches and floccose when dry, and by the gills being thinner, etc.

In pastures. Common. Stevenson.

=Spores= 12×5–6µ Cooke.

Tastes like M. oreades. M.J.B. Delicious broiled or stewed. Cooke.

“Mony littles make muckle,” says the Scotch proverb. It applies well to the brave little toadstool looking through the first grass of lawns for the coming of spring, and coming again in the autumn, defiant of early frosts. Small though it be, its numbers soon fill the basket.

The “Ivory Caps” are plentiful, and extend their haunts to the woods, where thick mold or grassy places abound.

=H. ni´veus= Fr.—niveus, snow-white. (Plate XXXVII, fig. 7, p. 146.) Wholly white. =Pileus= scarcely reaching 1 in. broad, somewhat membranaceous, and without a more compact disk, hence truly umbilicate, bell-shaped then convex, smooth, striate and viscid when moist, not cracked when dry. =Flesh= thin, everywhere equal, white, hygrophanous. =Stem= 2 in. or a little more long, 1–2 lines thick, tubed, equal, even, smooth, tense and straight. =Gills= decurrent, distant, thin, scarcely connected by veins, arcuate, quite entire.

Thinner, tougher, and later than H. virgineus, etc. Being hygrophanous the pileus is shining white when dry. Very tender forms occur.

In pastures. Stevenson.

=Spores= 7×4µ Cooke.

The H. niveus, H. virgineus, “Ivory Caps” as M.C. Cooke calls them, are pretty and plentiful in some sections. In the West Virginia mountains, along grass-grown road-sides, their purity and exquisite perfume attracted me in 1881. I have them and a few others to thank for seducing me into becoming a mycophagist. I think of them affectionately. I have seldom met with them since. They are found on lawns and in pastures and on grassy edges of woods, early in spring and late in autumn.

=H. boreal´is= Pk.—northern. =Pileus= thin, convex or expanded, smooth, moist, white, sometimes striatulate. =Gills= arcuate-decurrent, distant, white. =Stem= smooth, equal or tapering downward, stuffed, white.

=Plant= 2 in. high. =Pileus= 8–12 lines broad. =Stem= 1 line thick.

Ground in woods. Croghan and Copake. September and October.

The species is related to H. niveus but the pileus is not viscid. Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found at Mt. Gretna, Pa., October 20, 1898, ground in mixed woods. The cap is white, silky, smooth, not viscid. Stem likewise.

A neat species pleasant in every way.

** Gills ventricose, adnate, etc.

=H. dis´tans= Berk.—distant (of the gills). =Pileus= about 2 in. broad, white, with a silky luster, here and there stained with brown, somewhat fleshy, plane or depressed, viscid. =Stem= white above, gray below, and attenuated, not spotted. =Gills= decurrent, few, very distant, somewhat ventricose, pure white then tinged with ash-color, interstices obscurely wrinkled.

Often umbilicate. Remarkable for the few and distant gills. Stevenson.

=Spores= 10×8µ Cooke.

Caps white, shaded to light pinkish-brown toward center. Gills very distant. Leaves adhere to cap.

Specimens tested were of mild, pleasant flavor.

=H. sphæro´sporus= Pk. =Pileus= fleshy and thick in the center, sub-obconic, convex, obtuse or slightly umbonate, whitish, inclining to reddish-brown, the margin incurved. =Flesh= firm, white. =Gills= rather broad, subdistant, adnate or slightly decurrent, white. =Stems= tufted, flexuous, solid, glabrous, often slightly thickened at the base, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, 6–8µ broad.

=Pileus= 6–12 lines broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 2–3 lines thick.

Iowa. October. Communicated by C. McIlvaine.

The fresh plant is said to have no decided odor, but when partly dried it emits a slight but rather unpleasant odor. It belongs apparently to the section Camarophyllus, and is related to Hygrophorus Peckii. Peck, Torr. Bull., Vol. 22, No. 12.

Received by the writer from Hon. Thomas Updegraff, MacGregor, Iowa, and forwarded to Professor Peck as a new species.

The fungus has but slight taste and is without odor when fresh.

It is probably edible. Not received in sufficient quantity to test.

III.—HYGRO´CYBE.

* Gills decurrent.

=H. cera´ceus= Fr.—cera, wax. =Pileus= about 1 in. broad, waxy-yellow, shining, slightly fleshy, thin, but slightly firm, convexo-plane, obtuse, slightly pellucid-striate, viscid. =Stem= 1–2 in. and more long, about 2 lines thick, hollow, often unequal, flexuous and at length compressed, even, smooth, of the same color as the pileus, never darker at the apex. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, broad, almost triangular, distinct, yellow. Fries.

Fragile; easily distinguished from others by its waxy (not changeable) color. Stevenson.

=Spores= 8×6µ Cooke.

Eaten in Germany.

Found at Angora and Kingsessing, Philadelphia, 1887. August to October. Open grassy places in woods, and in pastures. Scattered and in troops. Excellent. Stew slowly.

=H. cantharel´lus= Schw. Gr—a small vase. (Plate XXXVII, fig. 5, p. 146.) =Pileus= thin, convex, at length umbilicate or centrally depressed, minutely squamulose, moist, bright red, becoming orange or yellow. =Gills= distant, subarcuate, decurrent, yellow, sometimes tinged with vermilion. =Stem= smooth, equal, subsolid, sometimes becoming hollow, concolorous, whitish within.

=Height= 2–4 in., breadth of pileus 6–12 lines. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.

Swamps and damp shaded places in fields or woods. July to September. Common. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Var. fla´va. Pileus and stem pale yellow. Gills arcuate, strongly decurrent.

Var. fla´vipes. Pileus red or reddish. Stem yellow.

Var. fla´viceps. Pileus yellow. Stem red or reddish.

Var. Ro´sea. Has the pileus expanded and the margin wavy scalloped. Swamps. Sandlake. Peck, 23d Rep.

Common in the Adirondack region, and throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in all its varieties.

The resemblance to H. miniatus in color is great, but there is a marked difference in the gills, which extend further down the thinner stem. It is tougher, and takes longer to cook. It has a flavor of its own which is enjoyed by some and condemned by others.

=H. cocci´neus= Schaeff.—of a scarlet color. (Plate CXXXVI, fig. 6, p. 508.) =Pileus= 1–2 in. and more broad, at first bright scarlet, then soon changing color and becoming pale, slightly fleshy, convex, then plane and often unequal, obtuse, at first viscid and even, smooth, not floccose-scaly. =Flesh= of the same color as the pileus. =Stem= 2 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, hollow, then compressed and rather even, not slippery, scarlet upward, always yellow at the base. =Gills= wholly adnate, decurrent with a tooth, plane, distant, connected by veins, watery-soft as if fatty, when full grown purplish at the base, light yellow in the middle, glaucous at the edge. Fries.

Flesh of the pileus descending into the gills and forming a trama of the same color. Fragile. Varying in stature, easily mistaken for some of the following species which are of the same color. Pileus at length becoming yellow. Stevenson.

=Spores= 10–12×6µ Cooke; 7×4µ Morgan.

Edible. Cooke, Peck.

In woods and pastures. In troops. Common in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. McIlvaine.

Excellent when stewed for twenty minutes.

(Plate XXXIX.)

=H. fla´vo-dis´cus= Frost—flavus, yellow; discus, disk. =Pileus= convex or plane, smooth, glutinous, white with a pale-yellow or reddish-yellow disk. =Flesh= white. =Gills= adnate or decurrent, subdistant, white, sometimes with a slight flesh-colored tint, the inter-spaces sometimes veiny. =Stem= subequal, solid, glutinous, white, sometimes slightly stained with yellow. =Spores= elliptical, 6–8×4µ.

=Plant= 2–3 in. high. =Pileus= 1–3 in. broad. =Stem= 2–8 lines thick.

Pine woods. West Albany. November.

This, like H. fuligineus, has a short white space at the top of the stem, free from the viscidity that exists elsewhere. It resembles in many respects Hygrophorus speciosus, which has the pileus red, fading to yellow with advancing age. Perhaps the three may yet prove to be forms of one very variable species, for the most conspicuous differences between them consist in the colors of the pileus. The constancy with which the three styles of coloration has thus far been maintained indicates a specific difference, but color alone is not generally regarded as having any specific value. Peck, 35th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 6.4–7.6×4µ Peck.

I find this very good but its dirty pellicle should be peeled before using. Peck, in letter, 1896.

Mr. Hollis Webster writes of H. flavo-discus (Yellow Sweet Bread) in Bull. No. 45, of the Boston Mycological Club, 1897: “This is a mushroom worth going a long way to get. It is abundant in rich woods under pines in certain localities, and is a great favorite with those who know it. It is easily prepared and requires little cooking.”

I have eaten enjoyably of it since 1881.

Plentiful in the Jersey pines, in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and equal to any toadstool of its size.

(Plate XL.)

=H. fuligi´neus= Frost—resembling soot. =Pileus= convex or nearly plane, glabrous, very viscid or glutinous, grayish-brown or soot-color, the disk often darker or almost black. =Gills= subdistant, adnate or decurrent, white. =Stem= solid, viscid or glutinous, white or whitish. =Spores= elliptical, 7–9×5µ.

The Sooty hygrophorous resembles the Club-stemmed clitocybe in the color of its cap, but in nearly every other respect it is different. When moist the cap is covered with an abundant gluten which when dry gives it a shining appearance as if varnished. The color varies from grayish-brown to a very dark or sooty-brown with the central part usually still darker or almost black, but never with an umbo. The flesh and the gills are white. The stem also is white or but slightly shaded toward the base with the color of the cap. It is variable in length and shape, being long or short, straight or crooked, everywhere equal in thickness or tapering toward the base. It is glutinous and unpleasant to handle.

The cap is 1–4 in. broad, the stem 2–4 in. long, and 4–8 lines thick. The plants grow either singly or in tufts. In the latter case the caps are often irregular from mutual pressure.

The plants occur early in October and November, in pine woods or woods of pine and hemlock intermixed.

This mushroom is tender and of excellent flavor, but its sticky and often dirty covering should be peeled before cooking. Peck, 49th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Found at Angora, near Philadelphia, August 1, 1897. Densely cespitose.

Raw it tastes like dead leaves. Tender and of fine flavor when cooked.

=H. minia´tus= Fr.—minium, red lead. (Plate XXXVII, fig. 4, p. 146.) =Pileus= thin, fragile, at first convex, becoming nearly plane, glabrous or minutely squamulose, often umbilicate, generally red. =Gills= distant, adnate, yellow, often tinged with red. =Stem= slender, glabrous, colored like the pileus. =Spores= elliptical, white, 8µ long.

=Cap= ½-2 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 1–2 lines thick. Peck, 48th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Var. lutes´cens. Pileus yellow or reddish-yellow. Stem and gills yellow. Plant often cespitose. Peck, 41st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 10×6µ Cooke; elliptical, white.

Grows where it pleases and abundantly throughout the land. In wet weather I have found it in July and late in autumn.

Professor Peck says: It is scarcely surpassed by any mushroom in tenderness of substance and agreeableness of flavor.

The gunner for partridges will not shoot rabbits; the knowing toadstool seeker will pass all others where H. miniatus abounds.

** Gills adnexed, etc.

=H. puni´ceus= Fr.—blood-red. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, glittering blood-scarlet, in dry weather and when old becoming pale especially at the disk, slightly fleshy for its breadth, at first bell-shaped, obtuse, commonly repand or lobed, very irregular, even, smooth, viscid. =Flesh= of the same color, fragile. =Stem= 3 in. long, ½-1 in. thick, solid when young, at length hollow, very stout (not compressed), ventricose (attenuated at both ends), striate, and for the most part squamulose at the apex, when dry light yellowish or of the same color as the pileus, always white and often incurved at the base. =Gills= ascending, ventricose, 2–4 lines broad, thick, distant, white-light yellow or yellow and often reddish at the base. Fries.

The largest of the group and very handsome. It certainly differs from H. coccineus, for which it is commonly mistaken, in stature, in the adnexed gills, and in the white base of the striate stem. The attachment of the gills varies, but from the form of the pileus they ascend to the base of the cone and appear free.

In pastures. Stevenson.

=Spores= 8×5µ Cooke.

Edible. Cooke. No harm would come of confusing it with the vermilion mushroom—H. miniatus Pk.

=H. con´icus= Fr.—conical. =Pileus= thin, submembranaceous, fragile, smooth, conical, generally acute, sometimes obtuse, the margin often lobed. =Gills= rather close and broad, subventricose, narrower toward the stem, free, terminating in an abrupt tooth at the outer extremity, scarcely reaching the margin, yellow. =Stem= equal, fibrous-striate, yellow, hollow.

=Height= 3–6 in., breadth of pileus 6–12 lines. =Stem= 1–2 lines thick.

Ground in woods and open places. North Elba and Center. August to October.

The color of the pileus is variable. I have taken specimens with it pale sulphur-yellow and others with it bright red or scarlet. The plant turns black in drying. Peck, Rep. 23, New York State Bot.

=Spores= 10×7µ Cooke; 10×6µ Morgan.

An old-time cure-all had medicinal virtues proportionate to its offensiveness. Old-time writers, contrariwise, gave every toadstool a bad name which changed color or displeased their noses. The pretty little Hygrophorus conicus, for these reasons, has, until now, been under the ban of suspicion. M.C. Cooke, in his handy book, Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms, was the first to lighten its sentence and make it a sort of ticket-of-leave culprit.

The writer has frequently eaten it, and is glad to vouch for its harmlessness and testify to its eminent respectability.

=H. chloroph´anus= Fr. Gr—greenish-yellow. =Pileus= 1 in. broad, commonly bright sulphur-yellow, sometimes, however, scarlet, not changing color, somewhat membranaceous, very fragile, at first convex, then plane, obtuse, orbicular and lobed, and at length cracked, smooth, viscid, striate. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 2–3 lines thick, hollow, equal, round, rarely compressed, wholly even, smooth, viscid when moist, shining when dry, wholly unicolorous, rich light yellow. =Gills= emarginato-adnexed, very ventricose, with a thin decurrent tooth, thin, distant, distinct. Fries.

Very much allied to H. conicus, but never becoming black, and otherwise certainly distinguished by its convex, obtuse, striate pileus, by its even and viscous stem, and by its emarginato-free, thin, somewhat distant, whiter gills. Like H. ceraceus in appearance.

In grassy and mossy places. Common. August to October. Stevenson.

=Spores= 8×5µ Cooke; 8µ Q.

Received from E.B. Sterling, Trenton, N.J., August, 1897.

Open grassy woods.

But three specimens were tested. They were in every way agreeable.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE. 1. LACTARIUS PIPERATUS, 168 3. LACTARIUS DELICIOSUS, 170 2. LACTARIUS INDIGO, 171 4. LACTARIUS VOLEMUS, 180

LACTA´RIUS Fr.

Giving lac (milk).

The hymenophore continuous with the stem. =Pileus= somewhat rigid, fleshy, becoming more or less depressed, often marked with concentric zones. =Gills= unequal, membranaceous-waxy, slightly rigid, milky, edge acute, decurrent or adnate and often branched. =Stem= stout, central, rarely excentric except in those growing on trunks. =Spores= globose, minutely echinulate, white, rarely yellowish.

Nearly all grow on the ground.

Distinguished from all other fungi by the presence of a granular milk which pervades every part of the plant and especially the gills; it is commonly white, sometimes changing color and in section Dapetes highly colored from the first. The nature of the milk, especially its taste, whether acrid, subacrid or mild, must be carefully noted in distinguishing species, as it is the most useful characteristic.

In Russula, the only allied genus, the milk-bearing cells are present, but their contents do not appear as milk.

Many of the species are peppery, acrid, astringent; some mildly so, others will be long remembered if tasted raw. Yet not a species is hotter than some radishes, onions, and others of our favorite vegetables. Who would condemn them because they are peppery? There is not a single species of Lactarius which retains its pepperiness after cooking. This quality has to be and is supplied by one of our favorite condiments—pepper itself. Simply because they are toadstools and hot, they have been condemned without trial. It is remarkable that not one of the fungi known to be deadly gives any warning by appearance or flavor of the presence of a poison. The day will probably come when it can be said that if toadstool eaters will confine themselves to hot species, otherwise attractive, they will run no risk. Panus stypticus is astringent, not hot.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

PIPERITES (peppery, after piperitis, pepperwort). Page 163.

Stem central. Gills unchangeable, not pruinose nor becoming discolored. Milk white at first, usually acrid.

* TRICHOLOMOIDEI—inclining to Tricholoma. Pileus moist, viscid, margin incurved and downy at first.

** LIMACINI—limax, a slug. Pileus viscid when moist, with a pellicle, margin naked.

*** PIPERATI. Pileus without a pellicle, hence absolutely dry, often more or less downy or unpolished.

DAPETES (daps, a feast). Page 170.

Stem central. Gills naked. Milk highly colored from the first.

RUSSULARIA (inclining to Russula). Page 173.

Stem central. Gills pallid then discolored, at length dark and powdered with the white spores. Milk at first white, mild, or from mild becoming acrid.

* VISCIDI—viscidus, viscid, sticky. Pileus viscid at first.

** IMPOLITI—impolitus, unpolished. Pileus squamulose, downy or pruinose.

*** GLABRATI—glaber, smooth. Pileus polished, smooth.

PLEUROPUS (pleura, side; pous, a foot).

Stem excentric or lateral. Growing on trunks. None known to be edible.

I.—PIPERI´TES.

* TRICHOLOMOI´DEI. Pileus viscid, margin incurved, etc.

=L. tormino´sus= Fr.—tormina, gripes. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, convex, then depressed, viscid when young or moist, yellowish-red or paleochraceous tinged with red or flesh color, often varied with zones or spots, the at first involute margin persistently tomentose-hairy. =Gills= thin, close, narrow, whitish, often tinged with yellow or flesh color. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 4–8 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering downward, hollow, sometimes spotted, whitish. =Spores= subglobose or broadly elliptical, 9–10µ. =Milk= white, taste acrid.

Woods. Adirondack mountains and Sandlake. August. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Poisonous, and Gillet declares it to be deleterious and even dangerous, and that in the raw state it is a very strong drastic purgative. On the other hand, Cordier states that almost all authors agree in stating that it is eaten with impunity, and that Letellier has eaten it more than once without inconvenience.

Cooke states: “Whether it is poison is rather uncertain, and probably assumed from its acridity.”

Bulliard says: “It is very acrid and this is changed by heat into an astringent of such power that a very little suffices to produce the most terrible accidents.” On the other hand, Boudier says that the presence of an acrid milk is an indication of no importance, that in certain parts of the country they eat such Lactaria as even L. piperatus and do not experience any trouble. Certain Russulæ as acrid as any Lactaria are known to be inoffensive.

The Russians preserve it in salt and eat it seasoned with oil and vinegar.

=L. tur´pis= Fr.—turpis, base, from its ugly appearance. =Pileus= large, as much as 3–12 in. broad, olivaceous inclining to umber, fleshy, rigid, convex becoming plane, disk-shaped or umbilicate, at length depressed, innately hairy at the circumference or wholly covered over with tenacious gluten, zoneless, sometimes tawny toward the margin, at length entirely inclining to umber; margin for a long time involute, at the first villous, olivaceous-light-yellow, then more or less flattened, at length often densely furrowed. =Flesh= compact, white, then slightly reddish. =Stem= 1½-3 in. long, ½-1 in. and more thick, solid, hard, equal or attenuated downward, even or pitted and uneven, but not spotted, viscid or dry, pallid or dark olivaceous, ochraceous-whitish at the apex. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, thin, 1–2 lines broad, much crowded, forked, white straw-color, spotted brownish when broken or bruised. =Milk= acrid, white, unchangeable. Fries.

Gregarious, rigidly and compactly fleshy; habit almost that of Paxillus involutus. It varies with the stem hollow, and the pileus somewhat zoned.

=Spores= spheroid or subspheroid, uniguttate, echinulate, 6–8µ K.; minutely spinulose, 6–8µ Massee.

New Jersey, Trenton, E.B. Sterling; North Carolina, Curtis, Schweinitz; Mt. Gretna, Pa. September, 1898. Along road in woods, moist places. McIlvaine.

The species is attractive by its very homeliness and odd individuality. It is not inviting. Cooked it is coarse and resembles L. piperatus. An emergency species.

=L. controver´sus= Fr.—contra, against; verto, to turn. =Pileus= 3 in. and more broad, fleshy, compact, rigid, at the first convex, broadly umbilicate, when fuller grown somewhat funnel-shaped, oblique, on emerging from the ground dry, flocculose, whitish, then with rain smooth, viscid, reddish, with blood-colored spots and zones (especially toward the margin), margin acute when young, closely involute, more or less villous. =Flesh= very firm. =Stem= commonly 1 in. long and thick, sometimes, however, 2 in. long and then manifestly attenuated toward the base and often excentric, solid, obese, even but pruinate and as if striate at the apex from the obsoletely decurrent tooth of the gills, wholly white, never pitted. =Gills= decurrent, thin, very crowded, 1–2 lines broad, with many shorter ones intermixed, but rarely branched, pallid-white-flesh-color. =Milk= white, unchangeable, plentiful. Fries.

Odor weak but pleasant, taste very acrid. Allied to L. piperatus.

In woods. Uncommon. August to October. Stevenson.

=Spores= echinulate, 8×6µ W.G.S.; globose, rough, 6–8µ Massee.

California, H. and M.

Edible, rather deficient in aroma and flavor. Cooke.

(Plate XL_a_.)

=L. blen´nius= Fr. Gr—slimy. =Pileus= 3–5 in. across. =Flesh= thick, firm; soon expanded and more or less depressed, glutinous, dingy greenish-gray, often more or less zoned with drop-like markings; margin at first incurved and downy. =Gills= slightly decurrent, crowded, narrow, whitish or with an ochraceous tinge. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, up to 1 in. thick at the apex, where it expands into the thick flesh of the pileus, often attenuated at the base, viscid, colored like the stem or paler, soon hollow. =Milk= persistently white, very acrid. =Spores= subglobose, 7–8×6µ.

In woods, on the ground, very rarely on trunks.

L. turpis somewhat resembles the present species but differs in the darker olive-brown pileus and the yellow down on the incurved margin, especially when young. Massee.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, fleshy, rarely subzonate, convex, the margin generally involute and adpresso-tomentose (quite smooth, Fries); at length more or less depressed, dull cinereous-green, at first viscid, more or less pitted. =Milk= white, not changeable. =Gills= rather narrow, pale ochraceous, scarcely forked, not connected by veins. =Stem= 1 in. long, ¼-½ in. thick, paler than the pileus, attenuated downward, obtuse, smooth, at length hollow, sometimes pitted, very acrid. Berk.

Edible. Coarse.

** LIMACI´NI. Pileus viscid, etc.

=L. insul´sus= Fr.—tasteless. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, convex and umbilicate, then funnel-shaped, glabrous, viscid, more or less zonate, yellowish, the margin naked. =Gills= thin, close, adnate or decurrent, some of them forked at the base, whitish or pallid. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 4–6 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering downward, stuffed or hollow, whitish or yellowish, generally spotted. =Spores= 7.6–9µ. =Milk= white, taste acrid.

Thin woods and open, grassy places. Greenbush and Sandlake, N.Y. July and August.

Our plant has the pileus pale yellow or straw color, and sometimes nearly white, but European forms have been described as having it orange-yellow and brick-red. It is generally, though often obscurely, zonate. The zones are ordinarily more distinct near the margin, where they are occasionally very narrow and close. The milk in the Greenbush specimens had a thin, somewhat watery appearance. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. July to September. Common in mixed woods and grassy places. McIlvaine.

Edible. Cordier, Curtis.

L. insulsus is another peppery member of Lactarius which has suffered unjustly. I have eaten it since 1881, and think it the best of the hot milk species. Its flesh is not as coarse as others, and is of better flavor. There is little difference in quality between it and L. deliciosus.

=L. hys´ginus= Fr. Gr—a crimson dye. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, rigid, at first convex, then nearly plane, umbilicate or slightly depressed, even, viscid, zoneless or rarely obscurely zonate, reddish-incarnate, tan-color or brownish-red, becoming paler with age, the thin margin inflexed. =Gills= close, adnate or subdecurrent, whitish, becoming yellowish or cream-colored. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 4–8 lines thick, equal, glabrous, stuffed or hollow, colored like the pileus, or a little paler, sometimes spotted. =Milk= white, taste acrid.

Woods. Sandlake and Canoga, N.Y. July and August. Not common.

The reddish hue of the pileus distinguishes this species from its allies. The gluten or viscidity of the pileus in our specimens was rather tenacious and persistent. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= subglobose, whitish on black paper, yellowish on white paper, 9–10µ Peck; 10×7–8µ Massee.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897. Mixed woods. August, September.

Not very acrid. The entire acridity disappears in cooking. Several specimens were found and eaten, enough to prove it esculent and of good quality.

*** PIPERATI. Pileus dry, etc.

=L. plum´beus= Fr.—like plumbum, lead. =Pileus= 2—5 in. broad, compact, convex, then infundibuliform, dry, unpolished sooty or brownish-black. =Gills= crowded, white, or yellowish. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 3–6 lines thick, solid, equal, thick. =Milk= white, acrid, unchangeable. =Spores= 6.3–7.6µ.

The specimens which I have referred to this species were found in the Catskill mountains several years ago, growing in hemlock woods, under spruce and balsam trees. I have not met with the species since. The pileus in the larger specimens had a minutely tomentose appearance, but in the dried specimens this has disappeared. They also varied in color from blackish-brown to pinkish-brown and grayish-brown, but they can scarcely be more than a mere form or variety of the species the description of which, as given by Fries, I have quoted. In the Handbook the pileus is described as dark fuliginous-gray or brown, and Gillet describes it as black-brown, dark fuliginous or lead color, and adds that the plant is poisonous and the milk very acrid and burning. Cordier says that the flesh is white and the taste bitter and disagreeable. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Poisonous. Gillet.

=L. pergame´nus= Fr.—parchment. White. =Pileus= fleshy, pliant, convex then plano-depressed, spread, zoneless, slightly wrinkled, smooth. =Stem= stuffed, smooth, changing color. =Gills= adnate, very narrow, horizontal, very crowded, branched, white, then straw-color. =Milk= white, acrid.

Very much allied to L. piperatus, but differing in the stem being stuffed, at length softer internally, elongated, 3 in., unequal, attenuated downward and here and there ascending, quite smooth; in the pileus being thinner, pliant, elastic, most frequently irregular and excentric, for the most part flexuous, at first convex (not umbilicate), then rather plane, the surface very smooth, but unpolished and wrinkled in a peculiar manner; and in the gills being adnate, not decurrent, very crowded, very narrow (scarcely 1 line broad), always straight and horizontal, not arcuate or extended upward, soon straw-color. The flesh is very milky, but the gills are sparingly so. Fries.

In woods. October.

=Spores= subglobose, rather irregular, 6–8µ C.B.P.; broadly elliptical, echinulate, 7×5–6µ Massee.

Eaten on the continent and Nova Scotia. Edible. Cooke.

North Carolina, Curtis; New England, Frost; Ohio, Morgan.

=L. pipera´tus= Fr.—piper, pepper. (Plate XLI, fig. 1, p. 160.) =Pileus= 4–9 in. broad, white, fleshy, rigid, umbilicate when young, reflexed (margin at first involute) at the circumference, when full grown wholly funnel-shaped, for the most part regular, even, smooth, zoneless. =Flesh= white. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 1–2 in. thick, solid, obese, equal or obconical, even, obsoletely pruinose, white. =Gills= decurrent, crowded, narrow, scarcely broader than 1 line, obtuse at the edge, dividing by pairs, arcuate then all extended upward in a straight line, white, here and there with yellow spots. =Milk= white, unchangeable, plentiful and very acrid.

Compact, firm, dry, inodorous. The pileus becomes obsoletely yellow when old. Although the gills are spotted with yellow, they do not change to straw color like those of L. pergamenus. Fries.

=Spores= white, nearly smooth, 6.3–7.6µ Peck; subglobose, 8–9µ diameter Massee; 5×6µ W.G.S.

Pennsylvania, West Virginia, 1881–1885. New Jersey, Pennsylvania in woods and on grassy places. July to October. McIlvaine.

Edible. Curtis.

L. piperatus is a readily distinguished species. It is very common. In 1881, after an extensive forest fire in the West Virginia forests, I saw miles of the blackened district made white by a growth of this fungus. It was the phenomenal growth which first attracted my attention to toadstools. I collected it then in quantity and used it, with good results, as a fertilizer on impoverished ground.

It has been eaten for many years in most countries, yet a few writers continue to warn against it. It is the representative fungus of its class—meaty, coarse, fair flavor. It is edible and is good food when one is hungry and can not get better. It is best used as an absorbent of gravies.

=L. decepti´vus= Pk.—deceiving. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, compact, at first convex and umbilicate, then expanded and centrally depressed or subinfundibuliform, obsoletely tomentose or glabrous except on the margin, white or whitish, often varied with yellowish or sordid stains, the margin at first involute and clothed with a dense, soft or cottony tomentum, then spreading or elevated and more or less fibrillose. =Gills= rather broad, distant or subdistant, adnate or decurrent, some of them forked, whitish, becoming cream-colored. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 8–18 lines thick, equal or narrowed downward, solid, pruinose-pubescent, white. =Spores= white, 9–12.7µ. =Milk= white, taste acrid.

Woods and open places, especially under hemlock trees. Common. July to September.

Trial of its edible qualities was made without any evil consequences. The acridity was destroyed by cooking. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Alabama, U. and E.; New York, Peck, 38th Rep.; West Virginia, 1881–1885, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Woods and open places. July to October. McIlvaine.

In common with all peppery Lactarii the present species loses the quality in cooking. The edible qualities then depend upon texture, substance, flavor. The species is coarse but meaty and of fair flavor.

=L. velle´reus= Fr.—vellus, fleece. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, compact, at first convex and umbilicate, then expanded and centrally depressed or subinfundibuliform, the whole surface minutely velvety-tomentose, soft to the touch, white or whitish, the margin at first involute, then reflexed. =Gills= distant or subdistant, adnate or decurrent, sometimes forked, whitish becoming yellowish or cream-colored. =Stem= .5–2 in. long, 6–16 lines thick, firm, solid, equal or tapering downward, pruinose-pubescent, white. =Milk= white, taste acrid. =Spores= white.

Woods and open places. Common. July to September. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= white, nearly smooth, 7–9µ. Peck; 4×8µ W.G.S.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Woods and open places. July to October. McIlvaine.

Poisonous according to some authors. Cordier. Edible. Leveille. Eaten it for eighteen years. McIlvaine.

This common, very acrid species is characterized by the downy covering of its cap.

It is a coarse species, but meaty. Its acridity is lost in cooking, when it makes a fair dish.

=L. involu´tus= Soppitt.—involved. Every part white or with a very slight ochraceous tinge. =Pileus= 1–2 in. across, flesh about 1½ lines thick, equal up to the margin, compact, rigid, convex, soon becoming plane or slightly depressed, margin strongly and persistently involute, extreme edge minutely silky, remainder even and glabrous. =Gills= very slightly decurrent, densely crowded, not ½ line broad, sometimes forked. =Stem= ⅔-1 in. long, 2–3 lines thick, equal, or slightly thickened at the base, glabrous, even, solid, very firm. =Milk= white, unchangeable, not scanty, very hot. =Spores= obliquely elliptical, smooth, 5×3µ.

Very firm and rigid, resembling in habit L. vellereus in miniature. Most nearly allied to L. scoticus, but known at once by the exceedingly narrow, densely-crowded gills and the smooth, elliptical spores. Massee.

West Virginia, 1881–1885, plentiful. Angora, West Philadelphia. August, September, 1897. In mixed woods. McIlvaine.

Much smaller than L. piperatus. =Pileus= convex, then plane with depressions in center, margin involute. =Gills= slightly decurrent, densely crowded, very narrow. =Stem= short, firm, solid. =Milk= white, very hot.

L. involutus is readily mistaken for small forms of L. vellereus and L. piperatus. The extremely narrow gills, so close and firm that it takes sharp eyes to follow them, are a distinguishing mark.

Its flesh is of same consistency as L. piperatus—hard and coarse. It loses its pepperiness in cooking and is a good emergency plant, or solvent.

II.—DAPETES—daps, food. =Milk= highly colored, etc.

America is rich in this section. Fries records but two species, L. deliciosus and L. sanguifluus, while America has four. The edible properties of three are known to be good; L. subpurpureus has not come under observation, but is added to complete the series as it is probably edible and is well marked by its dark-red milk. McIlvaine.

=L. delicio´sus= Fr.—delicious. (Plate XLI, fig. 3, p. 160.) =Pileus= 2–6 in. broad, orange-brick-color, yellowish or grayish-orange, becoming pale, fleshy, when quite young depressed in the center, margin naked, involute, then plano-depressed or broadly funnel-shaped with the margin unfolded, smooth, slightly viscid, zoned (zones sometimes obsolete). =Flesh= soft, not compact, pallid, colored at the circumference only by the juice. =Stem= 1–2 in. and more long, 1 in. thick, stuffed then hollow, at length fragile, equal or attenuated at the base, spotted in a pitted manner, of the same color as the pileus or paler. =Gills= somewhat decurrent, crowded, narrow, arcuate, often branched, typically saffron-yellow, but becoming pale and always becoming green when wounded. =Milk= aromatic, from the first red-brick-saffron. Fries.

=Spores= white, spheroid, echinulate 7–8µ K.; 6µ W.G.S.; echinulate, 9–10×7–8µ Massee; subglobose, 7.6–10µ Peck.

In woods, under firs, etc.

=Pileus= dingy orange-red becoming pale, often greenish. Every part turns to a homely green when bruised. It is from 3 to 5 in. across, thick, convex, then depressed in center, margin at first curved in. =Gills= decurrent, narrow, saffron-color. =Milk= saffron-red or orange changing to green; sweet scented but slightly acrid. I have never seen but one specimen with milk distinctly orange, and changing to green. The milk in this species varies in color, much depending upon moisture. It grows in patches, sometimes in clusters.

Edible. Curtis.

There is no question of its edibility. Old and modern writers applaud it. Each cooks to his liking and thinks his own way best. It requires forty minutes' stewing or baking; less time if roasted or fried. It can be cooked in any way, but, like all Lactarii, it must be well cooked.

=L. in´digo= Schw.—(Plate XLI, fig. 2, p. 160.) =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, at first umbilicate with the margin involute, then depressed or infundibuliform, indigo-blue with a silvery-gray luster, zonate, especially on the margin, sometimes spotted, becoming paler and less distinctly zonate with age or in drying. =Gills= close, indigo-blue, becoming yellowish and sometimes greenish with age. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 6–10 lines thick, short nearly equal, hollow, often spotted with blue, colored like the pileus. =Milk= dark-blue.

=Dry= places, especially under or near pine trees. Not rare but seldom abundant. July to September. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= subglobose, 7.6–9µ long Peck.

West Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Solitary and in groups, in pine and mixed woods. July to September. McIlvaine.

The exceptional color of L. indigo will halt anyone with ordinary observing power. It is unnecessary to describe it further. Being a large, stout plant it frequently lifts the leaf mat as it pushes upward, making leaf-mounds under which it is hidden, as do many of the Cortinarii. But even in such instances there are usually a few solitary plants standing prominently forth as sentinels.

It is edible, but coarse. Good flavor.

=L. chelido´nium= Pk. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, at first convex, then nearly plane and umbilicate or centrally depressed, grayish-yellow or tawny, at length varied with bluish and greenish stains, often with a few narrow zones on the margin. =Gills= narrow, close, sometimes forked, anastomosing or wavy at the base, grayish-yellow. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. long, 4–6 lines thick, short, subequal, hollow, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, 7.5µ. =Milk= sparse, saffron-yellow; taste mild.

Sandy soil, under or near pine trees. Saratoga and Bethlehem.

The milk of this species resembles in color the juice of celandine, Chelidonium majus. It is paler than that of L. deliciosus. By this character and by the dull color of the pileus, the narrow lamellæ, short stem and its fondness for dry situations, it may be separated from the other species. Wounds of the flesh are at first stained with the color of the milk, then with blue, finally with green. A saffron-color is sometimes attributed to the milk of L. deliciosus, which may indicate that this species has been confused with that, or that the relationship of the two plants is a closer one than we have assigned to them. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa. In mixed woods, gravelly low ground. September, October. McIlvaine.

A score or more solitary specimens were found and eaten. The substance and flavor are not distinguishable from L. deliciosus, which is lauded to the summit of good toadstools.

=L. subpurpu´reus= Pk.—sub, under; purpureus, purple. =Pileus= at first convex, then nearly plane or subinfundibuliform, more or less spotted and zonate when young, and moist dark-red with a grayish luster. =Gills= close, dark-red, becoming less clear and sometimes greenish-stained with age. =Stem= equal or slightly tapering upward, soon hollow, often spotted with red, colored like the pileus, sometimes hairy at the base. =Spores= subglobose, 9–10µ. =Milk= dark-red.

=Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 3–5 lines thick.

Damp or mossy ground in woods and swamps. July and August.

At once known by the peculiar dark-red or purplish hue of the milk, which color also appears in the spots of the stem and in a more subdued tone in the whole plant. The color of the pileus, gills and stem is modified by grayish and yellowish hues. In age and dryness the zones are less clear, and dried specimens can scarcely be distinguished from L. deliciosus. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

I have not seen this species.

III.—RUSSULARIA.

* VISCIDI. Pileus viscid.

=L. pal´lidus= Fr.—pale. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad, flesh-color or clay-color to pallid, somewhat tan, fleshy, umbilicato-convex, depressed, obtuse, margin broadly and for a long time involute, smooth, gluey, zoneless. =Flesh= pallid. =Stem= 2 in. and more long, about ¾ in. thick, somewhat equal, stuffed then hollow, even, smooth, of the same color as the pileus. =Gills= somewhat decurrent, arcuate, rather broad, 1½-2 lines and more; somewhat thin, crowded, somewhat branched, whitish at length of the same color as the pileus. =Milk= white, unchangeable. Fries.

Taste somewhat mild. Stature that of L. deliciosus, but more lax in texture and always pallid. There is a variety with the pileus inclining to dingy-brown. Stevenson.

Mixed woods. September to October.

=Spores= echinulate, almost round, 8µ W.G.S.; 7–11µ Cooke; 9–10×7–8µ Massee.

North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; Massachusetts, Frost; Minnesota, Johnson; Rhode Island, Bennett.

Edible. Cooke.

=L. quie´tus= Fr.—calm, mild. =Pileus= 3 in. broad, fleshy, depressed, obtuse, margin deflexed, smooth, at first viscid, somewhat cinnamon, flesh-color, disk darker, somewhat zoned, soon dry, somewhat silky, opaque, becoming pale. =Flesh= white then reddish. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, stuffed, spongy, smooth, reddish, at length beautifully rust-color. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, somewhat forked at the base, 1½-2 lines broad, white then soon brick-red. =Milk= white, unchangeable, sweet. Fries.

In woods. August to November. Stevenson.

=Spores= echinulate, 8–10×6–7µ Massee; 10–12µ Cooke.

Nova Scotia, Somers; New York, Peck, Rep. 42.

Edible. Cooke. Eaten in France and held in estimation.

=L. theio´galus= Fr. Gr—brimstone; milk. =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, fleshy, thin, convex, then depressed, even, glabrous, viscid, tawny-reddish. =Lamellæ= adnate or decurrent, close, pallid or reddish. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 4–10 lines thick, stuffed or hollow, even, colored like the pileus. =Spores= yellowish, inclining to pale flesh-color, subglobose, 7.5–9µ. =Milk= white, changing to sulphur-yellow, taste tardily acrid, bitterish.

Woods and groves. Common. July to October.

Our plant does not fully accord with the description of the species as given by Fries. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= subglobose, 7–8µ diameter Massee; subglobose, 7.5–9µ Peck.

West Virginia, 1881–1885; Mt. Gretna, Pa. July, 1897; New Jersey, common in mixed woods. July to frost. McIlvaine.

L. theiogalus possesses all the good qualities of the hot milk species. While I ate it whenever I chose in West Virginia, I did not again eat it until 1897 at Mt. Gretna. There several partook of it and thought it rather coarse, but of good flavor. It requires long cooking.

=L. fuligino´sus= Fr.—fuligo, soot. =Pileus= 1–2.5 in. broad, firm, becoming soft, convex plane or slightly depressed, even, dry, zoneless, dingy ash-color or buff-gray, appearing as if covered with a dingy pruinosity, the margin sometimes wavy or lobed. =Gills= adnate or subdecurrent, subdistant, whitish then yellowish, becoming stained with pink-red or salmon-color where wounded. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering downward, firm, stuffed, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, yellowish, 7.5–10µ. =Milk= white, taste tardily and sometimes slightly acrid.

Thin woods and open grassy places. Greenbush and Sandlake, N.Y. July and August. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

A form with the pileus colored like that of L. lignyotus, but with the gills much closer than in that species, was found in a swamp near Sevey. July. Peck, 43d Rep.

POISONOUS. Barla and Reveil, Cordier.

=L. fumo´sus= Pk. =Pileus= 1.5–2.5 in. broad, firm, convex, then expanded and slightly depressed in the center, smooth, dry, smoky-brown or sordid-white. =Gills= close, adnate or slightly rounded behind, white, then yellowish. =Stem= 3–5 lines thick, firm, short, smooth, stuffed, generally tapering downward. =Spores= distinctly echinulate, yellow, 6µ in diameter. =Flesh= and =Milk= white; taste at first mild, then acrid.

=Plant= 1.5–2 in. high.

Grassy ground in open woods. Greenbush. July.

The peculiar smoky hue of the pileus and yellow spores enable this species to be easily recognized. The flesh when wounded slowly changes to a dull pinkish-color. Related to L. fuliginosus. Peck, 24th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

** IMPOLITI. Pileus downy, etc.

=L. ru´fus= Fr.—red. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, convex and centrally depressed, then funnel-shaped, generally with a small umbo, glabrous, sometimes slightly floccose or pubescent when young, especially on the margin, zoneless, bay-red or brownish-red, shining. =Gills= narrow or moderately broad, sometimes forked, close, subdecurrent, yellowish or reddish. =Stem= 2–4 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, nearly equal, firm, stuffed, paler than or colored like the pileus. =Spores= white, 7.6–10µ. =Milk= white, taste very acrid.

Low woods and swamps. North Elba. August. Rare.

The red Lactarius is known by its rather large size, dark-red pileus and intensely acrid taste. It has been found but once in our state. The flesh is pinkish and the stem sometimes pruinose. It is designated by authors as very poisonous and extremely poisonous. Cordier even says that worms never attack it. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Massachusetts, Frost; New York, Peck, Rep. 23, Rep. 38.

I have not recognized this species. It is given as markedly POISONOUS.

=L. glycios´mus= Fr. Gr—sweet; Gr—scent. =Pileus= ½-1½ in. broad, thin, convex nearly plane or depressed, often with a small umbo or papilla, minutely squamulose, ash-colored, grayish-brown or smoky-brown, sometimes tinged with pink, the margin even or slightly and distinctly striate. =Gills= narrow, close, adnate or decurrent, whitish or yellowish. =Stem= ½-1½ in. long, 1–3 lines thick, equal, glabrous or obsoletely pubescent, stuffed, rarely hollow, whitish or colored like the pileus. =Milk= white, taste acrid and unpleasant, sometimes bitterish, odor aromatic. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Smell agreeable, of melilot, as that of L. camphoratus.

=Spores= spheroid, echinulate, 6–8µ K.; subglobose, size variable, 6–10µ Massee.

The American plant, so far as observed, does not have the red hues ascribed to the European.

Haddonfield, N.J., T.J. Collins; Scranton, Pa., Dr. J.M. Phillips; Chester county, Pa., September, 1887, on ground in woods, McIlvaine.

This small Lactarius was found on several occasions. Its odor is attractive, but its taste is not. Cooked it is of high flavor, but will not be liked by many.

=L. aqui´fluus= Pk.—watery. =Pileus= fragile, fleshy, convex or expanded, at length centrally depressed, dry, smooth, or sometimes appearing as if clothed with a minute appressed tomentum, reddish tan-colored, the decurved margin often flexuous. =Gills= rather narrow, close, whitish, becoming dull reddish yellow. =Stem= more or less elongated, equal or slightly tapering upward, colored like the pileus, smooth, hollow, the cavity irregular as if eroded. =Spores= subglobose, rough, 7.6µ. =Flesh= colored like the pileus. =Milk= sparse, watery.

=Plant= 3–8 in. high. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 5–10 lines thick.

Swamps and wet mossy places in woods. Sandlake and North Elba. August and September.

The relationship of this plant is with L. serifluus, to which it was formerly referred, but from which I am now satisfied it is distinct. The hollow stem is a constant character in our plant, and affords a ready mark of distinction. The plant, though large, is very fragile, and breaks easily. The taste is mild or but slightly acrid. Sometimes there is an obscure zonation on the pileus, which, in large specimens, is apt to be irregular and much worm-eaten. The milk looks like little drops of water when first issuing from a wound, but it becomes a little less clear on exposure to the atmosphere. The decided but agreeable odor of the dried specimens persists a long time. Peck, 28th Rep.

This plant is sometimes cespitose. The pileus when dry is tawny-gray and scaly or cracked scaly. The margin may be even or coarsely sulcate-striate. The flesh is grayish or reddish-gray. The color of the lamellæ varies from creamy-white to tawny-yellow. The stem often has a conspicuous white myceloid tomentum at its base. I have never found this plant with a white or milky juice, and therefore I am disposed to regard it not as a variety of L. helvus, but as a distinct species. Its mild taste and agreeable odor suggested a trial of its edible qualities. It is harmless, but the lack of flavor induces me to omit it from the list of edible species. Peck, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Var. brevis´simus Pk. Pileus 1–1.5 in. broad, grayish-buff. Gills crowded, adnate, yellowish or cream-color. Stem very short, 6–8 lines long.

Black mucky soil in roads in woods. Township 24, Franklin county. September.

Plant fragrant; sometimes cespitose. Peck, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Angora, West Philadelphia, in moist oak woods. August, 1897, Philadelphia Myc. Center.

Flesh rather hard when cooked, and insipid. Good as an absorbent or in emergency.

=L. lignyo´tus= Fr.—lignum, wood. =Pileus= 1–4 in. broad, broadly convex plane or slightly depressed, dry, with or without a small umbo, generally rugose-wrinkled, dark-brown, appearing subpulverulent or as if suffused with a dingy pruinosity, the margin sometimes crenately lobed and distinctly plicate. =Gills= moderately close or subdistant, adnate, white or yellowish, slowly changing to pinkish-red or salmon color where wounded. =Stem= 1–3 in. long, 2–6 lines thick, equal or abruptly narrowed at the apex, even, glabrous, stuffed, colored like the pileus, sometimes plicate at the top. =Milk= white, taste mild or tardily and slightly acrid.

Var. tenu´ipes. =Pileus= about 1 in. broad. =Stem= slender, 2–3 in. long and about 2 lines thick.

Wet or mossy ground in woods and swamps. Adirondack mountains and Sandlake. July and August. Not rare in hilly and mountainous districts. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= globose, yellowish, 9–11.3µ Peck; pale ochraceous, subglobose, minutely echinulate, 9–10µ diameter Massee.

West Virginia mountains, 1881–1885; Eagle’s Mere; Mt. Gretna, Pa. Solitary and gregarious, moist woods and wooded places. July to September. McIlvaine.

In my long experience with the plant I have not seen any change of color, save that, like the white milk of other species, it darkens slightly to a cream color. I have found it distinctly umbilicate and quite umbonate in the same patch.

L. lignyotus is one of the best of Lactarii and quite equal to L. volemus.

=L. corru´gis= Pk.—having wrinkles or folds. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, firm, convex, then nearly plane or centrally depressed, rugose reticulated, covered with a velvety pruinosity or pubescence, dark reddish-brown or chestnut-color, fading with age to tawny-brown. =Gills= close, dark cream-color or subcinnamon, becoming paler when old, sordid or brownish where bruised or wounded. =Stem= 3–5 in. long, 6–12 lines thick, equal, solid, glabrous or merely pruinose, paler than but similar in color to the pileus. =Spores= subglobose, 10–13µ. =Milk= copious, white, taste mild.

Thin woods. Sandlake, Gansevoort and Brewerton, N.Y. August and September.

This curious Lactarius is related to L. volemus, from which it may be separated by its darker colors and its corrugated pileus. The flexuous reticulated rugæ present an appearance similar to that of the hymenium of a Merulius. The pileus is everywhere pruinose-pubescent and the gills bear numerous spine-like or acicular cystidia or spicules, 4–5µ long. These are so numerous on and near the edges of the gills that they give them a pubescent appearance. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

I found many at Mt. Gretna, Pa., up to 6½ in. in diameter. Flesh not so firm as L. volemus. Stem equal, rugulose, flattened in old specimens. Milk very slightly acrid.

Better in taste and quality than L. volemus.

=L. lute´olus= Pk.—yellowish. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, fleshy, rather thin, convex or nearly plane, commonly umbilicately depressed in the center and somewhat rugulose, pruinose or subglabrous, buff-color. =Flesh= white, taste mild. =Milk= copious, flowing easily, white or whitish. =Gills= close, nearly plane, adnate or slightly rounded behind, whitish, becoming brownish where wounded. =Stem= 1–1.5 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, short, equal or tapering downward, solid, but somewhat spongy within, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, 7.6µ broad.

Dry woods. East Milton, Mass. August. H. Webster.

This species is related to Lactarius volemus and L. hygrophoroides, but its smaller size and short stem will distinguish it from the former and its close gills from the latter. Its paler buff-color will separate it from both. Some specimens have a narrow encircling furrow or depressed zone near the margin and a slightly darker shade of color on the margin. The milk constitutes a remarkable feature of the species. According to the notes of the collector it is exceedingly copious, rather sticky, serous in character with white particles in suspension. It flows from many points as soon as the plant is disturbed and it stains the gills. It is impossible to collect an unstained specimen, so free is the flow of the milk. He, Mr. Webster, says: “I have never succeeded in picking a specimen so quietly as to prevent an instant and copious flow of its milk.” Torrey Bull., Vol. 23, No. 10, 1896.

Angora, West Philadelphia, August, 1897. In oak woods. August, September. McIlvaine.

Quite frequent there. My attention was directed to it by the “narrow encircling furrow or depressed zone near the margin.”

It is of like quality to L. volemus.

=L. Gerar´dii= Pk. =Pileus= 1.5–4 in. broad, broadly convex plane or slightly depressed, dry, generally rugose-wrinkled, with or without a small umbo or papilla, dingy-brown, the thin spreading margin sometimes flexuous lobed or irregular. =Gills= distant, adnate or decurrent, white or whitish, the interspaces generally uneven. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–6 lines thick, subequal, stuffed or hollow, colored like the pileus. =Spores= globose, white, 9–11.3µ. =Milk= white, unchangeable, taste mild.

Woods and open places. Poughkeepsie, W.R. Gerard. Greenbush, Sandlake and Croghan, N.Y. July to September.

This Lactarius closely resembles the Sooty lactarius in color, but differs from it in its more distant gills, white spores and constantly mild taste. Wounds of the flesh and gills do not become pinkish-red as in that plant. From L. hygrophoroides its darker color, hollow stem and more globose rougher spores separate it. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

In the color of the pileus and stem this species is like the larger forms of L. fuliginosus. Peck, 26th Rep.

Edible. Boston Myc. Club Bull.

*** GLABRA´TI. Pileus smooth.

=L. vole´mus= Fr.—volema pira, a kind of large pear. (Plate XLI, fig. 4, p. 160) =Pileus= 2–5 in. broad, firm, convex, nearly plane or centrally depressed, rarely funnel-shaped, sometimes with a small umbo, generally even, glabrous, dry, golden-tawny or brownish-orange, sometimes darker in the center, often becoming rimose-areolate. =Gills= close, adnate or subdecurrent, white or yellowish, becoming sordid or brownish where bruised or wounded. =Stem= 1–4 in. long, 4–10 lines thick, subequal, variable in length, firm, solid, glabrous or merely pruinose, colored like the pileus, sometimes a little paler. =Milk= copious, white, taste mild, flat.

Var. subrugo´sus. =Pileus= rugose-reticulated on the margin. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= globose, white, 9–11.3µ Peck; 5–6µ diameter Massee.

Very delicious raw and celebrated from early times. Fries.

Common over the United States, well known everywhere and distinguished for its edible qualities. It is crisp and unless carefully cooked is hard and granular. It should have long, slow cooking, though it may be roasted or fried.

(Plate XLII.)

=L. hygrophoroi´des= B. and C.—resembling Hygrophorus. =Pileus= 1–4 in. broad, firm, convex or nearly plane, umbilicate or slightly depressed, rarely funnel-shaped, glabrous or sometimes with a minute velvety pubescence or tomentum, dry, sometimes rugose-wrinkled and often becoming cracked in areas, yellowish-tawny or brownish-orange. =Gills= distant, adnate or subdecurrent, white or cream-color, the interspaces uneven or venose. =Stem= .5–1 in. long, 4–8 lines thick, short, equal or tapering downward, solid, glabrous or merely pruinose, colored like the pileus. =Spores= subglobose or broadly elliptical, nearly smooth, 9–11.3µ. =Milk= white, taste mild.

Grassy ground and borders of woods. Albany, Greenbush and Sandlake. July and August.

This plant has almost exactly the color of L. volemus, but differs from it in its distant gills, short stem, less copious milk and less globose spores. Its flesh is white, with a thickness about equal to the breadth of the gills. It is probably edible, but has not yet been tested. The typical L. hygrophoroides is described as having the pileus yellowish-red and pulverulent, and the gills luteous. It is also represented as a small plant; but our specimens, while not fully agreeing with this description, approach so closely to it in some of their forms that they doubtless belong to the same species. We have therefore extended the description so that it may include our plant. In wet weather the pileus sometimes becomes funnel-form by the elevation of the margin. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897, grassy grounds and borders of woods. Mixed, moist woods and grassy borders. July to September. McIlvaine.

=Pileus= up to 4 in. across. =Stem= 1–2½ in., tapering, equal or tapering downward. When growing in woods the stem is longer than when growing on borders.

Its edible qualities are excellent.

=L. mitis´simus= Fr.—mitis, mild. =Pileus= 1–3 in. broad, golden-tawny, zoneless, fleshy, thin, somewhat rigid, convex, papillate, depressed, papilla vanishing, even, smooth, somewhat slippery when moist. =Flesh= pallid. =Stem= elongated, 1–3 in. long, ⅓-½ in. thick, stuffed, then hollow, even, smooth, of the same color as the pileus. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, somewhat arcuate, then tense and straight, 1–1½ lines and more broad, thin, crowded, a little paler than the pileus, most frequently stained with minute red spots. =Milk= white, mild, plentiful.

Thin; very much allied to L. subdulcis, but distinguished by the taste being mild, then somewhat bitterish, and especially by the bright, golden-tawny, resplendent color of the pileus and stem. Fries.

In mixed and pine woods. August to November. Stevenson.

=Spores= 6–8×5–6µ Massee; 10µ Cooke; spheroid, echinulate, 6–7µ C.B.P.

California, H. and M.

Edible. Cooke. Eaten on the continent.

(Plate XLIII.)

=L. subdul´cis= Fr.—sub; dulcis, sweet. =Pileus= .5–2 in. broad, thin, convex, then plane or slightly funnel-shaped, with or without a small umbo or papilla, glabrous, even, zoneless, moist or dry, tawny-red, cinnamon-red or brownish-red, the margin sometimes wavy or flexuous. =Gills= rather narrow, thin, close, whitish, sometimes tinged with red. =Stem= 1–2.5 in. long, 1–3 lines thick, equal or slightly tapering upward, slender, glabrous, sometimes villous at the base, stuffed or hollow, paler than or colored like the pileus. =Spores= 7.6–9µ. =Milk= white, taste mild or tardily and slightly acrid, sometimes woody or bitterish and unpleasant. =Flesh= whitish, pinkish or reddish gray, odor none.

Fields, copses, woods, swamps and wet places. July to October. Very common.

This species grows in almost every variety of soil and locality. It may be found in showery weather on dry, rocky soil, on bare ground or among mosses or fallen leaves. In drier weather it is still plentiful in swamps and wet, shaded places, and in sphagnous marshes. It sometimes grows on decaying wood. It is also as variable as it is common. Gillet has described the following varieties:

Var. cinnamo´meus. =Pileus= cinnamon-red, sub-shining. =Stem= stuffed, then hollow; taste mild, becoming slightly acrid or bitter.

Var. ru´fus. =Pileus= dull chestnut-red; becoming more concave. =Stem= spongy; taste mild.

Var. ba´dius. =Pileus= bay-red, shining as if varnished, with an obtuse disk and an inflexed, elegantly crenulate margin. =Stem= very glabrous, hollow.

The first and second varieties have occurred within our limits. The first also has the stem elastic and furnished with a whitish or grayish tomentum or strigose villosity at the base, when growing among moss in swamps. A form occurred in Sandlake, in which some of the specimens were proliferous. The umbo had developed into a minute pileus. With us the prevailing color of the pileus is yellowish-red or cinnamon-red. Sometimes the color is almost the same as that of L. volemus and L. hygrophoroides, and again it is a tan-color or a bay-red, as in L. camphoratus, from which such specimens are scarcely separable, except by their lack of odor. In young plants the pileus usually has a moist appearance, which is sometimes retained in maturity. Cordier pronounces the species edible, and says that he has tested it several times without inconvenience. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 10µ Cooke; 7µ W.G.S.

West Virginia mountains, 1881–1885; Pennsylvania, New Jersey, everywhere on moist ground. July to October. McIlvaine.

Edible. Curtis.

The description of Fries as enlarged and modified by Professor Peck, together with that of the varieties placed to the credit of the species by Gillet, are given above in full. The species with its ascribed varieties is common and well known. Var. ba´dius occurs in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. They are all edible and vary but little in quality. L. subdulcis requires long cooking.

=L. muta´bilis= Pk.—changeable. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, thin, convex or nearly plane, zonate when moist, reddish-brown, the disk and zones darker, zoneless when dry, flesh colored like the pileus. =Milk= sparse, white, taste mild. =Gills= narrow, close, adnate, whitish, with a yellowish or cream-colored tint when old. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–5 lines thick, equal or tapering upward, stuffed or spongy within, glabrous, colored like the pileus. =Spores= subglobose, rough, 7.6µ broad.

Low, damp places. Selkirk and Yaphank, N.Y. June and September.

The species is allied to L. subdulcis, from which the larger size and zonate pileus separate it. The zones disappear in the dry plant, and this change in the marking of the pileus suggests the specific name. They appear to be formed by concentric series of more or less confluent spots and are suggestive of such species as L. deliciosus and L. subpurpureus. Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania. Solitary but frequent. In moist woods and margins of woods. June to October. McIlvaine.

I have been familiar with and eaten this plant since 1882, but thought it might be a variety of L. deliciosus, with light-colored milk.

L. mutabilis is an excellent species, equal to any Lactarius.

=L. camphora´tus= Fr.—camphor. =Pileus= 1–2 in. across, brown-brick-red, somewhat zoned, sometimes zoneless, fleshy, thin, depressed, dry, smooth. =Stem= short, 1–2 in., stuffed, somewhat undulated, of the same color as the pileus. =Gills= adnate, crowded, yellowish-brick-color. =Milk= mild, white, odor agreeable, spicy. Fries.

Strong smelling. So like L. subdulcis that it can be distinguished safely only by its odor of melilot when dried. Stevenson.

=Pileus= .5–1.5 in. broad. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 2–3 lines. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= spherical, echinulate, 6–7µ Q.; subglobose, 8–9µ Massee; 7.6–9µ Peck.

Taste and smell not of camphor, but of melilot.

North Carolina, Curtis; South Carolina, Ravenel; Wisconsin, Bundy; New York, Peck, Rep. 23, Mon. 38th Rep.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, July to October, in moist places. Mixed woods, etc. McIlvaine.

Edible. Gillet.

Its mild taste distinguishes it at once from L. rufus.

It has high but pleasant flavor. If the flavor is too evident to suit some tastes, it is well to mix milder species with it.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE. 1. RUSSULA CYANOXANTHA, 198 5. RUSSULA ROSEIPES, 209 2. RUSSULA EMETICA, 201 6. RUSSULA VIRESCENS, 194 3. RUSSULA FLAVIDA, 197 7. RUSSULA PUELLARIS, 208 4. RUSSULA SORDIDA, 190

RUS´SULA Pers.

Reddish.

(Plate XLV.)

=Pileus= regular, rigid, usually becoming more or less depressed. =Flesh= of the pileus descending into the gills forming a cellular trama. =Veil= and consequently the ring absent. Stem smooth, stout, rigid, brittle, spongy within. =Gills= rigid, fragile, edge thin and acute. =Spores= rounded, often echinulate, white or yellowish. On the ground.

Closely allied to Lactarius but separated by the absence of milk. The gills of some species exude watery drops in moist weather. Owing to the similarity of form and the variable coloring many species are difficult to determine; all the characters should be carefully noted, not omitting that of the taste.

Russulæ are readily distinguished by the stout, short, brittle stem and the fragility of the pileus and gills. They especially love open woods and appear during the summer and fall months, some being found until sharp frosts occur.

It has been claimed by mushroom growers, until within a few years, that the spores of the mushroom have to pass through the digestive apparatus of the horse before they will germinate. It has been conclusively demonstrated that such a transmission is not a necessity. It was for a long time my opinion—following the opinion of others—that such assistance was necessary. In my many efforts to propagate valuable food species of the wild toadstools I endeavored to find the method by which the spores were disseminated, and through what digestive medium they passed—either of insect or animal—before germination. Noticing that the Russulæ were fed upon by a small black beetle, I planted in suitable places, not the toadstools, but the beetles found upon them. The result was that in several instances I grew the Russulæ. My experiments, while interesting, are not conclusive, because I later found that the same results could be obtained from the toadstool itself when planted under its own natural life conditions. It is certain that beetles can not be raised by planting Russulæ.

The beetles known as tumble-bugs—canthon lævis—deposit eggs in the center of balls made of animal droppings; dig a hole in the ground and drop them into it. These droppings frequently contain the spores of the meadow mushroom. Thus planted with the proper surrounding of manure, and at the proper depth, the spores germinate, spread mycelium, and a crop of mushrooms is the result. The beetle becomes a horticulturist. No wonder the Egyptians, thousands of years ago, made it—the scarabeus—their sacred emblem, and that, today, the fleur-de-lis of France, so the Rosicrucians say, perpetuates its glorious worth and calling.

Most Russulæ are sweet and nutty to the taste; some are as hot as the fiercest of cayenne, but this they lose upon cooking. To this genus authors have done especial injustice; there is not a single species among them known to be poisonous, and, where they are not too strong of cherry bark and other highly flavored substances, they are all edible; most of them are favorites. Where they present no objectionable appearance or taste, their caps make most palatable dishes when stewed, baked, roasted or escalloped. The time of cooking should be determined by the consistency of the variety; some will cook in five minutes, others not under thirty. Salt, butter and pepper are the only necessaries as seasoning.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

I.—COMPACTÆ (compingo, to put together; compact). Page 187.

Pileus fleshy throughout, hence the margin is at first bent inward and always without striæ, without a distinct gluey pellicle (in consequence of which the color is not variable, but only changes with age and the state of the atmosphere). Flesh compact, firm. Stem solid, fleshy. Gills unequal.

II.—FURCATÆ (furca, a fork. With forked gills). Page 191.

Pileus compact, firm, covered with a thin, closely adnate pellicle, which at length disappears, margin abruptly thin, at first inflexed, then spreading, acute, even. Stem at first compact, at length spongy-soft within. Gills somewhat forked, with a few shorter ones intermixed, commonly attenuated at both ends, thin and normally narrow.

III.—RIGIDÆ (rigidus, rigid). Page 194.

Pileus without a viscid pellicle, absolutely dry, rigid, the cuticle commonly breaking up into flocci or granules. Flesh thick, compact, firm, vanishing away short of the margin which is straight (never involute), soon spreading, and always without striæ. Stem solid, at first hard, then softer and spongy. Gills, a few dimidiate, others divided, rigid, dilated in front and running out with a very broad, rounded apex, whence the margin of the pileus becomes obtuse and is not inflexed. Exceedingly handsome, but rather rare.

IV.—HETEROPHYLLÆ (R. heterophylla, the typical species

of the section). Page 198.

Pileus fleshy, firm, with a thin margin which is at first inflexed, then expanded and striate, covered with a thin adnate pellicle. The gills consist of many shorter ones mixed with longer ones, along with others which are forked. Stem solid, stout, spongy within.

V.—FRAGILES (fragilis, fragile or brittle). Page 201.

Pileus more or less fleshy, rigid-fragile, covered with a pellicle which is always continuous, and in wet weather viscid and somewhat separable; margin membranaceous, at first convergent and not involute, in full-grown plants commonly sulcate and tubercular. Flesh commonly floccose, lax, friable. Stem spongy, at length wholly soft and hollow. Gills almost all equal, simple, broadening in front, free in the pileus when closed. Several doubtful forms occur. R. integra is specially fallacious from the variety of its colors.

* Gills and spores white.

** Gills and spores white, then light-yellowish or bright lemon-yellowish.

*** Gills and spores ochraceous.

COMPAC´TÆ.

=R. ni´gricans= Bull.—nigrico, to be blackish. =Pileus= 2–4 in. and more broad, olivaceous-fuliginous, at length black, fleshy to the margin which is at first bent inwards, convex then flattened, umbilicato-depressed, when young and moist slightly viscid and even (without a separable pellicle), at length cracked in scales. =Flesh= firm, white, when broken becoming red on exposure to the air. =Stem= 1 in. thick, persistently solid, equal, pallid when young, at length black. =Gills= rounded behind, slightly adnexed, thick, distant, unequal, paler, reddening when touched. Fries.

Compact, obese, inodorous, within and without at length wholly black, in which it differs from all others. The flesh becomes red when broken because it is saturated with red juice, although it does not exude milk. Sometimes a very few of the gills are dimidiate.

In woods. Common. June to November. Stevenson.

Var. albo´nigra Krombh.—albo, white; negro, to be black. =Pileus= fleshy, convexo-plane, depressed in the middle, at length funnel-shaped, viscid, whitish, smoky about the margin. =Flesh= white, turning black when broken. =Stem= solid, stout, dusky, becoming blackened. =Gills= decurrent, crowded, unequal, dusky-whitish. In grassy places.

=Spores= papillose, 8µ W.G.S.; subglobose, rough, 8–9µ Massee.

New York. Our specimens agree with the description in every respect, except that the gills are not distant. Peck, 32d Rep.

Mild when raw, but with a heavy woody taste.

Cooked it makes a good dish, but does not equal most Russulæ.

=R. purpuri´na= Quel. and Schulz.—purple. (Plate XLV_a_.) =Pileus= fleshy, margin acute, subglobose, then plane, at length depressed in the center, slightly viscid in very wet weather, not striate, often split, pellicle separable, rosy-pink, paling even to light yellow. =Gills= crowded in youth, afterward subdistant, white, in age yellowish, reaching the stem, 2–4 lines broad in front, not greatly narrowed behind, almost equal, not forked. =Stem= spongy, stuffed, very variable, cylindrical, attenuated above and below the middle, rosy-pink becoming paler (rarely white) toward the base, color obscure in age. =Flesh= fragile, white, reddish under the skin; odor slight, taste mild. =Spores= white, globose, sometimes sub-elliptical, 4–8µ long, minutely warted.

=Pileus= 1.5–2.5 in. across. =Stem= up to .4 in. thick, 1.2 in. long.

“This is a beautiful and very distinct species easily known by its red stem, mild taste and white spores.” Peck, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=R. adus´ta= Fr.—aduro, to scorch. =Pileus= pallid or whitish, grayish-sooty, equally fleshy, compact, depressed then somewhat infundibuliform, margin at first inflexed, smooth, then erect, without striæ. =Flesh= unchangeable. =Stem= solid, obese, of the same color as the pileus. =Gills= adnate then decurrent, thin, crowded, unequal, white then dingy, not reddening when touched. Fries.

=Spores= subglobose, almost smooth, 8–9µ Massee.

In pine and mixed woods.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, in pine woods and in mixed woods. August to frost. McIlvaine.

R. adusta is solitary but often in small troops. It is easily recognized by the brownish blotches upon its cap, and the crowding of its thin gills.

The solid flesh must be well cooked. It is then of good flavor.

(Plate XLV_b_.)

=R. bre´vipes= Pk.—brevis, short; pes, a foot. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, at first convex and umbilicate, then infundibuliform, dry, glabrous or slightly villose on the margin, white, sometimes varied with reddish-brown stains. =Flesh= whitish, taste mild, slowly becoming slightly acrid. =Lamellæ= thin, close, adnate or slightly rounded behind; white. =Stem= solid, white.

=Spores= globose, verruculose, 10–13µ.

=Stem= 6–10 lines long, 6–10 lines thick.

Sandy soil in pine woods. Quogue. September.

This species is related to Russula delica, but is easily distinguished by its short stem and crowded gills. The pileus also is not shining and the taste is tardily somewhat acrid. From Lactarius exsuccus it is separated by the character of the gills and the very short stem which is about as broad as it is long. The spores also are larger than in that species. The gills in the young plant are sometimes studded with drops of water. They are not clearly decurrent. Some of them are forked at the base. The pileus is but slightly raised above the surface of the ground and is generally soiled by adhering dirt and often marked by rusty or brownish stains. The plants grew in old roads in the woods where the soil had been trodden and compacted. Peck, 43d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, 1882; Pennsylvania, 1887–1894; New Jersey, 1892. Solitary in pine and hemlock woods, generally on bare, compact ground. August to October. McIlvaine.

This species is a sparse grower, but its good size and respectable numbers soon fill the basket. When fresh it is of good substance and flavor.

=R. del´ica= Fr.—delicus, weaned. (Milkless, juiceless in gills.) =White.= =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, fleshy throughout, firm, umbilicate then infundibuliform, regular, everywhere even, smooth with a whitish luster, the involute margin without striæ. =Flesh= firm, juiceless, not very thick, white. =Stem= curt, 1–2 in. long, ½ in. and more thick, solid, even, smooth, white. =Gills= decurrent, thin, distant, very unequal, white, exuding small watery drops in wet weather. Fries.

=Spores= minutely echinulate, white, broadly elliptical, 8–10×6–7µ Massee.

In appearance it resembles Lactarius vellereus and L. piperatus, but its gills do not distill milk or juice. It differs, too, in its mild taste. It is related to R. brevipes Pk.

A large, coarse species, cup-shaped at maturity. I have found it in several localities in Massachusetts in July and August. It is of fair quality cooked, but much inferior to R. virescens, etc. Macadam.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, in mixed woods, August to October. McIlvaine.

Edible. Taste mild. From the juiceless variety of L. vellereus its mild taste alone furnishes a separate character. Peck.

I have eaten it since 1882, but it is not a favorite. Its quality is fair.

=R. sor´dida= Pk.—dirty. (Plate XLIV, fig. 4, p. 184.) =Pileus= firm, convex, centrally depressed, dry, sordid-white, sometimes clouded with brown. =Gills= close, white, some of them forked. =Stem= equal, solid, concolorous. =Spores= globose, 7.5µ. Taste acrid. =Flesh= changing color when wounded, becoming black or bluish-black.

=Plant= 4–5 in. high. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad. =Stem= 6–12 lines thick.

Ground under hemlock trees. Worcester. July.

It resembles L. piperatus in general appearance. The whole plant turns black in drying. Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Ohio, Morgan; Pennsylvania, Herbst; West Virginia, 1881–1885, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, pine, hemlock and mixed woods, July to September. McIlvaine.

It is of better quality than most coarse-grained Russulæ.

FURCA´TÆ.

=R. furca´ta= Fr.—furca, a fork. =Pileus= 3 in. broad, sometimes greenish, sometimes umber-greenish, fleshy, compact, gibbous then plano-depressed or infundibuliform, even, smooth, but often sprinkled with slightly silky luster, pellicle here and there separable, margin thin, at first inflexed, then spreading, always even. =Flesh= firm, somewhat cheesy, white. =Stem= 2 in. or a little more long, solid, firm, equal or attenuated downward, even, white. =Gills= adnato-decurrent, rather thick, somewhat distant but broad, attenuated at both ends, frequently forked, shining white. Fries.

=Spores= globose, echinulate, 6–7µ C.B.P.; 7–8×9µ Massee.

In woods, and grass under trees.

The frequently forked gills, from which the species takes its name, their being thick and slightly decurrent, help to distinguish it. It is quite common in its several varieties.

=Taste= mild at first. A slight bitter develops which disappears in cooking. It is then of good quality, not equal to R. virescens. Older writers marked it poisonous, doubtless for no other cause than its slight bitter. I have eaten it freely for fifteen years.

=R. sangui´nea= Fr.—sanguis, blood. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, blood-red or becoming pale round the even, spreading, acute margin, fleshy, firm, at first convex, obtuse, then depressed and infundibuliform and commonly gibbous in the center, polished, even, moist in damp weather. =Flesh= firm, cheesy, white. =Stem= stout, spongy-stuffed, at first contracted at the apex, then equal, slightly striate, white or reddish. =Gills= at first adnate, then truly decurrent, very crowded, very narrow, connected by veins, fragile, somewhat forked, shining white. Fries.

=Spores= 9–10µ diameter Massee.

In pine and mixed woods. July to October.

Color same as R. rubra but differs in its hard cheesy flesh, rigid, slightly yellowish gills in age. The gills of R. sanguinea are truly decurrent, and pointed in front.

Poisonous. Stevenson. Krapp says he has experienced grave inconveniences from eating it.

Myself and very many friends eat all fresh inviting Russulæ. We do not discriminate against a single peppery or acrid species, not even the R. emetica which has been severely maligned. In fact the peppery Russulæ are usually substantial in flesh and choice in substance.

The opinion of many is that R. sanguinea is one of the best. I have eaten it for years.

=R. depal´lens= Pers.—palleo, to be pale. =Pileus= 3–4 in. across, pallid-reddish or inclining to dingy-brown, etc., fleshy, firm, convex, then plane, more rarely depressed, but commonly irregularly shaped and undulated, even, the thin, adnate pellicle presently changing color, especially at the disk, the spreading margin even, but slightly striate when old. =Flesh= white. =Stem= about 1½ in. long, solid, firm, commonly attenuated downward, white, becoming cinereous when old. =Gills= adnexed, broad, crowded, distinct, but commonly forked at the base, often with shorter ones intermixed. Inodorous, taste mild. The color of the pileus is at first pallid-reddish, or inclining to brownish, then whitish or yellowish, opaque in every stage of growth. It approaches nearest to the Heterophyllæ. Fries.

In beech woods, pastures, etc. August to September.

=Spores= subglobose, echinulate, 7–8µ Massee.

R. depallens somewhat resembles R. heterophylla. Both are edible. It is a solitary grower and not common, but when found it occurs in good quantity. It belongs to the best class of Russulæ.

=R. subdepal´lens= Pk.—sub, de and palleo, to be pale. =Pileus= fleshy, at first convex and striate on the margin, then expanded or centrally depressed and tuberculate-striate on the margin, viscid, blood-red or purplish red, mottled with yellowish spots, becoming paler or almost white with age, often irregular. =Flesh= fragile, white, becoming cinereous with age, reddish under the cuticle, taste mild. =Lamellæ= broad, subdistant, adnate, white or whitish, the interspaces venose. =Stem= stout, solid but spongy within, persistently white.

=Spores= white, globose, rough, 8µ broad.

=Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, 6–12 lines thick.

Under a hickory tree. Trexlertown, Pa. June. W. Herbst.

Closely related to Russula depallens, from which it differs in having the margin of the pileus striate at first and more strongly so when mature, also in the pileus being spotted at first, the gills more distant, the stem persistently white and the spores white. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. Vol. 23, No. 10. October, 1896.

I do not doubt its edibility. See R. depallens.

=R. ochrophyl´la= Pk.—ochra, a yellow earth; phyllon, a leaf. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, firm, convex becoming nearly plane or slightly depressed in the center, even or rarely very slightly striate on the margin when old, purple or dark purplish red. =Flesh= white, purplish under the adnate cuticle, taste mild. =Gills= entire, a few of them forked at the base, subdistant, adnate, at first yellowish, becoming bright ochraceous buff when mature, dusted by the spores, the interspaces somewhat venose. =Stem= equal or nearly so, solid or spongy within, reddish or rosy tinted, paler than the pileus. =Spores= bright ochraceous buff, globose-verruculose, 10µ broad.

The ochery-gilled Russula is a large fine species, but not a common one. It differs but little in color and size from the European pungent Russula, Russula drimeia, but it is easily distinguished from it by its mild taste.

The cap is dry, convex or a little depressed in the center, purple or purplish red, the white flesh purplish under the cuticle, which, however, is not easily separable.

The gills are nearly all entire, extending from the stem to the margin of the cap. They are therefore much closer together near the stem than at the margin. They are at first yellowish, but a bright ochraceous buff when mature. They are then dusted by the similarly colored spores.

The stem is stout, nearly cylindric, firm but spongy in the center and colored like the cap, but generally a little paler. There is a variety in which the stem is white and the cap deep red. In other respects it is like the typical form. Its name is Russula ochrophylla albipes.

The ochery-gilled Russula grows in groups under trees, especially oak trees, and should be sought in July and August. Peck, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, July to September, McIlvaine.

Edible. Peck, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

RI’GIDÆ.

=R. lac’tea= Fr.—lac, milk. =Pileus= 2 in. broad, at the first milk-white, then tan-white, throughout compactly fleshy, bell-shaped, then convex, often excentric, without a pellicle, always dry, at the first even, then slightly cracked when dry, margin straight, thin, obtuse, even. =Flesh= compact, white. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, 1½ in. thick, solid, very compact, but at length spongy-soft within, equal, even, always white. =Gills= free, very broad, thick, distant, rigid, forked, white. Fries.

=Spores= subglobose, echinulate, 7–9µ Massee.

Closely allied to R. albella Pk. from which it differs in its shorter stem, and pileus cracking into areolæ, and gills not being entire.

In mixed woods, in patches, not common.

Botanic creek, West Philadelphia, Pa., patches, McIlvaine, 1887.

Edible and of good flavor. Macadam.

Raw, it has a raw, rather unpleasant taste and odor, a little like some acorns. But its firm, thick flesh, meaty gills and stem, and good flavor when well cooked, rank it equal to any.

=R. albel’la= Pk.—whitish. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, thin, fragile, dry, plane or slightly depressed in the center, even or obscurely striate on the margin, commonly white, sometimes tinged with pink or rosy-red, especially on the margin. =Flesh= white, taste mild. =Lamellæ= entire, white, becoming dusted by the spores. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, equal, solid or spongy within, white.

=Spores= white, globose, 7.6µ broad.

Dry soil of frondose woods. Port Jefferson. July.

Closely allied to R. lactea, but differing in its fragile texture, entire lamellæ, more slender stem, and in the pileus not cracking into areas. Peck, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=R. vires’cens= Fr.—viresco, to be green. (Plate XLIV, fig. 6, p. 184.) =Pileus= green, compactly fleshy, globose then expanded, at length depressed, often unequal, always dry, not furnished with a pellicle, wherefore the flocculose cuticle is broken up into patches or warts, margin straight, obtuse, even. =Flesh= white, not very compact. =Stem= solid, internally spongy, firm, somewhat rivulose, white. =Gills= free, somewhat crowded, sometimes equal, sometimes forked, with a few shorter ones intermixed, white. Fries.

Taste mild; good, raw.

=Spores= scarcely echinulate, almost globular, 6µ W.G.S. =Spores= 8–10µ Massee; 6–7.6µ Peck.

=Cap= round when young, very hard, then convex or becoming dished, sometimes repand. It is without a separable skin, covered with various sized areas of mouldy looking patches which are at times distinctly cracked. The color varies from a bright bluish-green to grayish-green, such shades remind one of mouldy cheese or the shades of Roquefort; again the color may vary in shades of light leather brown, occasionally the caps are almost white, opaque in each shade of color. Flesh crisp, brittle, thick, white, mild, good raw. Gills and stem as described.

R. virescens is common in the United States but not generally plentiful. It is a solitary grower, usually but few are found in a patch. Striking in appearance when its green colors are present, and always clean looking and inviting. It sometimes attains the size of 5 in. across. It is a hot weather Russula and rarely appears before the latter part of June, then after rains.

To eat, it should be in a healthy, fresh condition. All Russulæ impart a stale flavor if any part of gills or cap is wilting, drying or decaying. It requires forty minutes' slow stewing, or it can be dressed raw as a salad. Roasted or fried crisp in a hot buttered pan it is at its best. It should be well salted.

=R. lep´ida= Fr.—lepidus, neat, elegant. =Pileus= 3 in. broad, blood-red-rose, becoming pale, whitish especially at the disk, somewhat equally fleshy, convex then expanded, scarcely depressed, obtuse, opaque, unpolished, with a silky appearance, at length often cracked scaly, margin spreading, obtuse, without striæ. =Stem= as much as 3 in. long, often 1 in. thick, even, white or rose-color. =Gills= rounded behind, rather thick, somewhat crowded, often forked, connected by veins, white, often red at the edge.

Taste mild; wholly compact and firm, but the flesh is cheesy, not somewhat clotted. The gills are often red at the edge, chiefly toward the margin, on account of the margin of the pileus being continuous with the gills. Fries.

=Spores= 8–10×6–8µ Syll.

Frequent. July to October, in mixed woods.

A common and variable species in size and color, but the cap is always some shade of rose-red or lake. The flesh is compact and cheesy. The gills sometimes edged with pink as they near the margin. Taste mild.

The crisp flesh of R. lepida requires forty minutes' slow stewing, if stewed. It yields a delicate pink shade to the dish. Roasted or cooked in a hot buttered pan it is excellent.

=R. ru´bra= Fr.—ruber, red. =Pileus= unicolorous, a cinnabar-vermilion, but becoming pale (tan) when old, disk commonly darker, compact, hard but fragile, convex, then flattened, here and there depressed, absolutely dry, without a pellicle, but becoming polished-even, often sinuously cracked when old, margin spreading, obtuse, even, always persistent. =Flesh= white, reddish under the cuticle. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, about 1 in. thick, solid, even, varying white and red. =Gills= obtusely adnate, somewhat crowded, whitish, then yellowish, with dimidiate and forked ones intermixed.

Very acrid, very hard and rigid, most distinct from all the others of this group in the pileus becoming polished-even, although without a pellicle, in the flesh being somewhat clotted, and in the very acrid taste. =Gills= often red at the edge. Fries.

=Spores= whitish, Fries; spheroid, 8–10µ K.

Krapp says he has experienced grave inconveniences from eating it. European authorities mark “poisonous.”

I do not hesitate to cook it either by itself or with other Russulæ and serve it at my table. It is easier cooked than R. virescens and others of the crisp species, and has equal flavor.

=R. Linnæ´i= Fr.—in honor of Linnæus. =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, unicolorous, dark purple, blood-red or bright rose, opaque, not becoming pale, everywhere fleshy, rigid, plano-depressed, sometimes spread upward, even, smooth, dry, without a separable pellicle, margin spreading, obtuse, without striæ. =Flesh= thick, spongy-compact, white. =Stem= 1½ in. and more long, 1 in. and more thick, stout, firm, but spongy-soft within, somewhat ventricose, obsoletely reticulated with fibers, intensely blood-red. =Gills= adnate, somewhat decurrent, rather thick, not crowded, broad (more than ½ in.), fragile, sparingly connected by veins, white, becoming yellow when dry, with a few dimidiate ones intermixed, somewhat anastomosing behind. Fries.

=Spores= wholly white, Fries; ellipsoid, spheroid, echinulate, 11µ Q.; 9–11×8–9µ Massee.

West Virginia, 1881–1885. West Philadelphia, Pa., on Bartram’s Botanic creek. McIlvaine.

R. Linnæi is one of our handsomest and best Russulæ. European authors state its habit to be exactly that of R. emetica, but though I have known it intimately for many years I have not been struck with this in the American plant. Its large size, its more or less red stem never entirely white, at times hollow, cavernous, its less solid flesh, habit of growing in troops, sometimes parts of rings, flourishing best where the leaf mat is heaviest, loving the leaf drift in fence-corners, are well marked distinctions.

When young there is no better Russula. As it ages the stem becomes soft, spongy and should be thrown away. The caps, only, eaten.

=R. oliva´cea= Fr.—oliva, an olive; olivaceus, the color of an olive. =Pileus= 2–4 in. across, dingy-purple then olivaceous or wholly brownish-olivaceous, fleshy, convexo-flattened and depressed, slightly silky and squamulose, margin spreading, even. =Flesh= white, becoming somewhat yellow. =Stem= firm, ventricose, rose-color to pallid, spongy-stuffed within. =Gills= adnexed, wide, yellow, with shorter and forked ones intermixed.

Mild. Near to R. rubra, but certainly distinct in the stem being definitely spongy, in the pileus being unpolished, and in the gills being soft and brightly colored; corresponding with R. alutacea. Fries.

=Spores= light yellow, Fries; spheroid, punctate, 10µ Q.; globose, minutely granulate, yellow, 9–10µ diameter Massee.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., 1897–1898.

=Pileus= 2–4 in. across, 2–3 in. long, ½-⅓ in. thick.

The caps are equally good with R. alutacea. They must be fresh, and similarly cooked.

=R. fla´vida= Frost—yellow. (Plate XLIV, fig. 3, p. 184.) =Pileus= fleshy, convex, slightly depressed, unpolished, bright yellow. =Gills= white, adnate, turning cinereous. =Stem= yellow, solid, white at the extreme apex. Frost Ms.

=Pileus= fleshy, convex, slightly depressed in the center, not polished, yellow, the margin at first even, then slightly striate-tuberculate. =Gills= nearly entire, venose-connected, white, then cinereous or yellowish. =Stem= firm, solid, yellow, sometimes white at the top.

=Spores= yellow, subglobose, 6.5–7.6µ in diameter. =Flesh= white, taste mild.

=Plant= 2–3 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 4–6 lines thick. Frost Mss.

Ground in woods. Sandlake. August. Peck, 32d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

R. flavida is showy, solitary and in patches. The stem when young and solid is equally good with the cap. Cooks in twenty-five minutes and is of good flavor.

HETEROPHYL´LÆ.

=R. ves´ca= Fr.—vesco, to feed. =Pileus= red-flesh-color, disk darker, fleshy, slightly firm, plano-depressed, slightly wrinkled with veins, with a viscid pellicle, margin at length spreading. =Flesh= cheesy, firm, shining white. =Stem= solid, compact, externally rigid, reticulated and wrinkled in a peculiar manner, often attenuated at the base, shining white. =Gills= adnate, crowded, thin, shining white, with many unequal and forked ones intermixed, but scarcely connected by veins.

Of middle stature. Taste mild, pleasant. Fries.

=Spores= globose, echinulate, white, 9–10µ diameter. Massee.

In mixed woods. Common. August to frost.

R. vesca is frequent in woods or margins, and under trees in the open. It is especially fond of growing in the grass under lone chestnut trees. The caps seldom exceed 2-½ in. across.

It is one of the best.

=R. cyanoxan´tha= (Schaeff.) Fr. Gr—blue; Gr—yellow. (From the colors.) (Plate XLIV, fig. 1, p. 184.) =Pileus= 2–3 in. and more broad, lilac or purplish then olivaceous-green, disk commonly becoming pale often yellowish, margin commonly becoming azure-blue or livid purple, compact, convex then plane, then depressed or infundibuliform, sometimes even, sometimes wrinkled or streaked, viscous, margin deflexed then expanded, remotely and slightly striate. =Flesh= firm, cheesy, white, commonly reddish beneath the separable pellicle. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, as much as 1 in. thick, spongy-stuffed, but firm, often cavernous within when old, equal, smooth, even, shining white. =Gills= rounded behind, connected by veins, not much crowded, broad, forked with shorter ones intermixed, shining white.

Allied to R. vesca in its mild, pleasant taste and in other respects, but constantly different in the color of the pileus, which is very variable, whereas in R. vesca it is unchangeable. The peculiar combination of colors in the pileus, though very variable, always readily distinguishes it. Fries.

=Spores= 8–9µ, cystidia numerous, pointed, Massee; 8–10×6–8µ Sacc.

In mixed woods. Common. August to October.

Pronounced one of the best esculent species by all authorities.

=R. heterophyl´la= Fr. Gr—differing; Gr—a leaf. (Gills differing in length.) =Pileus= very variable in color, but never becoming reddish or purple, fleshy, firm, convexo-plane then depressed, even, polished, the very thin pellicle disappearing, margin thin, even or densely but slightly striate. =Flesh= white. =Stem= solid, firm, somewhat equal, even, shining white. =Gills= reaching the stem in an attenuated form, very narrow, very crowded, forked and dimidiate, shining white.

Taste always mild, as in R. cyanoxantha, from which it differs in its smaller stature, in the pileus being thinner, even, never reddish or purplish, with a thin closely adnate pellicle, in the stem being firm and solid, and in the gills being thin, very narrow, very crowded, etc. The apex of the stem is occasionally dilated in the form of a cup, so that the gills appear remote. Fries.

=Spores= echinulate, 5×7µ W.G.S.; 7–8µ diameter Massee.

Common. Woods. July to November.

Edible, of a sweet nutty flavor. Stevenson.

R. heterophylla is very common. Its smooth, even pileus, colored in some dingy shade of green, distinguishes it. It is much infested by grubs. Specimens for the table should be young and fresh. Wilted specimens are unpleasant.

=R. f[oe]´tens= Fr.—f[oe]tens, stinking. =Pileus= 4–5 in. and more broad, dingy yellow, often becoming pale, thinly fleshy, at first bullate, then expanded and depressed, covered with a pellicle which is adnate, not separable, and viscid in wet weather, margin broadly membranaceous, at the first bent inward with ribs which are at length tubercular. =Flesh= thin, rigid-fragile, pallid. =Stem= 2 in. and more long, ½-1 in. thick, stout, stuffed then hollow, whitish. =Gills= adnexed, crowded, connected by veins, with very many dimidiate and forked ones intermixed, whitish, at the first exuding watery drops.

Fetid. Taste acrid. Very rigid, most distinct from all others in its very heavy empyreumatic odor. In very dry weather the odor is often obsolete. The margin is more broadly membranaceous and hence marked with longer furrows than in any other species. It differs from all the preceding ones in the gills at the first exuding watery drops. The gills become obsoletely light yellow, and dingy when bruised. Fries.

=Pileus= fleshy, with a wide thin margin, hemispherical or convex, then expanded or depressed, viscid when moist, widely striate-tuberculate on the margin, dull pale yellow or straw color. =Lamellæ= rather broad, close, venose-connected, some of them forked, whitish. =Stipe= nearly cylindrical, whitish, hollow. =Spores= white. =Plant= sometimes cespitose.

=Height= 2–4 in.; breadth of pileus 2–3 in. =Stipe= 4–6 lines thick.

Pine woods. West Albany. October.

=Taste= mild at first, then slightly disagreeable. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= minute, echinulate, almost globular, 8µ W.G.S.; 8–10µ Massee.

In woods. Common. July to October.

Var. granula´ta has the pileus rough with small granular scales. Peck, Rep. 39.

A very coarse and easily recognized species. Reckoned poisonous, though eaten by slugs. W.G.S.

The verdict is against it. Both smell and taste are usually unpleasant. Cooked it retains its flavor, more closely resembling wild cherry bark than anything else. On two occasions I ate enough to convince me that it was not poisonous.

=R. el´egans= Bresad.—elegans, pretty. Mild at first, becoming acrid with age. =Pileus= 2–3 in. across. =Flesh= rather thick; convex then depressed; margin tuberculose and striate when old, viscid, bright rosy flesh-color, soon ochraceous at the circumference, everywhere densely granulated. =Gills= adnexed or slightly rounded, narrow behind, very much crowded, equal, rarely forked, whitish, becoming either entirely or here and there ochraceous-orange. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, 5–7 lines thick, a little thickened at the base, rather rugulose, white, base ochraceous. =Flesh= white, turning ochraceous and acrid when old.

=Spores= 8–10µ diameter Massee.

Allied to R. vesca. Known by the bright rose-colored, densely granular pileus and tuberculose margin. When old the pileus is almost entirely ochraceous. Massee.

Frequent in the West Virginia forests, 1881–1885. Chester county, Pa., 1887–1890. In mixed woods. July to September. McIlvaine.

It differs from R. vesca in its cap being minutely granulated instead of streaked, and in becoming acrid with age.

The caps are of good quality, needing to be well cooked.

FRA´GILES.

* Gills and spores white.

=R. eme´tica= Fr.—an emetic. (Plate XLIV, fig. 2, p. 184.) =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, at first rosy then blood-color, tawny when old, sometimes becoming yellow and at length (in moist places) white, at first bell-shaped then flattened or depressed, polished, margin at length furrowed and tubercular. =Flesh= white, reddish under the separable pellicle. =Stem= spongy-stuffed, stout, elastic when young, fragile when older, even, white or reddish. =Gills= somewhat free, broad, somewhat distant, shining white.

Handsome, regular, moderately firm, but fragile when full grown, taste very acrid. Fries.

=Spores= shining white, Fries; spheroid, echinulate, 8–10µ K.; 7µ W.G.S.

Maryland, Miss Banning; New York, Peck, Rep. 22; Indiana, Illinois, H.I. Miller.

Said to act as its name implies as an emetic. Certainly poisonous. Stevenson.

Krapp says he has himself experienced rare inconveniences from eating it. Preferred to others in Indiana and Illinois. H.I. Miller, 1898.

The varying reports upon R. emetica are quoted above. In 1881, in the West Virginia mountains, I began testing this Russula and soon found that it was harmless. At least twenty persons ate it in quantity, during its season, for four years. Yet, in my many published articles, I continued, out of regard for the opinions of others and in excess of caution, to warn against all bitter and peppery fungi. But from that time until the present I have eaten it, and I have made special effort to establish its innocence by getting numbers of my friendly helpers to eat it.

It was suggested by one of its prosecutors that perhaps I was mistaking another fungus for it. In October, 1898, I sent to Professor Peck a lot of the Russula I was eating. He wrote: “It seems to be R. emetica as you state. It certainly is hot enough for it.”

=R. pectina´ta= Fr.—pecten, a comb. =Pileus= 3 in. broad, at first gluey, toast-brown, then dry, becoming pale, tan, with the disk always darker, fleshy, rigid, convex then flattened and depressed or concavo-infundibuliform (basin-shaped); margin thin, pectinato-sulcate (deeply ribbed), here and there irregularly shaped. =Flesh= white, light yellowish under the pellicle, which is not easily separable. =Stem= curt, 3 in. long, ¾–1 in. thick, rigid, spongy-stuffed, longitudinally slightly striate, shining white, often attenuated at the base. =Gills= attenuato-free behind, broader toward the margin, somewhat crowded, equal, simple, white.

Odor weak, but nauseous, approaching that of R. f[oe]tens. Fries.

=Spores= 8–9µ diameter Massee.

New York, Peck, 43d Rep. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Common in woods, grassy, mossy places. July to frost. McIlvaine.

Named from the furrows of the margin being like the teeth of a comb.

Both the appearance and smell of this Russula will detect it. The peculiar comb-like furrows of its margin, viscid or varnished-looking cap, and strong but more spicy smell than cherry-bark are noticeable.

It is edible, but so strong in flavor that a piece of one will spoil a dish if cooked with other kinds.

=R. ochroleu´ca= Fr. Gr—pale yellow; Gr—white. =Pileus= yellow, becoming pale, fleshy, flattened or depressed, polished, with an adnate pellicle, the spreading margin becoming even. =Stem= spongy, stuffed, firm, slightly reticulato-wrinkled, white, becoming cinereous. =Gills= rounded behind, united, broad, somewhat equal, white becoming pale.

Odor obsolete, but pleasant. The pileus is never reddish. It agrees wholly with R. emetica in structure and stature, as well as in the acrid taste; it differs however in the stem being slightly recticulato-wrinkled, white becoming cinereous, in the adnate pellicle of the pileus, in the margin remaining for a long time even (remotely striate, but not tubercular, only when old), and in the gills being rounded behind and becoming pale. The color of the pileus is constant. The gills remain free and do not exude drops. Fries.

=Cap= 2–4 in. across. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, up to ¾ in. thick.

=Spores= papillose, 7µ W.G.S., 8×9µ Massee.

Frequent in woods. July to October.

Not as common as R. emetica, yet frequently found, usually solitary, at times gregarious. It is quite peppery, but loses pepperiness in cooking. Myself and others have frequently eaten it.

=R. ci´trina= Gillet—citrina, citron colored. =Mild.= =Pileus= 2–3 in. across, slightly fleshy at the disk, margin thin; convex then more or less expanded and slightly depressed, rather viscid when moist, smooth, slightly wrinkled at the margin when old, bright lemon-yellow, color usually uniform, sometimes paler at the margin, occasionally with a greenish tint, center of pileus at length becoming pale-ochraceous; pellicle separable. =Gills= slightly decurrent, broadest a short distance from the margin, and gradually becoming narrower towards the base, forked at the base and also sometimes near the middle, white, 1½ lines deep at broadest part. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, about 4 lines thick, equal or slightly narrowed at the base, slightly wrinkled, straight or very slightly waved, solid.

=Spores= subglobose, echinulate, 8µ diameter.

In woods.

Known by the clear lemon-yellow or citron-colored pileus and the persistently white gills and stem. The taste is mild at first, but becomes slightly acrid if kept in the mouth for a short time. Massee.

R. citrina can hardly be classed among the acrid species. The taste is slightly of cherry-bark and disappears in cooking. It is usually found in patches which contain ten to twenty individuals. It is a species of fair quality.

=R. fra´gilis= Fr.—fragile. =Pileus= 1–1½ in. broad, rarely more, flesh-color, changing color, very thin, fleshy only at the disk, at the first convex and often umbonate, then plane and depressed, pellicle thin, becoming pale, slightly viscid in wet weather; margin very thin, tuberculoso-striate. =Stem= 1½-2 in. long, spongy within, soon hollow, often slightly striate, white. =Gills= slightly adnexed, very thin, crowded, broad, ventricose, all equal, shining white. Fries.

Very acrid. Smaller and more fragile than the rest of the group, directly changing color. The color is variable, often opaque, typically flesh-color, when changed in color white externally and internally, often with reddish spots. Among varieties of color is to be noted a livid flesh-colored form, with the disk becoming fuscous.

It is not easy to define it from fragile forms of R. emetica, but the gills are much more crowded, thinner, and often slightly eroded at the edge, ventricose; the pileus thinner and more lax, etc. Stevenson.

Var. nivea Fr.—nivea, snowy. Whole plant white.

=Spores= minutely echinulate 8–10×8µ Massee.

Though one of the peppery kind, I have not, after fifteen years of eating it, had reason to question its edibility. The caps are not meaty, but what there is of them is good.

=R. puncta´ta= Gillet—punctata, dotted. =Mild.= =Pileus= 1½-2½ in. across. =Flesh= thin, white, reddish under the cuticle; convex then flattened, viscid, rosy, disk darkest, punctate with dark reddish point-like warts, pale when old; margin striate. =Gills= slightly adnexed, 2 lines broad, white then yellowish, edge often reddish. =Stem= about 1 in. long, 4–5 lines thick, attenuated and whitish at the base, remainder colored like the pileus, stuffed.

=Spores= 8–9µ diameter Massee.

Among grass.

Edible. Boston Myc. Club Bull. 1896.

** Gills and spores white then yellowish or bright lemon.

=R. in´tegra= Fr.—integer, entire, whole. =Pileus= 4–5 in. across, typically red, changing color, fleshy, campanulato-convex then expanded and depressed, fragile when full-grown, with a gluey pellicle, at length furrowed and somewhat tubercular at the margin. =Flesh= white, sometimes yellowish above. =Stem= at first short, conical, then club-shaped or ventricose, as much as 3 in. long, up to 1 in. thick, spongy-stuffed, commonly stout, even, shining white. =Gills= somewhat free, very broad, up to ¾ in., equal or bifid at the stem, somewhat distant, connected by veins, pallid-white, at length light yellow, somewhat powdered yellow with the spores.

Taste mild, often astringent. The most changeable of all species, especially in the color of the pileus which is typically red, but at the same time inclining to azure-blue, bay-brown, olivaceous, etc. Sometimes the gills are sterile and remain white. Fries.

=Spores= ellipsoid-spheroid or spheroid echinulate, globose, rough, 8–9µ C.B.P.; 9–10µ diameter, pale ochraceous. Massee.

It is difficult to separate R. integra from R. alutacea. The spores usually show upon the gills as pale dull yellow powder. It is of equal excellence.

=R. decolo´rans= Fr.—de and coloro, to color. =Pileus= 3–5 in. broad, color various, at first orange-red, then light yellow and becoming pale, fleshy, spherical then expanded and depressed, remarkably regular, viscid when moist, thin and at length striate at the margin. =Flesh= white, but becoming somewhat cinereous when broken, and more or less variegated with black spots when old. =Stem= elongated, 3–5 in., cylindrical, solid, but spongy within, often wrinkled-striate, white then becoming cinereous especially within. =Gills= adnexed, often in pairs, thin, crowded, fragile, white then yellowish.

Taste mild. Colors changeable according to a fixed rule, but not variable. The gills are not ochraceous-pulverulent as in R. integra, nor shining and pure yellow as in R. aurata, etc. Fries.

=Spores= yellow, 8.3µ Morgan.

New York, Peck, 23d Rep. Angora, West Philadelphia, Pa., 1897, in mixed woods. August to October. McIlvaine.

Esculent and of good quality. Morgan.

Meals of it make one regret its scarcity.

=R. basifurca´ta= Pk.—forked near stem. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, firm, convex, umbilicate, becoming somewhat funnel form, glabrous, slightly viscid when moist, the thin pellicle scarcely separable except on the margin, dingy-white, sometimes tinged with yellow or reddish-yellow, the margin nearly even. =Lamellæ= rather close, narrowed toward the base, adnate or slightly emarginate, many of them forked near the base, a few short ones intermingled, white becoming yellowish. =Stem= 8–12 lines long, 5–6 lines thick, firm, solid, becoming spongy within, white.

=Spores= elliptical, pale yellow, uninucleate or shining, 9×6.5µ. =Flesh= white, taste mild, then bitterish.

Dry hard ground in paths and wood roads. Canoga, N.Y. July.

This species closely resembles pale forms of R. furcata, from which it is separated by the absence of any silky micor and by the yellowish color and elliptical shape of the spores and by the yellowish hue of the lamellæ. Peck, 38th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Mt. Gretna, Pa., September, 1898, to frost. Gravelly ground. Solitary. Gills adnate. Identified as his species by Professor Peck.

The slight bitterish taste disappears in cooking. It is edible and of fair quality.

=R. aura´ta= Fr.—aurum, gold. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, varying lemon-yellow, orange and red, disk darker, fleshy, rigid, brittle however, hemispherical then plane, disk not depressed, pellicle thin, adnate, viscid in wet weather, margin even, and slightly striate only when old, but sometimes wrinkled. =Flesh= lemon-yellow under the pellicle, white below. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, solid, firm, but spongy within, cylindrical, obsoletely striate, white or lemon-yellow. =Gills= rounded free, connected by veins, broad, equal, shining, never pulverulent, whitish inclining to light yellow, but vivid lemon-yellow at the edge. Fries.

West Virginia, 1881–1885; Pennsylvania, 1887–1898. In woods under pines. July to October. McIlvaine.

Pileus sometimes depressed in center, very viscid when wet.

A troop of this Russula upon brown wood mat is a pretty sight. Its rich and brightly-colored cap attracts the eye from a distance. The yellow edge of its gills is the distinctive mark of the species.

The smell is pleasant, the taste slightly of cherry bark.

Cooked it is one of the best Russulæ.

=R. atropurpu´rea= Pk.—atre, black; purpureus, purple. Dark purple Russula. =Pileus= 3–4 in. broad, at first convex, then centrally depressed, glabrous, dark purple, blackish in the center, the margin even or slightly striate. =Flesh= white, grayish or grayish-purple under the separable pellicle, taste mild, odor of the drying plant fetid, very unpleasant. =Lamellæ= nearly equal, subdistant, sometimes forked near the stem, at first white, then yellowish, becoming brownish where bruised. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 5–8 lines thick, equal, glabrous, spongy within, white, brownish where bruised. =Spores= subglobose, minutely rough, pale ochraceous with a salmon tint, 8–10µ.

Open woods. Gansevoort. July.

In color this species resembles R. variata, but in other respects it is very different. It is very distinct in the peculiar color of its spores, and in the brownish hue assumed by wounds. Peck, 41st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Philadelphia, Pa. July, 1897. Open woods. Solitary. Philadelphia Myc. Center.

Many were eaten and enjoyed. Only fresh plants are acceptable, and they should be cooked as soon as gathered. Even in wilting they become unpleasant.

*** Gills and spores ochraceous.

=R. aluta´cea= Fr.—aluta, tanned leather. =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, commonly bright blood-color or red, even black-purple, but becoming pale, especially at the disk, fleshy, bell-shaped then convex, flattened and somewhat umbilicate, even, with a remarkably sticky pellicle, margin thin, at length striate, tubercular. =Flesh= snow-white. =Stem= 2 in. long, solid, stout, equal, even, white, most frequently variegated-reddish, even purple. =Gills= at first free, thick, very broad, connected by veins, all equal, somewhat distant, at first pallid light yellow, then bright ochraceous, not pulverulent.

It is distinguished from R. integra by its gills not being pulverulent. Fries.

=Spores= yellow 7–9µ Massee; 11–14×8–10µ Sacc., Syll.

July to frost. McIlvaine.

R. alutacea is easily recognized among Russulæ by its mild taste and broad yellow gills. In young specimens one sometimes has to look at the gills at an angle to detect the yellow. It is quite common but a solitary grower. It is everywhere eaten as a favorite. Only fresh plants yield a good flavor. When the stem is soft, it should be thrown away.

=R. puella´ris= Fr. (Plate XLIV, fig. 7, p. 184.) =Mild.= =Pileus= 1–1½ in. across, flesh almost membranaceous except the disk; conico-convex then expanded, at first rather gibbous, then slightly depressed, scarcely viscid, color peculiar, purplish-livid then yellowish, disk always darker and brownish; tuberculosely striate, often to the middle. =Gills= adnate but very much narrowed behind, thin, crowded, white then pale-yellow, not shining nor powdered with the spores. =Stem= 1–1½ in. long, 2–4 lines thick, equal, soft, fragile, wrinkled under a lens, white or yellowish; stuffed, soon hollow; taste mild.

=Spores= subglobose, pale-yellow, echinulate, 10×8–9µ Massee.

In woods.

Among the most frequent and readily recognized of species, occurring in troops. Always small, thin, taste mild. Allied to R. nitida, but more slender; color paler, and not shining. Fries.

Distinguished from R. nitida and R. nauseosa by the absence of smell. Massee.

Var. inten´sior Cke. Nearly the same size as the typical form; pileus deep purple, nearly black at the disk.

The stem has a tendency to become thickened at the base, and turns yellowish when touched.

Var. rose´ipes Sec., given by Massee, has been retained as a distinct species by Professor Peck, Rep. 51, and is described in place. R. pusilla Pk., 50th Rep., is closely allied to it.

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina. Common in woods and under trees in short grass. July to September. McIlvaine.

This little Russula is ubiquitous. It does not amount to much when other fungi are plenty, because of its very thin cap, but it thrives in all sorts of summer weather. When its companions are scarce or parched R. puellaris is gladly gathered by the mycophagist, its numbers making up for its lightness and lack of flavor.

=R. pusil´la= Pk.—little. =Pileus= very thin, nearly plane or slightly and umbilicately depressed in the center, glabrous, slightly striate on the margin, red, sometimes a little darker in the center, the thin pellicle separable. =Flesh= white, taste mild. =Lamellæ= broad for the size of the plant, subventricose, subdistant, adnate or slightly rounded behind, white, becoming yellowish-ochraceous in drying. =Stem= short, soft, solid or spongy within, white.

=Spores= faintly tinged with yellow, 7.6µ broad.

=Pileus= scarcely 1 in. broad. =Stem= 6–12 lines long, 2–3 lines thick.

Bare ground in thin woods. Port Jefferson. July.

The coloring matter of the pileus may be rubbed upon paper and produce on it red stains if the surface is previously moistened with water or dilute alcohol. This is one of the smallest Russulas known to me. The pileus was less than an inch broad and the stem less than an inch long in all the specimens seen by me. The species is closely allied to R. puellaris, and especially resembles the variety intensior in color. It differs in its smaller size, even or but slightly striate margin, broad lamellæ and in the stem or flesh not becoming yellowish spotted where touched. Peck, 50th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

West Virginia, 1881–1885. Pennsylvania, 1896–1897. July to September. McIlvaine.

It makes up in quality what it lacks in quantity.

=R. rose´ipes= (Secr.) Bres.—rosa, a rose; pes, a foot. (Plate XLIV, fig. 5, p. 184.) =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, convex becoming nearly plane or slightly depressed, at first viscid, soon dry, becoming slightly striate on the thin margin, rosy-red variously modified by pink orange or ochraceous hues, sometimes becoming paler with age, taste mild. =Gills= moderately close, nearly entire, rounded behind and slightly adnexed, ventricose, whitish becoming yellow. =Stem= 1½-3 in. long, 3–4 lines thick, slightly tapering upward, stuffed or somewhat cavernous, white tinged with red.

=Spores= yellow, globose or subglobose.

The plants grow in woods of pine and hemlock and have been collected in July and August. The flesh is tender and agreeable in flavor. Peck, 51st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= globose, minutely echinulate, pale ochraceous, 8–10µ diameter Massee.

R. roseipes is common in West Virginia under hemlocks and spruces. At Mt. Gretna, Pa., it grew sparingly under pines. It is excellent.

=R. Ma´riæ= Pk. =Pileus= fleshy, convex, subumbilicate, at length expanded and centrally depressed, minutely pulverulent, bright pink-red (crimson lake), the disk a little darker, margin even. =Lamellæ= rather close, reaching the stem, some of them forked, venose-connected, white, then yellowish. =Stem= equal, solid, colored like the pileus except the extremities which are usually white. =Spores= globose, nearly smooth, 7.6µ in diameter; flesh of the pileus white, red under the cuticle, taste mild.

=Plant= 2 in. high. =Pileus= 1.5–2 in. broad. Stem 3–6 lines thick. Dry ground in woods. Catskill mountains. July.

The minute colored granules, which give the pileus a soft pruinose appearance, are easily rubbed off on paper, and water put upon the fresh specimens is colored by them. Peck, 24th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

New York, Peck, 24th and 50th Rep.; West Virginia, 1882–1885; Mt. Gretna, Pa., solitary in mixed woods. July to September. 1897–1898. McIlvaine.

It is on a par with most Russulæ.

=R. ochra´cea= Fr.—ochra, a yellow earth. =Mild.= =Pileus= about 3 in. across. =Flesh= rather thick at the center, becoming thin toward the margin, pale ochraceous, soft; convex then expanded and depressed, margin coarsely striate, pellicle thin, viscid, ochraceous with a tinge of yellow, disk usually becoming darker. =Gills= slightly adnexed, broad, scarcely crowded, ochraceous. =Stem= about 1½ in. long, 5–7 lines thick, slightly wrinkled longitudinally, ochraceous, stuffed, soft.

=Spores= globose, echinulate, ochraceous, 10–12µ diameter.

In pine and mixed woods.

The mild taste and ochraceous color of every part, including the flesh, separate the present from every other species.

Commonly confounded with Russula fellea, but known at once by its mild taste. Agreeing most nearly with R. lutea in color, but differing in the softer flesh, which becomes ochraceous upward; sulcate margin of the pileus, and broader, less crowded gills. =Pileus= persistently ochraceous, disk usually darker. =Stem= sometimes yellow, sometimes white. Fries.

North Carolina, borders of woods, Curtis; California, Harkness and Moore.

Fries says that the flavor is mild, but Roze places it in the list of suspected species, although he notes it as not acrid; it may be inferred that he considers the flavor unpleasant. Macadam.

“Like chicken,” not common. Boston Myc. Club Bull. 1896.

=R. lu´tea= (Huds.) Fr.—luteus, yellow. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, yellow, at length becoming pale, and occasionally wholly white, thinly fleshy, soon convexo-plane or plano-depressed, sticky when moist, even or when old obsoletely striate at the margin. =Flesh= white. =Stem= ½ in. long, 3–4 lines thick, stuffed then hollow, soft, fragile, equal, even, white, never reddish. =Gills= somewhat free, connected by veins, crowded, narrow, all equal, ochraceous-egg-yellow.

Always small, very regular, taste mild. When young the pileus is always of a beautiful yellow. Fries.

=Spores= yellow, echinulate, 8µ W.G.S.; globose, rough, 6–7µ C.B.P.; 8–10×7–8µ Massee.

Allied to R. vitellina, but differs in having the margin of the cap even, and but little odor.

The plant I have so referred has the gills at first white and the stem yellow like the pileus; it may be a new species. In beech woods, Morgan; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, in mixed woods, often under beeches, August to November, McIlvaine.

The plants I have found have white gills when young (few species have not), but rapidly become yellow. The stem is usually white when young, and sometimes remains so, but often becomes more or less yellow.

It is a pretty species. The flavor is not as strong as in some species, but is delicate.

=R. nauseo´sa= Fr. =Pileus= variable in color, typically purplish at the disk, then livid, but becoming pale and often whitish, laxly fleshy, thin, at first plano-gibbous, then depressed, viscid in wet weather, furrowed and somewhat tubercular at the somewhat membranaceous margin. =Flesh= soft, white. =Stem= short, about 1 in. long, 4 lines thick, spongy-stuffed, slightly striate, white. =Gills= adnexed, ventricose, somewhat distant, here and there with a few shorter ones intermixed, light yellow then dingy ochraceous.

The taste is mild, but also nauseous, as the odor often is. The habit is that of R. nitida, of the same color of pileus, but differing in the color of the gills. Fries.

=Cap= about 2 in. across. =Stem= 1–2 in. long, ¼-½ in. thick.

=Spores= dingy yellow, 8–9µ diameter. Massee.

North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Schweinitz; West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, in pine and mixed woods. August to October. McIlvaine.

The odor and taste of R. nauseosa are misnamed, therefore the plant. They are heavy at times, when the plant is wet or old, as is the case with R. f[oe]tens, but they are always of cherry bark. Both odor and taste disappear in cooking. The species is as good as any Russula of its texture.

=R. vitelli´na= Fr.—vitellus, yolk of egg. =Pileus= 1 in. broad, uni-colorous, light yellow then wholly pallid, somewhat membranaceous, at length tuberculoso-striate, somewhat dry, disk very small, slightly fleshy. =Stem= thin, scarcely exceeding 1 in. long, 2 lines thick, equal. =Gills= separating-free, equal, distant, rather thick, connected by veins, saffron-yellow.

Pretty, very fragile, strong-smelling, mild. Fries.

=Spores= 7–8µ diameter Massee.

West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, August to October. In pine and mixed woods, July to October. Not common in number.

This pretty species has a cherry-bark taste and smell like R. f[oe]tens, though not so offensively heavy. It is not poisonous. A small piece of it will affect a whole dish of other Russulæ.

=R. chamæleonti´na= Fr.—changing color like a chamæleon. =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, thinly fleshy, soon flattened, sometimes oblique with a thin, separable, viscid pellicle, which is at first flesh-color, then presently changing color, becoming yellow at the disk and at length wholly yellow, margin even, then slightly striate. =Stem= as much as 3 in. long, but thin, somewhat hollow, slightly striate, white. =Gills= more or less adnexed, thin, crowded, equal, narrow, somewhat forked, light-yellow-ochraceous.

Mild, inodorous, very fragile. =Pileus= rosy blood-red, purplish lilac, etc. Sometimes even at the first yellowish at the disk. Fries.

=Spores= globose, ochraceous, 7–8µ diameter Massee.

In pine and in mixed woods. August to October. McIlvaine.

The change in color of the cap which gives name to this species is not remarkable. Most species of Russulæ are sensitive to light. An otherwise highly colored cap will be almost white when a leaf adheres to it. If in youth it grows under dense shade it will be very much lighter than if where light is generous, and will remain so. If in growing it thrusts itself out of shadow, its color will change and it will deepen. The apparent rarity of R. chamæleontina I think due to the close observation necessary to detect its changes in color, which, as I have found it, are by no means constant. It is quite plentiful in the pines of southern New Jersey, and at Mt. Gretna, Pa., it is frequently found.

It is a good esculent species.

=CANTHAREL´LUS= Adans.

Gr—a vase, a cup.

Hymenophore continuous with the stem, descending unchanged into the trama. =Gills= thick, fleshy, waxy, fold-like, somewhat branched, obtuse at the edge. =Spores= white. Fleshy, putrescent fungi, without a veil. Fries.

In Cantharellus the gills—vein-like and generally thick with an obtuse edge—are entirely different from those of all the preceding genera. In those they are thin, and distinct from the pileus and from each other. In Hygrophorus the gills are frequently thick, but the edge is always sharp. The species of Craterellus are funnel-shaped, resembling some of those in Cantharellus, but are distinguished by their lack of evident gills.

Monograph New York Species of Cantharellus, Peck, Bull. 1887.

The members of this genus are few, but they are choice. Of them is the Cantharellus cibarius, of which Trattinik quaintly says: “Not only this same fungus never did any one harm, but might even restore the dead.”

The writer first made its acquaintance when among the West Virginia mountains in 1881. The golden patches of single and clustered cibarius, fragrant as ripened apricots, tufting the short grass or mossy ground under beeches, oaks and like-growing trees, through which the sunlight filtered generously, were so tempting, that he determined there must be luxury, even in death, from such toadstools.

Experiments made by the writer in West Virginia where the species grows luxuriantly and is of much higher flavor than any he has found elsewhere, prove that it is easy to transplant within congenial habitats, either by the mycelium or spores. Nature, there, resorts to washing masses of leaves containing the propagating parts of the fungus along the depressions of the water-sheds, and it is found growing plentifully where the wind has drifted forest leaves against trees, brush, and fence-corners.

FIG. PAGE. FIG. PAGE.

1. CANTHARELLUS FLOCCOSUS, 218 4. CANTHARELLUS CIBARIUS, 215

2. MORCHELLA ESCULENTA, 542 5. CANTHARELLUS BREVIPES, 219

3. CRATERELLUS 508 CANTHARELLUS,

Other species of the genus do not, as a rule, grow so plentifully, neither are they of equal excellence, but several of them are equal to any other species. Suspicion has been thrown upon C. aurantiacus. There is such a marked difference between the excellence of the genus in West Virginia and other localities, that it is possible C. aurantiacus may be noxious elsewhere, but the writer has not found it so; and it would be an astonishing contradiction of Nature’s ways if it was.

Stevenson says: “It (C. cibarius) must have four hours slow cooking.” The writer has found thirty minutes to be sufficient; and it will fry in butter as quickly as any other fungus.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

MESOPUS (mesos, middle; pous, a foot). Page 215.

Stem central.

* Stem solid.

** Stem tubular.

PLEUROPUS (pleura, the side; pous, a foot).

Stem lateral.

RESUPINATUS (resupinatus, lying on the back).

Stem absent.

All the species known to be edible belong to Mesopus.

ME´SOPUS.

* Stem solid.

=C. ciba´rius= Fr.—cibaria, food. (Plate XLVI, fig. 4, p. 214. Plate XLVII.) =Pileus= fleshy, obconic, smooth, egg-yellow, slightly depressed. =Gills= thick, distant, more or less branching and anastomosing, concolorous. =Stem= firm, solid, often tapering downward, concolorous. =Flesh= white.

=Height= 2–4 in., breadth of =pileus= 2–3 in. =Stem= 3–6 lines thick.

In open woods and grassy places. Common. July and August.

Edible. The smell of apricots is not always clearly perceptible in American specimens. Peck, Monograph New York Species of Cantharellus, Rep. 23.

=Spores= 6×8µ W.G.S.; 7.6×5µ Morgan; spheroid-ellipsoid, 8–9×5–6µ K.; 11µ Q.

Reported from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Columbia river to Louisiana. June to September.

Wherever grown C. cibarius is one of the best. In European countries it is highly rated, and is expensive. Its mode of growth varies with its plentifulness. In the West Virginia mountains large patches of it closely cover the ground. Clusters weighing ½ pound are frequent.

(Plate XLVII.)

When shredded, or cut across the fibers, slow cooking for half an hour is sufficient, if the plants are fresh. If gathered for some hours, they should be soaked for a time.

=C. mi´nor= Pk. =Pileus= fleshy, thin, convex then expanded and depressed, egg-yellow. =Gills= very narrow, distant, sparingly branched, yellowish. =Stem= slender, subflexuous, equal, smooth, hollow or stuffed, concolorous.

=Height= 1–2 in., breadth of pileus 6–12 lines.

In open woods. July. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 6.4–7.6×4–5µ Peck.

West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania. McIlvaine.

Grows in the West Virginia mountains, along with C. cibarius, and separate from it. It is more tender than C. cibarius, and not equal in flavor to those found there. I usually cooked them together and thus got quantity well flavored.

=C. auranti´acus= Fr.—orange-yellow. (Plate CXXXVI, fig. 4, p. 508.) =Pileus= fleshy, obconic, nearly plane above, smooth or minutely tomentose, dull orange with the disk usually brownish, the margin decurved and sometimes yellowish. =Gills= narrow, close, repeatedly forked, orange, sometimes yellowish. =Stem= inequal, generally tapering upward, colored like the pileus. =Flesh= yellowish, taste mild.

=Height= 2–3 in., breadth of =Pileus= 1–3 in. =Stem= 2–4 lines thick.

Ground and very rotten logs in woods or in fields. Common. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 6.4–7.6×4–5µ Peck, 10×5µ Massee.

Var. pallidus Pk. =Pileus= and gills pale yellow or whitish yellow.

Stevenson says of the English species, “Unpleasant, reckoned poisonous.” The writer’s acquaintance with C. aurantiacus has been principally confined to West Virginia. There its taste is mild, scent but little, flavor not distinguishable from eastern C. Cibarius. There it is perfectly safe and wholesome; neither have the writer and his friends any reason for condemning it.

=C. umbona´tus= Fr.—having an umbo. =Pileus= 1 in. and more broad, ashy-blackish, slightly fleshy, convex when young, umbonate, at length depressed, even, dry, flocculoso-silky on the surface, shining brightly especially under a lens. =Flesh= soft, white, often becoming red when wounded. =Stem= 3 in. long, about 4 lines thick, stuffed, equal, elastic, villous at the base, ash-colored, but paler than the pileus. =Gills= decurrent, thin, tense and straight, crowded, repeatedly divided by pairs, shining-white.

Odor and taste scarcely notable. Gregarious. Among the taller mosses the stem is longer. Often overlooked from its habit being that of an agaric. It varies with the pileus squamulose and blackish.

In woods. April to August. Fries.

The rather prominent gills of this small species are likely to confuse those not familiar with its variance from the genuine type. Reddish tinge to flesh not noticed in the American species. The writer has gathered it in several states and enjoyed it for many years.

(Plate XLVIII.)

=C. rosel´lus= Pk.—rosy. =Pileus= thin, funnel-shaped, regular, glabrous, pale pinkish-red. =Flesh= white. =Gills= narrow, close, dichotomous, deeply decurrent, whitish, tinged with pink. =Stem= equal, slender, solid, subglabrous, often flexuous, colored like the pileus. =Spores= minute, broadly elliptical, 3.5×2.5µ.

=Pileus= 4–8 lines broad. =Stem= about 1 in. long, scarcely 1 line thick.

Mossy ground in groves of balsam. North Elba. September. This small species belongs to the section Agaricoides, and is apparently closely allied to C. albidus, from which its smaller size and different color distinguish it. The pileus is sometimes deeply umbilicate. Peck, 42d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Frequent in pine woods of New Jersey, near Haddonfield, where the plant is sturdier than described. Though small it grows gregarious and in troops from which appetizing quantities can be gathered.

It makes a pretty dish of pinkish hue and one of rare excellence.

=C. lutes´cens= Bull.—yellowish. (Plate CXXXVI, fig. 9, p. 508.) =Pileus= thin, fleshy, convex, umbilicate, brownish-floccose, yellowish. =Gills= very distant, sparingly branched, arcuate-decurrent, pale ochraceous. =Stem= slender, slightly tapering downward, smooth, shining, bright orange-tinted yellow, stuffed or hollow.

=Height= 2–3 in., breadth of =Pileus= 8–15 lines.

Mossy ground in woods. Catskill and Adirondack mountains, also Sandlake. August to October.

This is regarded by some as a variety of A. tubæformis. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

In mixed and scrub-pine woods near Haddonfield, N.J.; mixed woods Angora and Kingsessing, Philadelphia.

Perhaps constancy to C. cibarius has influenced the writer in favor of members of its family, and accounts for the gusto in “Fine” set opposite his notes to the present species. Nevertheless such is his opinion.

** Stem tubular.

=C. flocco´sus= Schw.—woolly. (Plate XLVI, fig. 1, p. 214.) =Pileus= fleshy, elongated funnel-form or trumpet shape, floccose-squamose, ochraceous-yellow. =Gills= vein-like, close, much anastomosing above, long decurrent and subparallel below, concolorous. =Stem= very short, thick, rarely deeply rooting.

=Height= 2–4 in., breadth of =Pileus= at the top 1–3 in.

Woods and their borders. Not rare. Utica, Johnson. Albany and Sandlake. July and August. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=Spores= 12.5–15×7.6µ Peck.

New York, Peck, Rep. 23; Maine, Mrs. Stella F. Fairbanks; West Virginia, McIlvaine.

A beautiful species of good quality.

(Plate XLIX.)

=C. bre´vipes= Pk.—brevis, short; pes, a foot. (Plate XLVI, fig. 5, p. 214.) =Pileus= fleshy, obconic, glabrous, alutaceous or dingy cream-color, the thin margin erect, often irregular and lobed, tinged with lilac in the young plant; folds numerous, nearly straight on the margin, abundantly anastomosing below, pale umber tinged with lilac. =Stem= short, tomentose-pubescent, ash-colored, solid, often tapering downward. =Spores= yellowish, oblong-elliptical, uninucleate, 10–12µ×5µ.

=Plant= 3–4 in. high. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad. =Stem= 4–6 lines thick.

Woods. Ballston, Saratoga county. July.

This interesting species is related to the C. floccosus, both by its short stem and its abundantly anastomosing folds. The two species should be separated from the others and constitute a distinct section. The flesh in C. brevipes is soft and whitish, and the folds are generally thinner than in C. floccosus. Peck, 23d Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Plentiful in West Virginia mountains in 1884, growing in patches. Found in mixed woods near Cheltenham, Pa., and at Springton, Pa., 1887.

In West Virginia it is prolific and rivals the C. cibarius in excellence. The flesh is softer, not so fibrous, and cooks more readily.

In that locality there is a marked difference between C. brevipes and C. floccosus. The latter is much longer, and markedly resembles the large end of a gold lined cornet. Like the C. cibarius it is not of as good quality in eastern states.

=NYC´TALIS= Fr.

Gr—night. From inhabiting dark places.

(Plate L.)

Hymenophore continuous with the stem. =Gills= fleshy, thick, juicy, obtuse at the edge, not decurrent on the stem nor fold-like. =Veil= (in species which have been fully observed) floccoso-pruinose.

Fleshy fungi, not reviving, of uncertain and irregular occurrence, differing in many respects from one another and from the rest of the Agaricini. Fries.

The typical species are saprophytic on decaying fungi. But one species, Nyctalis asterophora, reported in America. See Peck, 26th Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

=MARAS´MIUS= Fr.

Gr—to wither or shrivel.

(Plate LI.)

=Pileus= regular, thin, tough and pliant. =Gills= pliant, rather tough, somewhat distant, variously attached or free, with an acute entire edge. =Stem= cartilaginous or horny, continuous with the pileus but of different texture. Not putrescent but drying up with lack of moisture, reviving and assuming the original form with the advent of rain. This character distinguishes Marasmius from all other genera of Agaricaceæ.

Its nearer relations are Collybia and Mycena.

Fries says that all Agaricaceæ having the smell of garlic are found in this genus. On the ground, but generally on wood or leaves.

Professor Peck reports over forty species of this genus found in New York state. Several not found in New York are reported from other states. The writer has found a few such species in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Many untried species will probably prove to be edible; the majority are too small to be of food value. M. urens, reported poisonous, and M. peronatus, heretofore considered poisonous, have been found by the writer to be edible. Several species not described herein have been tested for edibility to a limited extent only.

In this genus occurs the famed M. oreades, the Mousseron of France, the Champignon and Scotch bonnet of England, the Fairy-ring mushroom of America.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

COLLYBIA (inclining to Collybia). Page 223.

=Flesh= of pileus pliant, at length rather leathery, grooved or wrinkled, margin incurved at first. =Stem= somewhat cartilaginous; mycelium woolly, absent in some species.

A. SCORTEI (scorteus, leathery). Page 223.

Stem solid or stuffed, then hollow, fibrous within, outside covered with down. Gills separating from the stem, free.

* Base of stem woolly or strigose.

** Stem naked at the base, often interwoven with twisted fibers.

B. TERGINI (terginus, leathery). Page 225.

Stem rooting, distinctly tubular, not fibrous, distinctly cartilaginous. Gills receding then free. Pileus thinner than in the preceding group, hygrophanous, even or with the margin striate.

* Stem woolly below, smooth above.

** Stem when dry covered with velvety down.

C. CALOPODES (Gr—beautiful; Gr—a foot). Page 226.

Stem short, not rooting, often with a floccose or downy, tubercular base. Pileus convex, involute, then plane and more or less depressed, in which state the gills typically adnate are subdecurrent. On twigs, branches, etc. Gregarious.

* Stem quite smooth above, shining, base not swollen.

** Stem covered with velvety down, rather swollen at the base.

MYCENA (inclining to Mycena). Page 227.

Stem horny, hollow, often filled with pith, tough, dry. Mycelium rooting, not floccose. Pileus somewhat membranaceous, bell-shaped, then expaned, margin at first straight and pressed to the stem.

A. CHORDALES (chorda, a gut). Page 227.

Stem rigid, rooting or dilated at the base. Pileus bell-shaped or convex. Type manifestly that of Mycena.

B. ROTULÆ (rotula, a little wheel).

Stem thread-like, flaccid, base not dilated or floccose but appearing to enter the matrix abruptly. Pileus soon becoming plane or umbilicate. On leaves.

* Stem quite smooth, shining.

** Stem minutely velvety or hairy.

APUS (a, without; pous, a foot).

Pileus sessile, resupinate.

I.—COLLY´BIA.

A. SCORTEI.

* Stem woolly or strigose at base.

=M. u´rens= Fr.—uro, to burn. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, unicolorous, pale yellowish, becoming pale, slightly fleshy, moderately compact at the disk, even, but here and there scaly or cracked in wavy lines when dry, smooth, the thin margin involute. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 3 lines thick, solid, composed of crisp tough fibers, rigid, equal, sometimes however ventricose, ½ in. thick, everywhere clothed with white flocci, pale, white-downy at the base. =Gills= free, united behind, at length remote from the stem, distant, tough, at first pale-wood-color, then brown.

Gregarious, somewhat cespitose. Taste very stinging. The stem is not strigosely sheathed at the base. Fries.

In mixed woods. Frequent. June to September.

A curious form occurred with the pileus turning very dark when full-grown. B. and Br. POISONOUS. Worthington Smith has tested it by accident. It produced headache, swimming of brain, burning in throat and stomach, followed by severe purging and vomiting. Stevenson.

Gregarious or cespitose. Taste very pungent, a feature which separates the present from M. oreades. Not coarsely tomentose at the base, as in M. peronatus, but only downy. Massee.

=Spores= 3×4µ W.G.S.; elliptical, 8×4µ Massee.

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia. McIlvaine.

I have not known it to disagree with myself or friends. That it may not agree with some persons is unquestioned. Collectors should carefully test it upon themselves.

=M. perona´tus= Fr.—pero, a kind of boot. =Pileus= 1–2 in. and more broad, light yellowish or pallid brick-red, then becoming pale, wood-color or tan, at first fleshy-pliant, then coriaceo-membranaceous, convex then plane, obtuse, flaccid, slightly wrinkled, even at the disk, at length pitted, striate at the margin. =Flesh= white. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 1–2 lines thick, stuffed, fibrous, tough, attenuated upward, at length hollow and compressed, furnished with a bark, light yellow then pallid, cuticle villous but separating and reddish when rubbed, somewhat incurved at the base, where it is clothed with dense, somewhat strigose, yellowish or white villous down. =Gills= adnexed, then separating, free, moderately thin, and crowded, when young whitish, pallid wood-color, at length somewhat remote, reddish.

B. Woolly sheathed at the base. Taste acrid like that of M. urens, odor none. Fries.

In woods. Common. Stevenson.

=Spores= pip-shaped, 7×4µ W.G.S.; 10×6–7µ Massee.

New York. Thin woods. North Elba. August. September. Peck, 42d Rep.; West Virginia, June to December, West Philadelphia and Mt. Gretna, Chester county, Pa. McIlvaine.

M. peronatus is the wood-cousin of M. oreades. It is still reputed poisonous by all writers upon the subject, though M.C. Cooke gives it the benefit of a doubt. The name is given because of the base of the stem being densely covered with short hairs or a woolly down, and is thus easily recognized. It is common in woods, among decaying leaves, especially of the oak, from May until after frosts. It is usually solitary, but a few individuals are sometimes clustered. It is quite peppery to the taste, but pleasantly so. I have repeatedly eaten it, as have my friends. It loses its acridity in cooking, and though the caps are tougher than M. oreades, they make a highly flavored and delicious dish. Collectors should carefully test it for themselves.

** Stem naked at the base, etc.

=M. ore´ades= Fr. Gr—mountain-nymphs. Scotch bonnet. Champignon. Mousseron. (Plate LI, p. 221.) =Pileus= 1–2 in. broad, reddish then becoming pale, absorbing moisture, whitish when dry, fleshy, pliant, convex then plane, somewhat umbonate, even, smooth, slightly striate at the margin when moist. =Stem= 2–3 in. long, 1½ lines thick, solid, very tough, equal, tense and straight, everywhere clothed with a villous-woven cuticle which can be rubbed off, pallid; bluntly rooted at the base, naked, not villous or tomentose. =Gills= free, broad, distant, the alternate ones shorter, at first soft, then firmer, pallid-white.

Odor weak, but pleasant, stronger when dried, taste mild. Commonly growing in circles or rows. Fries.

=Spores= 6–7×5–6µ K.; elliptical, 8×5µ Massee; nearly elliptical, white, 7.6–9µ long Peck.

Common throughout the states during the summer months after rains, and in rings, but can be found from May until after frost. If one knows where the rings are to be found M. oreades can be gathered when shriveled, and are quite as good, after soaking, as when fresh.

M. oreades must be sought for where the grass is luxuriant. It hides among it. It is well worthy of the search. Raw, fresh or shriveled, it is sweet, nutty, succulent when eaten; stewed well it is delicious. Though tough its consistency is agreeable. The most delicate stomachs can digest it. The writer saved the life of a lovely woman by feeding her upon it when nothing else could be retained; and of another, by feeding Coprinus micaceus, after a dangerous operation. He introduced these species, together with a few others, into a large hospital in Philadelphia, where they were used with marked beneficial effect, and such use is now widespread.

When dried, by exposure to the air or sun, it can be kept indefinitely, neither losing its aroma or flavor, which it graciously imparts to soups or any other dish.

Collybia dryophila, Stropharia semi-globata, and Naucoria semi-orbicularis are sometimes found growing with it. These species are delicious and harmless.

Lafayette B. Mendel in the Am. Jour. of Physiology, March, 1898, gives the following analysis:

Twenty freshly gathered specimens (from New Haven) weighed 9 grams, an average weight of 0.45 grams each. The analysis gave:

Water 74.96%

Total solids 25.04

Total nitrogen of dry 5.97 substance

Ash of dry substance 7.23

B. TERGINI.

** Stem downy when dry, etc.

=M. Wyn´nei= B. and Br. =Pileus= 1–1½ in. broad, lilac-brown, tardily changing color, fleshy, convexo-plane, somewhat umbonate. =Stem= 2 in. long, 1½ line thick, tubed, furfuraceous, somewhat of the same color as the pileus. =Gills= adnexed, thick, distant, bright-colored, beautifully tinged with lilac; interstices even.

Inodorous. Gregarious or cespitose. The stem springs from a white mycelium, but is by no means strigose or tawny at the base. Quite distinct from M. fusco-purpureus. Fries.

Among leaves, twigs, etc. Stevenson.

=Spores= elliptical, 7–8×4µ Massee.

Kingsessing, West Philadelphia. Gregarious and cespitose, among leaves, etc., in oak woods. September to October, 1885.

This very pretty fungus very much resembles at first sight the small purplish Clitocybes, but is readily distinguished on examination. I ate the caps and enjoyed them during the seasons of 1885 and 1887, but have not seen the plant since.

The caps are equal to M. oreades.

C. CALOPODES.

* Stem smooth, etc.

=M. scorodo´nius= Fr. Gr—a plant that smells like garlic. =Pileus= ½ in. and more broad, rufous when young, but soon becoming pale, whitish (not hygrophanous), slightly fleshy, pliant, convex then soon plane, obtuse, always arid; even when young, at length wrinkled and crisped. =Stem= 1 in. long, scarcely 1 line thick, horny, tough, tubed, equal, very smooth throughout, shining, reddish, inserted and naked at the base. =Gills= adnate, often separating, connected by veins, at length crisped in drying, whitish.

Commonly gregarious. Readily distinguished from neighboring species by its strong odor of garlic. Fries.

Heaths and dry pastures on twigs, etc. Rare.

Edible. Esteemed for flavoring. Stevenson.

=Spores= elliptical, 6×4µ Massee.

North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; New England, Frost; New Jersey, Ellis; New York, August, Peck, 23d Rep.

=M. ca´lopes= Fr. Gr—beautiful; a foot. =Pileus= about 4 lines broad, whitish, slightly fleshy, tough, convex then flattened, obtuse, rarely depressed, even, smooth, slightly wrinkled when dried. =Stem= 1 in. long, 1 line thick, tubed, slightly attenuated upward, even, smooth, tough, dull-red or bay-brown-red, shining, somewhat rooted. =Gills= slightly emarginate, in groups of 2–4, thin, white.

Inodorous. Almost smaller than M. scorodonius, but the stem is longer, otherwise very like it. Fries.

=Spores= elliptical, 7×4µ Massee.

Twigs and stems among fallen leaves in woods. Ticonderoga. August.

This might easily be mistaken for M. scorodonius, but it is without odor, and has a different insertion of the lamellæ. It is sometimes cespitose. The pileus in our specimens is whitish. Peck, 31st Rep. N.Y. State Bot.

Because of its similarity to M. scorodonius, which is edible, it is given here.

II.—MYCENA.

A. CHORDALES.

=M. allia´ceus= Fr.—allium, garlic. =Pileus= 1–1½ in. broad, whitish inclining to fuscous, often milk-white when young, somewhat membranaceous, campanulate then expanded, somewhat umbonate, even, at length striate and sulcate, smooth, dry. =Stem= as much as 8 in. long, horny, rigid, fistulose, attenuated upward, pruinato-velvety, blackish, rooted at the base where it is somewhat incurved and naked. =Gills= adnexed in the form of a ring, then free, slightly ventricose, arid, slightly distant, fuscous-whitish, crisped when dry.

Odor strong, of garlic, persistent. There is nothing of a reddish tinge in the whole plant. The stem is not tomentose at the base as in the Tergini. Fries.

Among leaves and on rotten wood. Frequent. August to October. Stevenson.

=Spores= 14–16×8µ. Massee.

North Carolina, Schweinitz, Curtis; Pennsylvania, Schweinitz; Minnesota, Johnson; Novia Scotia, Somers.

Edible. Bull. Boston Myc. Club.

=HELIOMYCES= Lev.

Helios, the sun; myces, a fungus.

=Pileus= membranaceous, between leathery and gelatinous, radiately sulcate. =Gills= equal, edge acute. =Stem= somewhat woody, cylindrical, central.

Allied to Marasmius, but differing in its sub-gelatinous substance.

None reported edible.

----------

=LENTI´NUS= Fr.

Lentus, tough or pliant.

(Plate LII.)

=Pileus= fleshy-coriaceous, pliant, tough and hard when old, persistent. =Gills= becoming dry, tough, simple, unequal, thin, margin acute, toothed, more or less decurrent. =Stem= when present central, excentric or lateral, hard and firm, continuous with the flesh of the pileus.

Growing on wood.

=Spores= somewhat round, even, white.

Distinguished from other coriaceous genera by its serrated and torn gills.

“The genera Lentinus and Lenzites are found in every region of the world; their principal center, however, is in hot countries, where they attain a splendid development. On the contrary, toward the north they rapidly decrease in number.” Fungi. Cooke and Berkeley.

In habitat and mode of growth Lentinus closely resembles Pleurotus, and parallel genera with colored spores. When young the species are inviting, and when well cooked are meal-giving. They are not delicacies, but substantials. They dry well. Grated they make soups, and give their pleasant flavor to any dish.

ANALYSIS OF TRIBES.

MESOPODES (mesos, middle; pous, a foot). Page 229.

Stem distinct.

PLEUROTI (pleura, a side; ous, an ear).

Stem lateral or absent. None known to be edible

I.—MESO´PODES (center-stemmed).

=L. Lecom´tei= Fr. =Pileus= coriaceous, funnel-shaped, regularly reflexed, hairy, tawny. =Gills= crowded, pallid. =Stem= short, hairy, tawny.

Common to the states.

Professor Peck writes to me: “This plant, by reason of its rather tough substance, has commonly been referred to Lentinus, under the name L. Lecomtei Schw., but this reference is scarcely satisfactory to me, since the edge of the lamellæ is scarcely at all serrate as required by that genus. It seems to me it would go better under the genus Panus. It is variable—sometimes eccentric or even lateral. It is sometimes called Lentinus strigosus, but I do not think the two are distinct species, however distinct they may be in form.” February 26, 1894.

Like all Lentinus the present species is rather tough, yet chopped into small pieces, well cooked and seasoned, it is quite equal to P. ostreatus and many others of high renown.

(Plate LIII.)

=L. tigri´nus= Fr.—tigris, a tiger. From the markings. =Pileus= commonly 2 in. broad, white, variegated with somewhat adpressed, blackish, hairy squamules, fleshy-coriaceous, thin, commonly orbicular and central, at first convexo-plane, umbilicate, at length funnel-shaped, often split at the margin when dry. =Stem= about 2 in. long, thin, solid, very hard, commonly attenuated downward, minutely squamulose, whitish, often ascending and becoming dingy-brown at the base, at first furnished at the apex with an entire reflexed ring, which soon falls off. =Gills= decurrent (by no means sinuate), narrow, crowded, unequal, toothed like a saw, white.

Somewhat gregarious, even cespitose, thinner and more coriaceous and regular than L. lepideus B., wholly blackish with squamules. Fries.

On old stumps. Rare. Stevenson.

When fresh very tender and easily torn, when dry coriaceous. Sow. Smell strong, acrid, like that of some Lactarii. M.J.B.

=Spores= 6.6×3.3µ Morgan; elliptical, smooth, 7×3.5µ Massee.

Agreeable taste and odor, eaten in Europe. Roques.

Edible, tough when old and never very delicate or digestible.—M. C. Cooke.

Not found in sufficient quantity to test.

=L. lepi´deus= Fr. Gr—scaly. (Plate XVI, fig. 3, 4, p. 52.) =Pileus= 2–4 in. broad, pallid-ochraceous, variegated with adpressed, darker, spot-like scales, fleshy, very compact and firm, irregular, commonly excentric, convex then depressed, but not truly umbilicate, sometimes broken up into cracks. =Flesh= pliant, white. =Stem= short, commonly 1 in. long, solid, stout, very irregularly formed, almost woody, tomentose-scaly, whitish, rooted at the base, at the first furnished with a veil toward the apex. =Gills= decurrent, but sinuate behind, crowded broad, transversely striate, whitish, edge torn into teeth.

Odor pleasant. Fries.

=Spores= 11×5µ W.G.S., 7×3µ. Massee.

Lentinus lepideus is a sort of commercial traveler. It is common wherever railroads are. It is partial to oak ties and its mycelium is injurious to them. It is found upon pine and other timbers. The writer has collected large clusters of it from oak sawdust. The European plant is noted as “almost always solitary.” In the United States it is seldom so. It is noted as growing in damp, dark places, but it loves the sun.

As a food it is about on a par with P. ulmarius, not as tough, but harder when old. It is a reliable species from spring until late autumn, is persistent and dries well. It is neat, handsome, prolific. When young it makes a good dish, and when old can be used to advantage in soups.

=L. cochlea´tus= Fr.—cochlea, a snail. =Pileus= 2–3 in. broad, flesh-color, but becoming pale, somewhat tan, fleshy-pliant, thin, commonly excentric, imbricated, very unequal, somewhat lobed or contorted, sometimes plane, sometimes funnel-shaped-umbilicate, but not pervious, smooth. =Stem= solid, firm, sometimes central, most frequently excentric, sometimes wholly lateral, always sulcate, smooth, flesh-colored upward, reddish-brown downward. =Gills= decurrent, crowded, serrated, white-flesh-color. Fries.

Pliant, tough, flaccid, very changeable in form, sometimes solitary, sometimes cespitose, imbricated, growing into each other. From very small forms which are commonly solitary, with the stem and pileus scarcely 1 in. it ranges to 3 in.

On stumps. Frequent. August to October.

According to Fries the odor is weak, of anise; but it is generally strong and very pleasant. Stevenson.

=Spores= nearly globular, 4µ diameter Morgan; spheroid or ellipsoid-spheroid, uniguttate, 4–6µ K.; almost globular, 4µ W.G.S.

The dense clusters of all sized members are usually plenty in favored localities. It is inviting in appearance, taste and spicy odor. It retains a suspicion of the latter when cooked which gives the dish a flavor pleasant to many. It must be young to be tender. When dry—like others of its kind—it can be grated and used in many ways.

=L. Un´derwoodii= Pk. =Pileus= fleshy, tough, convex or nearly plane, the glabrous surface cracking into areola-like scales which are indistinct or wanting toward the margin, whitish or slightly tinged with buff or pale ochraceous. =Flesh= white. =Gills= moderately close, decurrent, slightly connecting or anastomosing at the base, somewhat notched on the edge, whitish, becoming discolored in drying. =Stem= stout, hard, solid, eccentric, squamose, colored like the pileus. =Spores= oblong, 13–15×5–6.5µ.

=Plant= cespitose. =Pileus= 3–6 in. broad. =Stem= 1.5–3 in. long, about 1 in. thick.

This differs from L. magnus in its cespitose habit, eccentric stem, longer spores, less distinctly areolate-squamose pileus and in its habitat. The gills are connected at the base very much like those of Pleurotus ostreatus. Peck, Torr. Bull. Vol. 23, No. 10.

North Carolina, Pennsylvania, McIlvaine.

Spotted a typo or a problem in this chapter? Tell us