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5 f'^i^'~ 
 
 MUSHROOMS 
 
 AND THEIR USE 
 
 111 
 
 i ; 
 
 ■/,. 
 
 BY CHARLES H. PKCK, 
 
 STATE BOTANIST OF NEW YORK 
 
 PRICE, FIFTY CENTS 
 
 Cambridge, Mass. 
 CAMBRIDGE BOTANICAL SUPPLY COMPANY 
 
 MAY, 1897 
 
 ''.a- 
 
SB 
 
 EXHIBITIONS OF MUSHROOMS. 
 
 Saturdays during the season, from 12 to 3, our native mush- 
 rooms, edible and poisonous, will be shown at the regular exhibi- 
 tions of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 
 
 These exhibitions are one feature of the work of the Boston 
 Mycological Club, which is using every means to collect and spread 
 such information as is to be found in Prof. Peck's articles. Mem- 
 bership in the club is $1.00 a year, and all interested are welcomed. 
 The Secretary may be addressed at Cambridge, Mass. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 Page 6 line 6 from the top, for shiny, read slimy. 
 " 7 line 12 from the bottom, for 1-3, read 1-180. 
 " 9 line 5 from the bottom, insert the word the, after the word of. 
 " 17 line 5 from the bottom, for that, read than. 
 " 33 line 8 from the top, for pores, read spores. 
 " 36 line 1 from the top, for thep, read they. 
 " 40 line 3 from the top, insert the word mushroom after the word 
 
 Plum. 
 " 42 The name under the right hand figure should be Amanitopsis 
 
 vaginata instead of A . virginata. 
 " 44 line 10 from the bottom, for vaginatus read vaginata. 
 " 47 line 17 from the top, for plainer i-ead paler. 
 " 48 line 9 from the bottom, for became read become. 
 
MUSHROOMS 
 
 AND 
 
 THKIR USB 
 
 BY 
 
 CHARLES H. RECK, 
 
 STATE BOTANIST OF NEW YORK. 
 
 Reprinted by permission from the Cultivator and Country Gentle- 
 man, of Albany, N. Y., May 31 to Sept. 20, 1894. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY 32 CUTS 
 
 loaned by the publishers of that journal. 
 
 Cambridge, Mass. 
 CAMBRIDGE BOTANICAL SUPPLY COMPANY. 
 
 may, 1897. 
 
%e^w3- 
 
 SB 
 P3C 
 
 A /" /-• •' 
 
MUSHROOMS AID THEIR USE. 
 
 I. AND n. INTEODUOTION^GENEBAL STATEMENTS. 
 
 Many articles on mushrooms haye recently appeared in peri- 
 odicals in this country, from which it is evident that there is a 
 desire on the part of many persons to obtain information con- 
 cerning them. It has, therefore, seemed good to me to tell what 
 little I know aboxit the subject, even at the risk of taking up 
 what may appeal' to some a matter already well discussed. I am 
 the more strongly inclined to do this because of numerous pri- 
 vate appeals to me for information of this character, and because 
 no single periodical can hope to reach all the people in this vast 
 country who desire information on such an interesting topic. 
 Besides, no single writer is likely to exhaust the subject, or to 
 tell all that should be known concerning it; what one may omit 
 another may express, and in this way general knowledge may 
 be increased. 
 
 The times seem auspicious for such an undertaking, for with 
 much depression in financial and business- circles, with lack of 
 employment and the reduction in wages now taking place, anv- 
 thing that promises to cheapen the cost of living or add to the 
 means of subsistence of the unemployed or of those employed on 
 short time or at low wages, must possess a peculiar interest. 
 "Hard times" may now and then compel us to look into Nature's 
 bountiful storehouse for a supplementary supply of food. And 
 Nature, almost ahvays lavish in her gifts, has indeed provided a 
 boimtiful supply, which in this country has been greatly over- 
 looked and almost entirely neglected until very recent years. 
 
 Mushrooms have been, and still are, much more largdy con- 
 sumed in Europe than insthis country. In China also, where, 
 with her teeming population, the cost of living seems to be re- 
 duced almo.«t to its minimum, they are extensively used. China 
 itself does not supply its own demand for them, and therefore 
 
they import large quantities from Japan and other islands of the 
 Pacific ocean. In some of the cities of Europe, the consumption 
 of them is so great that a superintendent of the market is em- 
 ployed to inspect those offered for sale, and to destroy those that 
 are unwholesome or unfit for food. In this way it has been as- 
 certained that more than thirty tons are annually consumed ia 
 Eome alone ! They are not used by the poorer classes of people 
 exclusively, for the wealthy and the nobility are apparently as 
 fond of them as any other class. They are served at the tables of 
 the hotels and on great occasions. 
 
 In this country, the high price of the common or cultivated 
 mushroom (usually fifty cents to a dollar a pound) excludes it 
 from the tables of the poor who live in cities or where they are 
 unable to gather it in the -wild state; but, fortunately for them, 
 there are many other species quite as good as this, which it is 
 possible to have in the season for the trouble of gathering. No 
 labor is expended in their cultivation, no costly hot-houses or 
 mushroom cellars are occupied by them; nature produces them 
 at her own expense, and often in great abundance. They afford 
 palatable and nutritious food; and yet they are generally al- 
 lowed to decay where they gTew. In this state alone, at least 
 seventy-five species are known to occur that are available for 
 food. There are here also nearly six hundred other fleshy or 
 similar fungi, many of which Avill doubtless yet be found to be 
 edible. Experimenters are already in the field, and additions 
 are frequently made to the esculent list. It is true that some are 
 of small size, or of rare occurrence or limited range; but others 
 occur mth frequency, axe of fair size and wide range, and in fa- 
 vorable seasons and localities are found in great profusion. Some 
 occur early in the season, others in midsummer, and many ia 
 late summer and in autumn; so that there is a succession of 
 crops, which in wet seasons at least make an almost continuous 
 supply possible. 
 
 They constitute a very nutritious and sustaining diet. Chemi- 
 cal analysis, as well as experience, indicates this. The former 
 has sho"WTi that they contain in their dry matter from 20 to 50 
 per cent, of protein or nitrogenous material, and they may there- 
 fore be called a vegetable meat, and be used as a substitute for 
 animal food. 
 
 Like other vegetables, they are largely composed of water, 
 which generally constitutes 80 or 90 per cent, of the whole. So 
 much water causes them to shrivel greatly in drying, and so 
 much nitrogenous material induces rapid decay and loathsome 
 
decomposition, unless quickly dried and kept dry. This should 
 teach moderation in their use. A hearty meal of mushrooms 
 alone might be expected to produce consequences similar to 
 those following a large repast on nothing but beefsteak. It also 
 teaches the necessity of care in the selection of the specimens to 
 be utilized. Only sound and fresh specimens, young or just ma- 
 ture, should be taken. 
 
 Many insects are fond of mushrooms. Both they and their 
 larvae feed on them and in them. A mushroom may appear fair 
 on its exterior, which if cut or broken, will show its interior to be 
 full of small holes and galleries excavated by larvae, and perhaps 
 may rcA'^eal a living colony of the larvae themselves. It is need- 
 less to say that such specimens should be rejected at once. The 
 larvae most often enter at the base of the .stem and mine their 
 Avay up through the stem to the cap. When this is the case, and 
 they have reached the cap, their presence will be revealed when 
 the cap is cut from the stem, for the small holes through which 
 they have passed will easily be seen. Sometimes the eggs are de- 
 posited by the parent insect on the surface of the cap, and when 
 hatched, the larvae at once eat their way into the flesh beneath. 
 
 Strange as it may seem, a colony of larvae in the lower part of 
 the stem of a mushroom will often affect disastrously the flavor 
 of the cap or upper part, which they have not yet toiiched. 
 Sometimes a part of a cap will show signs of decay while a part 
 remains apparently sound. Better reject the whole in such 
 eases. Also discard those that are watersoaked, for this is often 
 an indication of age and incipient decay. 
 
 The fact that most mushrooms are short-lived and decay rap- 
 idly also teaches the importance of cooking them promptly after 
 they have been gathered. As a rule, they should be cooked the 
 same day. If the collector has been fortunate enough to obtain 
 more than enough for one meal, it is generally better to cook the 
 whole lot at once, as they will not spoil as soon in the cooked as 
 in the raw state. 
 
 In collecting mushrooms that have stems, it is not advisable 
 to take the stems except in those cases in which they are suf- 
 ficiently tender to be utilized; generally, they are too tough. 
 Care should be taken to keep the mushrooms as clean as possible. 
 Sometimes soil, sticks and leaves, are carried up in the growth of 
 the mushi'oom and remain on the cap. This is especially the case 
 with those species that have a viscid or sticky surface to the cap. 
 it is better to clear this rubbish carefully away before putting 
 the specimens in the collecting basket. If this is not done, such 
 
specimens should at least be wrapped separately in paper, tliat 
 they may not soil others. 
 
 in preparing for cooking, all having a dirty, tough or viscid 
 cuticle, should be thoroughly washed or wiped clean or peeled. 
 In the case of boleti, it is well to remove the porous part from 
 the cap, for these pores are apt to form a shiny, unpleasant mass 
 in cooking. They are easily separable from the flesh of the cap. 
 In large specimens the cap may be cut in slices. 
 
 The mode of cooking will depend on the kind of mushroom, 
 the tastes of those that are to eat them, and the conveniences at 
 hand. It is customary to fry, broil or stew them, and in each 
 case to season or dress them according to taste, or the knowledge 
 of the cook. The object to be kept in view is to make a palatable 
 and at the same time a digestible dish. Sometimes mushrooms 
 are used in small quantity, chiefly to give flavor to meats or 
 other dishes. Mushrooms of inferior flavor are often made more 
 agreeable by cooking with them a few specimens of some kind 
 more highly and agreeably flavored. Species too tough to be 
 eaten -with pleasure are sometimes utilized by making of them a 
 kind of soup or broth, which is eaten, while the mushroom itself 
 is rejected. 
 
 The same species is not always equally tender or agreeable. 
 Its flavor and texture appear to depend to some extent upon the 
 kind of soil in which it grew, the rapidity of its growth, and the 
 age at which it was collected. Young specimens and those of 
 rapid growth, are expected to be more tender than old or slowly 
 developed ones, but they are not always the most highly flavored. 
 In this way, and because of the differences in the tastes of indi- 
 A^duals, we may explain the different estimates placed by differ- 
 ent Avriters on the edible qualities of the same species of mush- 
 room. There are also peculiarities of constitution which make 
 what is one man's meat, another man's poison. 
 
 The same thing is sometimes seen in the use of other foods. 
 One man is made sick by eating egg or any article of food in the 
 preparation of which egg enters as an ingredient. Another man 
 cannot eat strawberries without being sickened. This individual 
 peculiarity has possibly, in some instances, been the reason why 
 one writer has attributed poisonous qualities to the same kind of 
 mushroom which another writer has declared to be edible. , 
 
 ^fushrooms have been used for food for many centuries. 
 They graced the tables of the ancient Greeks .and Romans. Ac- 
 cidents have sometimes happened from their careless or unintel- 
 ligent use; yet some people have persisted in using them, and 
 
probably will persist in it as long as they can be obtained. To 
 diminish the number of such accidents by cultivating a better 
 general knowledge of the subject is one of the purposes of the 
 writer. It is true that there are some poisonous species, dan- 
 gerous to eat; but the number of such species is often greatly 
 overestimated. Probably the proportion of dangerously poison- 
 ous species is no greater among fungi than among flowering 
 plants. In this State only three or four species have been found 
 that may be classed as actually known to be fatally poisonous. 
 There are many that are of such a character as to produce nausea, 
 vomiting and derangement of the digestive organs, but they are 
 not to be classed as really dangerous to life. They are unwhole- 
 some because of their persistently bitter, acid or otherwise dis- 
 agreeable flavor, or because of toughness of texture, or the pos- 
 session of some quality repugnant to the stomach, but not neces- 
 sarily causing death, for if such are eaten, the irritation produced 
 generally induces their speedy rejection from the system, and 
 then the normal condition of the victim is soon restored. 
 
 On the other hand the dangerously poisonous species appear to 
 cause no irritation or unpleasant symptoms until after the lapse 
 of several hours after eating, usually from eight to flfteen. The 
 poisonous property, which has received the names amanitine, bul- 
 bosine, or muscarine, according to the kind of fungus from which 
 it was obtained, appears to enter into the circulation and to at- 
 tack the nervous system. Then the symptoms begin to manifest 
 themselves. The face exhibits an ashy paleness; there is distress 
 in the region of the stomach; nausea, vomiting and relaxation 
 of the bowels follow, the extremities become cold, the pulse 
 feeble, the eyesight is affected, and finally stupor and death fol- 
 low if relief is not obtained. Atropine has been found to be an 
 antidote to this kind of poisoning. It has been administered in 
 'doses of 1-60 to 1-3 of a grain according to the severity of the 
 case, and the dose may be repeated if necessary. It may be ad- 
 ministered in subcutaneous injections. In other cases the symp- 
 toms appear much sooner, and relief may be hastened by the 
 administration of some simple emetic. 
 
 It is the fear of being poisoned that prevents many from using 
 mushrooms. They are unable to distinguish the good from the 
 bad, and therefore wisely avoid both. The erroneous opinion is 
 often entertained that the poisonous species are about as numer- 
 ous as the edible. Many also suppose that some simple test may 
 be employed which will reveal the character of the mushrooms 
 and show whether they are hurtful or harmless. Hence the oft- 
 
repeated question, "How shall I distinguish, the mushroom 
 from the toadstool?" In the effort to answer this question, many 
 rules haye been given by various writers, some of which are 
 wholly unreliable; and to the others there are so many excep- 
 tions that they are practically worthless. The only safe and rea- 
 sonable way to distinguish between the good and the bad is to 
 recognize each species by its own specific characters. It is in 
 this way that we recognize the useful and esculent species among 
 flowering plants, and it must be in this way that we select our 
 edible species of mushrooms. A little more care may be neces- 
 sary in one case than in the other, because of a closer resem- 
 blance between good and bad fungi than between good and bad 
 flowering plants. The principle that is to govern in this matter 
 is the same in both cases. The greater the number of esculent 
 species clearly and confidently recognizable by any one, the 
 greater the field from which he may draw his supplies. If but 
 a single species is known, he can safely eat of that species only, 
 unless he may be able to avail himself of the wider knowledge of 
 some other person. In a few cases it is possible to affirm of cer- 
 tain groups or families of closely related species that no danger- 
 ous ones are known in them. For example, we have six species 
 of morel in "New York, and no morel is known to be really 
 poisonous. It is, therefore, pretty safe to say that he who is able 
 to distinguish a morel from all other fungi may confidently eat 
 morels without fear of ill results, though he may not be able to 
 separate one species of morel from another. 
 
 The same thing may be said of puff-balls. Any one able to 
 discriminate between puff-balls and other fungi, may with con- 
 siderable assurance make tise of puff-balls when in proper condi- 
 tion, even if he does not know the real distinctive characters of 
 any one species. The probability is that he will not thereby be 
 poisoned; but there is not absolute safety. It is possible that 
 some deleterious puff-ball of great scarcity exists which has not 
 yet been discovered, or which, if known, has not yet been tested. 
 Therefore, it is safer, even in these cases, to partake only of those 
 which are specifically known, and which have been found by 
 actual experiment, to be good for food. The rules which say 
 that all morels, all puff-balls, all fairy-clubs, and all tender hydna 
 or spine mushrooms are safe eating, would be better if limited by 
 the words, "so far as known." 
 
 Many rules have been published by authors and writers for 
 periodicals which have an extremely limited application, and 
 are, therefore, misleading, and worse than useless.' A writer, 
 
■^vishing to limit the use of fungi to the common mushroom, says, 
 ^'reject all which have the gills white." This rule, if observed, 
 would exclude from use many excellent species. Another says, 
 "discard all that have a hollow stem." This also would prevent 
 the use of such valuable species as Caesar's mushroom, the smooth 
 lepiota, and the delicious lactarius. Again, we are told to avoid 
 all that have a viscid cap, and all that when fresh have an acrid 
 or hot, peppery taste. These directions, too, would rule out 
 sonif species that have been used and are known to furnish very 
 good food. 
 
 The viscidity may be removed from the cap, the harsh flavor 
 destroyed by cooking, and the flesh of some such has been found 
 to be palatable and nutritious. Also, if we follow the directions 
 to take only such species as are found growing in the fields and 
 open places, we deprive ourselves of many an excellent dish that 
 can be furnished by the edible species of the woods and groves* 
 
 The silver spoon test, which sanctions eating such as do not 
 tarnish the spoon when placed among the cooking mushrooms, 
 was long ago exploded, for by actual trial it was found to be 
 deceptive and unreliable. It has been stated that vinegar has the 
 power to absorb or neutralize the poison of the dangerous species, 
 and that such, after having been steeped in vinegar, then taken 
 out and washed in clean water, may be cooked and eaten with 
 safety. This process is not here recommended. It seems better 
 to eat only such as are known to be harmless, without any pick- 
 ling process being necessary to make them so. 
 
 Before proceeding to the descriptive part of these articles, it is 
 proper to explain the meaning of a few somewhat technical 
 teinns which it will be necessary or convenient to employ: 
 
 The substance of mushrooms is commonly called. the flesh, 
 though it is unlike the flesh of animals. 
 
 The seeds or reproductive bodies are termed spores. They are 
 as fine as dust and singly invisible to the naked eye. 
 
 The upper expanded part of the plant is commonly known as 
 the cap. The botanical name is pileus. It varies in shape ac- 
 cording to age and species. 
 
 The spores develop in or on some special part of the cap, in all 
 species where a cap is formed. The spore-bearing part of surface 
 is botanically designated by the term hymenium, and that part 
 on which the hymenium is borne or rests is the hymenopJiore. 
 
 The minute threads which proceed from the germinating 
 spores, and which permeate the soil or other material on which 
 
the mushroom grows, constitute the mycelium. This is com- 
 monly known as "spawn." 
 
 The best way to acquire a knowledge of our edible fungi is to 
 study them in the light of the primary characters employed in 
 botanical classification, and in their natural relations to each 
 other. The species will, therefore, be described and arranged in 
 their respective classes, families and genera. It will be seen that 
 they are all included in three great classes, whose names and dis- 
 tinguishing cliaracters may be stated in the following manner: 
 
 Gasteeomyceteje. — ^Fungi whose spores are produced in the 
 interior of the plant. Example, puff balls. 
 
 DiscoMTCETEJE. — Fimgi whose spores are produced in delicate 
 membranous sacks on the iipper or exterior surface of the cap. 
 Example, morels. 
 
 HYMENOMTCETEiE. — ^Fuugi whosc sporcs are produced on the 
 lower surface of the cap. Example, common mushroom. 
 
 In this last class there are a few species in which no regular 
 cap is developed. In these, the spores are produced on the ex- 
 terior surface of upright, simple stem-like plants, or of the 
 branches of upright bush-like plants, or on the upper surface of 
 gelatinous or jelly-like irregularly expanded plants. N'one of 
 the gelatinous plants will be described, and only two or three 
 species of the other exceptional cases, all of whicb belong to the 
 genus Clavaria. 
 
 The spore-bearing surface or hymenium is generally recog- 
 nizable, even to the nak-ed eye, by its smooth, delicate, waxy 
 ajij^earance, which is quite unlike that of the sterile surfaces. In 
 most of the cap-bearing mushrooms, the lower surface of the cap 
 is furnished with special organs, on whose surfaces the spores are 
 produced. These are in the form of gills, pores or spine-like 
 teeth, and these furnish characters on which the three principal 
 families of the Hymenomycetese are founded. These characters, 
 will be more fully elucidated in their proper place. 
 
 10 
 
III. PUFF-BALLS. 
 
 Puff-balls belong to a class of fungi to wbich botanists give the 
 name Gasteromyceteae, "stomacb fungi" — a name suggested by 
 the fact that, their spores are produced within the receptacle, or 
 spore-bearing part. In most of them, the whole interior of the 
 mature plant is filled with a dusty mass of spores, intermingled 
 in many cases with minute threads or filaments. They are 
 among the most easily recognized of our fungi, and the larger 
 ones in their early state are among the best of our edible species. 
 
 Almost every one, whether botanist or not, confidently thinks 
 he knows a puff-ball when he sees it. Over and over agaia, the 
 little globular growths consisting of a papery envelope stuffed 
 full of brown dtLSt and cottony filaments have been seen lying 
 singly or in clusters on the ground, or adhering to the decaying 
 wood of old stumps or prostrate trunks of trees. Often in child- 
 hood days these have been subjected to siidden pressure between 
 the thumb and fingers, that there might be seen the little cloud, 
 of dust-like spores that is thereby ejected, and that quickly van- 
 ishes in the air like a little puff of smoke. 
 
 !N^o one would think these good to eat, and indeed they are 
 not, when in this condition. Nearly all puff-balls are white with- 
 in when young, and their substance is then of a soft, fleshy con- 
 sistence, very unlike the dusty filamentous material that fills 
 them when mature. And it is only while they are white within 
 that they are fit for food. When they reach maturity, the flesh 
 at first assumes greenish-yellow or brownish-yellow hues. They 
 arc then spoiled for eating. Soon they become moist within, and 
 when this moisture dries away, the whole interior (except in 
 some species a small cellular part at the base) is found to be 
 transformed iuto the usual dusty brown mass that characterizes 
 the mature puff-ball. 
 
 There are in this country many species of the genus Ly coper- 
 don, to which most of our puff-balls belong; probably not less 
 than forty. They may be arranged in two groups. In one group 
 the plants are commonly small, rarely exceeding an inch and a 
 half or two inches in diameter. These, when mature, burst at 
 the top, in a somewhat circular but rather ragged aperture, to 
 permit the spores to escape. The other group, to which generic 
 
 11 
 
iiriportance is sometimes given, is composed of larger plants, 
 •«v]iicli range in diameter from 2 to 12 inches or more, according 
 to the species. These plants when mature rupture irregularly, 
 the commonly thicker rind breaking up in angular and unequal 
 fragments and falling away, thus permitting the spores to be dis- 
 sipated and scattered by the winds. 
 
 Though no deleterious species of pufE-ball is known, the flavor 
 of the smaller kinds, so far as I have tried them, is much inferior 
 to that of the larger. Only the latter, therefore, are recom- 
 mended for food. It is possible, however, that some of the 
 smaller sorts not yet tried, may be well flavored, and may yet be 
 introduced by experimenting mycophagists into the list of edible 
 species. 
 
 The Giant pufE-ball, Lycoperdon giganteum, is the largest spe- 
 cies known. Specimens of medium size are 8 to 12 inches in 
 diameter. Smaller and much larger individuals sometimes oc- 
 cur. The largest specimen in the State Museum is about 15 
 inches in diameter in the dry state. When fresh, it was much 
 
 larger — ^probably 20 inches 
 or more in diameter; they 
 shrink greatly in drying. In 
 the larger specimens the ver- 
 tical diameter is generally 
 less than the horizontal, so 
 that the shape is that of a de- 
 pressed globe, or a round loaf 
 of bread. The smaller ones 
 
 Giant PuH-Ball, Lycoperdon glpmteum, about ^^^ USUally leSS depressed, 
 
 one-sixteenth usual size. and are therefore more nearly 
 
 globular. The color is white, 
 cr whitish, until by age it becomes dingy or somewhat yellowish 
 or brownish. Its surface is nearly or quite smooth, and ia grow- 
 ing it rests upon the ground, as it has no stem or stemlike base to 
 support it. When approaching maturity, greenish-yellow stains 
 appear in the previously snow-white flesh. At length the whole 
 interior becomes a soft cottony, but dusty mass of a dingy yel- 
 lowish brown hue. 
 
 This puiT-ball grows in fields, pastures and waste places, and 
 ,by roadsides. It is by no means frequent, though it has a wide 
 range, and has been recorded from !N"ew England on the east, to 
 California on the west, and as far south as K"orth Carolina. I 
 jknow of no reason why it may not occur in every state of the 
 Union. With us it usually appears in August and September. 
 
 12 
 
Cup-shaped Pnff-Ball, Lyc-operdon cyatliiforme 
 ratber ICBs than half usnal size. 
 
 Its large size, wliite color and smoothisli surface are characters, 
 by whicli it may easily be distinguisbed from every other species. 
 The Cup-shaped puff-ball, Lycoperdon cyathiforme, is much 
 smaller and much more frequent. It is commonly three to five, 
 inches in diameter. It is most often abruptly contracted below 
 into a thick basal part, which 
 gives it a somewhat turbinate 
 shape, but this is not always 
 the case. Its color is some- 
 what variable, ranging from 
 grayish-white to brown or 
 pinMsh-brown. Its surface is 
 smooth, or nearly so, but it 
 usually cracks in an areolate 
 manner, so that the upper 
 half especially presents a sys- 
 tem of reticulating chinks en- 
 closing small, more or less an- 
 gular, darker areas or patches. 
 "When mature, the dusty 
 spore mass of the interior pre- 
 sents a purple-brown color. 
 After the upper part of the rind has fallen away, and the spores 
 have been dispersed, there remains the basal part of the plant, 
 which is surmounted by the concave or cup-shaped lower portion 
 of the rind. This condition of the plant was the basis for the 
 original description of the species and suggested the name of this 
 puflE-ball. 
 
 Its place of growth is in fields and pastures, and its range ex- 
 tends westward to the Missis- 
 sippi Eiver, and south to 
 South Carolina. It appears 
 in August and September, 
 growing singly or in groups 
 of several individuals. Some- 
 times the old flattened cup- 
 shape base persists till the 
 following spring. It differs 
 from the Giant puff-ball in 
 its smaller size, chinky areo- 
 late surface, darker color, and 
 when mature, in its purple- 
 brown interior. Both species are equally good to eat, and both 
 
 13 
 
 Lycoperdon cyathiforme— Cup-Shaped Base 
 of an old plant, about halt usual size. 
 
may be prepared for tke table in tbe same maaner, as below: 
 
 Beiect immature speoimens whose flesb is yet pure white. 
 Peel away tbe rind and cut the flesh in thin slices, say i 
 to 4 an inch thick. These slices may simply be fried in butter, 
 and seasoned to taste, or they may first be dipped in a batter 
 made of beaten egg and then fried and seasoned. In this way 
 they make a kind of mushroom omelet or fritters, that is very 
 agreeable to almost all tastes. If fo-eferred, the beaten egg may 
 be thickened with a few bread crumbs or with crushed crackers. 
 Some, who are especially fond of the common mushroom, fry 
 the plain slices in butter, adding a mushroom or two to them to 
 heighten the flavor. A group of the cup-shaped puff-ball or a 
 single large specimen of the Criant puff-ball will furnish sufficient 
 material for a meal for a large family. One correspondent writes 
 me that he once found a Giant puff-bail so large that it afforded 
 a good portion of the dinner of about 50 persons ! 
 
 There are a few other large species of puff-balls, ranging in di- 
 ameter from 3 to 8 inches, which grow in some of the southern 
 and western States, and which are probably edible; but a de- 
 scription of which I omit because they have not yet been proved 
 to be good. 
 
 There are two puff-balls belonging to the genus Bovista which 
 have been tested by Prof. William Trelease and pronounced by 
 him to be delicate and excellent. The difference between a Bo- 
 vista and a Lycoperdon is very slight and need not be discussed 
 here. 
 
 The Lead-colored puff-ball, Bovista plumbea, is about as round 
 as a marble and not very much larger. Its diameter usually va- 
 ries from half an inch to one inch. It is almost as white as snow 
 when young and in eatable condition. Its thin white coat pres- 
 ently becomes dingy and scales off in flakes, exposing a tougher, 
 thicker rind beneath, which has a dull, dark, but perceptibly 
 leaden hue, that suggests the name. It ^ows in pastures among 
 short grass, or on naked ground, appearing with us from mid- 
 summer to autumn. Old plants, with an apical aperture for the 
 escape of the spores, may sometimes be found in spring, but they 
 do not much resemble the young edible plant. 
 
 The other species, the Ball-shaped puff-ball, Bovista pila, is 
 very similar to the one just described, in its shape and in the 
 color of the young plant, but it is larger, its diameter being one 
 and a half to two and a half inches. When old, its rind becomes 
 smooth, brown, or slightly purplish-brown, and almost shining. 
 
 14 
 
It is very toiJgli, and opens by an iiregular rupture or lacerated 
 aperture. It grows on the gromnd, eitlier ui fields or thin woods, 
 and often perasts through the winter in its brown mature con- 
 dition. 
 
 "We have two or three species of Scleroderma or hard-rind 
 puff-baDs, in which the flesh, even in young plants, is not white, 
 but rather of bluish-black or purplish-black. These have not 
 been recorded as edible, and though they are not known to be 
 3)ois0nous, they do not come under the rule given for edible 
 puff-balls, and should be omitted entirely; yet one correspondent 
 reports having eaten them and liking them. 
 
 IV. MORELS AN^D HELVELLAS. 
 
 These belong to a large class called Discomyceteae, "disk 
 fungi." The spores are produced in thin membranous sacks 
 (usually eight in each), imbedded in the flesh of the upper or ex- 
 terior surface of the cap. This character is not easily seen with- 
 out a microscope. Comparatively few of the species are large 
 enough and tender enough for food. 
 
 Morels are neither like puff-balls nor like mushrooms. They 
 ■consist of a stem and a cap or head. The cap, which is the spore- 
 bearing part, is either globose, oblong, conical or cylindrical in 
 shape, according to the species. But its most marked feature, 
 and the one by which morels are the most readily distinguished 
 from all other fungi, is found in the small depressions or cavities 
 which occupy its whole exterior surface, giving it a somewhat 
 honey-combed or pitted appearance. The intervening ridges or 
 dissepiments are rather thick and blunt on the edge. In all our 
 species the caps are yellowish, buff or ochraceous when fresh and 
 growing, but they usually assume darker or brownish hues as 
 they mature and begin to dry or decay. The stems are rather 
 stout, hollow, and white or whitish, sometimes tinged with yel- 
 low. They are not polished, but slightly roughened by numer- 
 ous minute branny particles. In some species the stems are often 
 shorter than the head or cap. 
 
 The species may be grouped in two sections. In one, the low- 
 er mar^n of the head grows fast to the top of the stem; in the 
 other, it is free from the stem, as in the <?ap of the common mush- 
 room- In the former case the head is hollow, in the latter there 
 is a cavity beneath it, or rather an open space, between its mar- 
 
 15 
 
gin and the stem. Of the former group, f om* species occur in 
 Xew York; of the latter, only two, and these are. of very rare 
 occiurence. Their scarcity and their small size make them of 
 comparatively little importance as an article of food. 
 
 No morel is known to be poisonous; they can therefore be 
 eaten with considerable confidence, even if the specific distinc- 
 tions are not well understood. Two or three species of stinkhom 
 fungi, Phallus impudicus, Phallus duflicatus, &c., have heads 
 with similar cavities after the spores have been shed, but in these 
 the stems are porous — ^that is, full of minute pores or cavities — 
 and the head has an apical aperture; and, moreover, the plants 
 have such an intolerable odor that no one would think of eating 
 them. The species of the first group are more common, and the 
 plants themselves are generally of larger size, and it is to this 
 group we must look for our chief supply of morels. To it belong 
 the Common or Esculent morel (Morchella esculenta), the Coni- 
 cal morel (M. conica), the Narrow-cap morel (M. angusticeps), 
 and the Delicious morel (M. deliciosa). If any one of these mo- 
 rels is cut through the middle vertically, it will be seen that the 
 head is hollow as well as the stem, and that the cavity is con- 
 tinuous from one to the other. 
 
 All the species occur early in the season. Some may be found 
 as early as April, especially in the States south of New Jersey 
 and Pennsylvania. In New York, they are found in May and 
 June. I have never seen one growing here later than Jtine. 
 They occur mostly under trees or in thin, open woods, or along 
 the borders of more dense woods. A favorite habitat is under or 
 near pine trees and ash trees, though it is not impossible to find 
 them under other trees. They are not averse to sandy soil, pro- 
 vided rains are frequent and moisture plentiful. 
 
 For the benefit of those who may wish to distinguish the spe- 
 cies, the following synopsis is given : 
 
 SPECIES OE MOKCHELLA. 
 
 Margin of the cap united to the stem, 1. 
 
 Margin of the cap not united to the stem, 3. 
 
 1. Cap rounded, oval, or nearly so, M. esculenta 
 1. Cap conical or oblong-conical, 2. 
 
 1. Cap oblong or cylindrical, M. deliciosa 
 
 2. Cap distinctly broader than stem, M. conica 
 
 16 
 
2. Cap scarcely broader tlian stem, M. angusticeps 
 
 3. Cap free from stem to middle, M. semilibera 
 
 3. Cap free from stem to top, M. hispora 
 
 Tlie Common morel, Morchella esculenta, generally has the 
 cap a little longer than broad, so that it is nearly oval ia outline. 
 Sometimes it is nearly globular, and occasionally it is slightly 
 narrowed in its upper half, 
 but not so much as to be 
 pointed or conical. The pits 
 or cavities in its surface are 
 more regularly rounded than 
 in the other species, and re- 
 semble more the cells of a 
 honey-comb. The cap is 
 much broader than the di- 
 ameter of the stem. The 
 plants vary from two to 
 four inches in height, but 
 occasionally specimens occur 
 much larger, and sometimes 
 even smaller than these di- 
 mensions. The stem is com- 
 monly half an inch or more 
 in diameter. 
 
 The Conical morel, M. 
 eonica, is closely related to 
 the preceding species, of 
 which some have considered 
 it a mere variety. It differs 
 from it in having the cap 
 longer in proportion to its 
 width, and also more point- 
 ed, so that it is conical or ob- 
 long-conical in shape. The 
 principal ridges which sepa- 
 rate the rows of pits in the 
 surface appear to run more regularly and distinctly from top to 
 bottom. They are connected by iatervening transverse ridges, 
 which are sometimes less elevated that the longitudinal ridges, 
 and therefore the pits often appear longer than broad, and less 
 regular ia outline. The cap is decidedly broader than its stem. 
 The plants are generally from three to five inches high. 
 
 The Narrow-cap morel, M. angusticeps, differs from the 
 
 17 
 
 Morchella esculenta, full size. 
 
Conical morel in its ordinarily smaller size, its narrowly conical 
 and more acutely pointed cap, which is scarcely broader at its 
 
 base than the stem which 
 supports it, and in the small- 
 er pits of the cap. The 
 seeming disproportion be- 
 tween the diameter of the 
 stem and its cap gives a kind 
 of deformity to the appear- 
 ance of the plant, which lack 
 of symmetry is sometimes 
 increased by the cap's being 
 strongly curved. The plant 
 is generally but two to three 
 inches high, but sometimes 
 specimens have been found 
 five or six inches high. 
 
 The Delicious morel, M. 
 deliciosa, is easily known 
 by its long, narrow cap, 
 which is blunt at the top, 
 and therefore oblong or cyl- 
 indrical in shape. Occasion* 
 ally, it is a little more nar- 
 row in its upper half, but 
 even then it is not as sharply 
 pointed as in the E'arrow- 
 cap morel, nor is the dispro- 
 portion between the diame- 
 ter of the cap and the stem 
 so great. As in that species, 
 the pits in the surface of the 
 cap are small and narrow, 
 and usually longer than 
 broad. It also is generally 
 but two or three inches high. In this part of the country it is 
 less common than either of the preceding species. 
 
 The Half-free morel, M. semilibera (by some called the Hy- 
 brid morel, M. Jiybrida), and the Two-spored morel, M. hispora, 
 are of such rare occurrence that it is scarcely worth while to give 
 here a detailed description of them. Their essential characters 
 can be learned from the analytical table. 
 
 Some writers speak highly of the edible qualities of morels; 
 
 18 
 
 Morchella conica, full size. 
 
others are less enthusiastic. My own experience would lead me 
 to say that they are not, as 
 a rule, very highly flavored, 
 though better than some 
 fungi that are recorded as 
 edible. The name of the 
 "Delicious" morel implies 
 excellent flavor, but it has 
 not been my fortune to give 
 it fair trial. One correspond- 
 ent says: "I do not think 
 much of morels; if cooked 
 like mushrooms, they be- 
 come tough." Herein, per- 
 haps, is one cause of dissat- 
 isfaction with them — ^they 
 may be spoiled by bad cook- 
 ing. Some fungi are made 
 more tough by too severe 
 cooking; it is better to let 
 such kinds simmer slowly 
 over a gentle fire. One of 
 the published receipts for 
 cooking morels says: "Cut 
 in halves the clean morels, 
 place in a stewpan with but- 
 ter, and set over a clear fire. 
 When the butter is melted, 
 add a little lemon juice, salt and pepper. Then cooh slowly for 
 an hour, adding from time to time small quantities of beef 
 gravy. 
 
 Cordier says that the Common morel is a delicate food, and one 
 that is in general demand. Cooke speaks of morels in general as 
 about the safest and most delicious of edible fungi. There is one 
 thing in their favor — either because they appear so early in the 
 season or for some other reason, they are seldom infested by the 
 larvae of insects. On this account their natural flavor is unim- 
 paired, and there is little loss from damaged specimens. The 
 flesh is rather fragile and not very watery. They are easily 
 dried, and in this way may be kept for future use. 
 
 M. angustlceps. 
 
 M. deliciosa. 
 
 19 
 
V. THE HELVELLAS. 
 
 The Helvellas are closely related, botanically, to tlie morels. 
 In them the cap is not pitted, as ia the morels; yet it is by no 
 means even or symmetrical. It is more or less lobed, reflexed or 
 variously folded, and the stem in some species is furrowed longi- 
 tudinally with continuous or interrupted grooves. The color of 
 the cap also varies more in the different species, and the plants 
 themselves are mostly of smaller size, and with few exceptions 
 are of rarer occurrence. They chiefly occur in woods or on their 
 borders, and should not be sought in cleared fields. 
 
 The largest and most common species with us is the Edible 
 helvella, or, as it is sometimes called, the Esculent gyromitra, Oy- 
 romitra escidenta. The original botanical name was Helvetia 
 
 esculenta. This fungus may 
 be known by its bay-red, or 
 chestnut-red irregular cap, 
 with its brain-like convolu- 
 tions or irregular foldings, 
 inflations and depressions. 
 The general form of the cap 
 is rounded, and the lower 
 margin is attached to the 
 stem in two or three places. 
 There are sometimes paler 
 or yellowish tinted patches 
 on the cap, and with ad- 
 vanced age, or in drying, it 
 assumes darker or brownish 
 hues. The stem is whitish 
 and scurfy, and often en- 
 larged or swollen at the 
 base. When mature it is 
 hollow. It is frequently de- 
 formed or irregular. The 
 plant is commonly two to four inches high, with the cap two to 
 three inches broad, and the stem one-half to one inch thick. 
 Specimens are sometimes large enough to weigh a pound each. 
 They appear in this latitude in May and June. I have never 
 
 20 
 
 Esculent Helvella, somewbat reduced. 
 
seen it growing here later than Jnne. It is especially fond of 
 light, sandy soil, under, or in the vicinity of pine trees, but it re- 
 quires considerable moisture, and it is to be sought in rainy 
 ■weather, or in wet, springy places. 
 
 The French author, Cordier, says that it has an agreeable 
 taste, and is highly esteemed, and that it is sold in Germany as a 
 ti'ue morel. Though I have repeatedly eaten it without experi- 
 fencing evil consequences, its flavor to me is not that of a first- 
 class mushroom. But then it was simply fried in butter and sea- 
 soned; perhaps with more elaborate preparation it might be bet- 
 ter flavored. Care should be taken by those eating it to use it 
 with moderation, and not to keep it too long before cooking. 
 Sickness has been known to result from eating freely of a quan- 
 tity of it which had been kept twenty-four hours. 
 
 Of the remaining helvellas that have been used for food when 
 they could be procured in sufficient quantity, the White helvella, 
 H. crispa, differs from all the others in its color, which is white, 
 both in its cap and stem. It, and all our other species, are small- 
 er than the Edible helvella, and they are more scarce and only 
 found in the woods. They are also later in the time of their ap- 
 pearance, occurring from midsummer to autumn. They are re- 
 puted to be excellent eating, and all similar in flavor, but from 
 their scarcity and small size it is hardly worth while to give a de- 
 tailed description of each. For the benefit of those who may 
 vidsh to identify them, should they be fortunate enough to meet 
 with them, their names and the following analytical table are 
 given. Their names are — ^White helvella, H. crispa; Cinereous 
 or Black-top helvella, H. lacunosa; Sulcate helvella, H. sulcata; 
 Mitre-shaped helvella, H. infula; and the Elastic helvella, H. 
 elastica. 
 
 ANALYTICAL TABLE. 
 
 Stems furrowed lengthwise. 1. 
 
 Stems not furrowed. 3. 
 
 1 . Plant wholly white, H. crispa. 
 
 1 . Plant not white or only part white. 2. 
 
 2 . Stem interruptedly furrowed, H. lacunosa. 
 
 2 . Furrows of the stem not interrupted, H. sulcata. 
 
 3. Stem short, stout; cap mitre-shaped, H. infula. 
 3. Stem long, slender; cap not mitre-shaped, H. elastica. 
 
 The irregular mitrula, Mitrula viiellina var. irregularis, and 
 several of the larger species of Cup-fungi (Pezizas), belong to 
 this class, and are known to be edible, but because of their scar- 
 city and small size, further notice of them is omitted. 
 
 21 
 
VI. THE HYMEIvTOMYCETE^. 
 
 The mnslirooms to be noticed in this and succeding articles 
 belong to a very large class of fungi known to botarists as Hy- 
 menomyceteae, a word composed of two parts, signifying "mem- 
 brane fungi," and indicating that the spores are produced on 
 thia or membranous parts or surfaces. In the common mush- 
 rooms, and in all others of similar structure, these spore-produc- 
 ing membranes are f oimd on the under surface of the cap. They 
 consist of thin lamellae or leaves, which are attached by their 
 upper edge to the cap, and which extend in a radiating manner 
 from the stem to the margin of the cap. That space may not be 
 wasted, shorter ones usually intervene between the longer, espe- 
 cially toward the margin of the cap. In a few species in which 
 the stem is attached to the side of the cap, or in which the stem 
 is wholly wanting, the cap being attached to its place of growth 
 by some point or part of its margin, the lamellae, which are often 
 called "gills," radiate from this point of attachment, or from the 
 lateral stem to the other parts of the circumference of the cap. 
 All species of Hymenomyceteae that have these radiating la- 
 mellae constitute a great fainily called Agaricineae. 
 
 There is another group of species in which the under sur- 
 face of the cap is full of small holes or pores — ia some large 
 enough to be easily seen, in others so small as to be scarcely vis- 
 ible to the naked eye. These pores are closely crowded together, 
 and in them the spores of the fungus are produced. They take 
 the place of the lamellae in the Agaricinete, and may be sup- 
 posed to be formed by radiating lamellae, connected by innumer- 
 able transverse partitions. All species that have them are 
 grouped imder the general name Polyporeae. 
 
 In a third grotip the under surface of the cap has -neither la- 
 mellas nor pores, but in their place are numerous awl-shaped pen- 
 dant teeth or spines. The spores are produced on the surface of 
 these teeth. Theoretically, these teeth may be supposed to be 
 formed by the regular and fine gnashing of lamellae, but they 
 are not arranged in radiating rows, as they would be if actually 
 formed in this way. Those species which have these spine-like 
 teeth constitute the group Hydneae. In one edible species of 
 
 22 
 
this group the cap itself is replaced by numerous branches, which 
 bear the spine-Uke teeth on their lower surface. 
 
 These three subdivisions or groups include by far the greater 
 part of our edible mushrooms. Familiarity with their distin- 
 guishing features is therefore very important. 
 
 There are three groups remaining, in each of which there are 
 a few edible species, but they are not usually considered of much 
 importance. In them the spores are produced directly upon 
 some exposed part of the surface of the fungus, without the in- 
 tervention of lamellae, pores, or spines. A symmetrical cap and 
 stem are often absent. In one group the substance is tremelloid 
 or gelatinous. By the aid of the following analytical table, our 
 edible species may be assigned to their respective groups : 
 
 FAMILIES OF HTMENOMYCETE^. 
 
 Cap present, 1. 
 
 Cap wanting, 2. 
 
 1 . Cap with radiating lamellae beneath, Agaricineae. 
 
 1 . Cap with pores beneath, Polyporeae. 
 
 1 . Cap or branches with spine-like teeth beneath, Hydneae. 
 1. Cap with under or spore-bearing surface even, Thelephoreae. 
 
 2. Plant club-shaped and simple, or bush-like and 
 
 branched; fleshy, Clavarieae. 
 
 2. Plant irregularly expanded; gelatinous, Tremellineae. 
 The Agaricineae, or "agarics," probably include more edible 
 species than either of the other families. Por the sake of con- 
 venience in the identification of the species, systematists have 
 divided them into smaller groups, depending on the color of the 
 spores. We cannot do better than to follow this arrangement in 
 studying the species. It Ls not a difficult matter to ascertain the 
 color of the spores. Generally they are colored nearly or quite 
 like the lamellae of the mature plant, but to this there are many 
 exceptions, and to be exact, we must see the spores themselves. 
 To do this with the naked eye, they should be collected in 
 a mass, for they are so minute that singly they are invisible with- 
 out the aid of a microscope. To do this, cut the cap of a fresh, 
 sound, fully-developed mushroom from its stem and place it in 
 its natural position, gills downward, on a piece of white paper, at 
 least as broad as the cap. In a short time, say two or three hours, 
 it will generally drop enough spores on the paper to show their 
 color on removing the cap. If the spores are white — and we 
 may infer that they are so if the mature lamellae are white — 
 white paper will not be so good for disclosing their color as paper 
 of some darker hue. Sometimes, therefore, the cap is placed on 
 
 23 
 
a piece of black paper when the spores are suspected of being 
 white. Or it may be placed on a piece of glass, and after the 
 spores have been dropped and the cap removed, the glass may be 
 placed over a white or a black background, as the circumstances 
 may require. To prevent too rapid drying of the cap, and to 
 shut out currents of air, a goblet or similar vessel may be inverted 
 over the cap while it is dropping its spores. 
 
 Having ascertained the color of the spores, the following table 
 will show in which section the species belong: 
 
 SECTIONS OF AGABICINEiE. 
 
 Spores brown, purplish-brown or black, Melanosporae. 
 
 Spores ochraceous or rusty-ochraceous, Ochrosporae. 
 
 Spores rosy or pinkish, Bhodosporae. 
 
 Spores white, whitish or pale yellow, Leucosporae. 
 
 Our edible species of the first section, Melanosporae, are found 
 in three genera — Agaricus, Hypholoma and Coprinus. In the 
 genus Agaricus, the gills are not attached to the stem; the stem, 
 near its top, is surrounded by a membranous ring or collar, and 
 the spores, in our edible species, are brown. 
 
 In the genus Hypholoma, the gills are attached to the stem; 
 the stem has no collar, and in the single edible species the spores 
 are purplish-brown. 
 
 In the genus Coprinus, the gills, when mature, dissolve into 
 an inky fluid, and in our edible species the stem has no collar at 
 all, or only an evanescent one, and the spores are black, or nearly 
 so. Because of the melting of the gills into a black fluid, these 
 plants are called "inky fungi." As in the case of puff-balls, they 
 are fit for food only in the young or immature state, and as they 
 mature rapidly, great promptness is necessary if we would utilize 
 them. 
 
 In the early days of mycology nearly all fungi having gills 
 were included in the genus Agaricus. At present, however, it is 
 limited to those species that have brown spores, free gills and a 
 stem bearing a ring or collar. These characters are found in the 
 common mushroom whose botanical name is Agaricus campester. 
 (This is commonly written Agaricus campesiris, but the more 
 classical and more grammatical form is used in Saccardo's 
 Sylloge, and it is adopted here.) There are several edible species 
 belonging to this genus, and indeed no dangerously poisonous 
 species is known in it. These species are very closely related to 
 each other, and perhaps there is no simpler way of expressing 
 their distinctive characters than by an analytical table. They 
 may be arranged in two groups depending on their place of 
 
 24 
 
growtH. This arrangement is not as rigidly exact as would be 
 desirable, but it throws those species together that are most 
 closely related to each other, and is therefore natural. 
 
 The essential characters to be noted in all the species in this 
 genus are, gills free from the stem, pink colored before maturity, 
 blackish-brown or black when fully mature, spores brown, and a 
 stem bearing a ring or collar. There are many similar mush- 
 rooms which are not known to be edible but which have pink 
 gills. Their gills, however, never become brown or blackish- 
 brown; their spores are pink, and their stem never has a collar. 
 
 25 
 
VII. THE COMMON MUSHROOM— ITS EELATIVES. 
 
 ANALYTICAL TABLE OF AGAEICUS. 
 
 1. 
 
 4. 
 2. 
 3. 
 
 2. 
 
 4. 
 
 6. 
 
 Plants gro-nang in pastures or open places, 
 Plants grov/ing in woods and groves or their borders, 
 1. Stem stuffed or solid, 
 1. Stem hollow, 
 2. Gills at first pinkish, about as wide as the thickness 
 
 of the cap, A. campester. 
 
 Gills at first whitish, narrower than the thickness of 
 
 the cap, A. rodmani. 
 
 3. The collar radiately tomentose on the lower sur- 
 face, A. arvensis, 
 3. The collar evenly flocculose on the lower STir- 
 
 face, A. subrufescens. 
 
 The flesh quickly changing to dull red where cut or 
 
 broken, A. hemorrhoidarius. 
 
 The flesh not changing to red where cut or broken, 5. 
 
 5. Cap white, silky or smooth, A. silvicola. 
 
 5. Cap brownish, or if white not smooth, 6. 
 
 Cap with numerous minute persistent bro^vn scales, 
 
 A. placomyces, 
 6. Cap merely fibrillose, or with few evanescent scales, 
 
 A. silvaticus. 
 The Common mushroom, sometimes called the Edible mush- 
 room, as if it were the only edible species, is perhaps more gen- 
 erally and better known than 
 any other. It is the one com- 
 monly cultivated and most 
 often seen on the tables of the 
 wealthy and of public houses. 
 It is so eagerly sought in some 
 of our cities that it is difficult 
 to find wild specimens in the 
 vicinity of these towns. They 
 are gathered almost as soon as 
 they appear. 
 
 In very young plants the 
 
 cap is somewhat globular or 
 
 hemispherical, and the gills are 
 
 concealed by the membrane or 
 
 26 
 
 Common MuBliroom, Agarlcus campester. 
 
veil .wliicli stretches across from the stem to the margin of the 
 cap. These young plants are called "button mushrooms." As 
 the plant develops and the cap expands, the edge of the veil sepa- 
 rates from the margin of the cap, but stiU adheres to the stem, 
 and forms the ring or collar. The cap, when fully expanded, is 
 broadly convex, or nearly flat above. It is generally adorned 
 with sUky fibrils, but sometimes these are collected in such a way 
 as to form little bundles or scales, which, however, are usually 
 scarcely noticeable.. In old age they have often vanished, and 
 the cap appears quite smooth. Its margin generally extends 
 slightly beyond the outer extremity of the gills. 
 
 The color of the cap varies from pure white to brown or 
 tawny brown. The flesh is white. The gills, when first revealed 
 by the separation of the veil, are of a delicate pale pink hue, but 
 with advancing age this gradually deepens, and finally turns to 
 a dark brown or blackish-brown color. In dried specimens the 
 color might easily be called black. 
 
 The stem is rather short — scarcely as long as the cap is broad. 
 It is nearly cylindrical, i. e., about as thick at the top as at the 
 bottom, and its color is white or whitish. The substance in the 
 centre is a little softer or more spongy than toward the exterior, 
 and for this reason the stem is described as "stuffed," as if it were 
 filled -with a pith. Sometimes the collar shrivels so much that it 
 is scarcely perceptible in old plants, or it may even disappear en- 
 tirely. The spores are brown in the mass. They are sometimes 
 described as purplish-brown, but I never could detect any pur- 
 plish tint in them or in the gills. 
 
 This mushroom, like many other plants that have been long 
 and extensively cultivated, has developed into several varieties, 
 which exhibit quite well marked distinctive features. 
 
 The White variety, var. alhus, has the cap and stem white, the 
 cap silky and the stem short. This is out most common wild 
 form, and it is also cultivated. 
 
 The Gray variety, var. griseus, has the cap gray, silky and 
 shining. I have seen this from Virginia only. 
 
 The Garden variety, var. hortensis, has the cap brownish, or 
 almost tawny brown, and fibrillose, or marked with obscure 
 scales. This variety is often cultivated, but rarely found wild. 
 
 Several other varieties are recorded as European, but I have 
 seen none of them in this country. 
 
 Generally the cap of the Common mushroom is two to four 
 inches broad, the stem one to three inches long, and one-third to 
 two-thirds of an inch thick. Its most frequent place of growth is 
 
 27 
 
in ricli pastures, where the grass is kept short, or in similar waste 
 places. Its time of appearance is late siunmer and autumn. It 
 will scarcely be found in this latitude before the middle of Aug- 
 ust, though it is said sometimes to appear in spring. I suspect 
 that in such cases the next species has been mistaken for it. I 
 have never found it growing in thick woods. 
 
 Almost every cook knows how to prepare this mushroom for 
 the table, and many receipts for cooking it are given in cook 
 books. 'No extended directions are therefore necessary here. 
 One of the simplest methods, and one which may be employed 
 in cooking this and many other tender species, is to fry gently 
 in butter, seasoning according to taste. They may be stewed in 
 milk or cream, or broiled on a gridiron, or baked in an oven, as 
 preferred. To some tastes they are very acceptable when eaten 
 raw. Dr. Cooke says: '^Tien abroad on a day's excursion, one 
 or two of these raw specimens are an excellent substitute for 
 sandwiches, as they satisfy hunger, are nutritive and digestible, 
 and very pleasant and grateful to the palate." 
 
 Rodman's mushroom, Agaricus rodmani, may easily be mis- 
 take^n for the Common mushroom unless attention is given to its 
 distinctive features. Its cap is more firm, and somewhat ochra- 
 
 eeous or rusty yellow on the 
 disk or centre; the very 
 young gills are whitish, but 
 they soon assume the ordi- 
 nary pinkish hue, and they 
 are narrower in proportion to 
 thickness of the flesh of the 
 cap. The stem is very short 
 and solid, and the collar, 
 when well developed, exhib- 
 its a striking character. It 
 appears as if there were two 
 collars, or a double collar, 
 with a space or groove be- 
 tween them. This character 
 is not always clearly shown, but in its absence the other distinc- 
 tive features will serve to distinguish the species. 
 
 It grows in grassy grounds, and even in crevices of unused 
 pavements or paved gutters in cities. It appears from May to 
 July. I have not found it in autimin, when the Common mush- 
 room is to be found, nor have I ever been able to get it in suf- 
 ficient quantity to prove its edible qualities; but Mr. G. Eod- 
 
 Rodman^s Mushroom. 
 
 28 
 
man, who first collected it, and fumislied tlie first specimens seen 
 by me, tested it, and on his experiment it is classed as edible. I 
 would not hesitate to eat it if I could get fresh specimens. 
 
 The Field mushroom, also called the Horse mushroom and 
 Meadow mushroom, Agaricus arvensis, has by some been consid- 
 ered a mere variety of the Common mushroom. But it differs ia 
 some respects, and is generally kept as a distinct species in the de- 
 scriptive manuals. It generally exceeds the Common mushroom 
 in size, and when old or ia drying, the cap, which is usually 
 white, is apt to assume yellowish hues which do not pertain to 
 the other species. The gUls, when first exposed, are often whit- 
 ish, the stem is hollow, and frequently somewhat thickened at 
 the base, and the collar is thicker and appears as if composed of 
 two parts closely applied to each other and making a double 
 membrane, the lower of which is radiately or stellately split and 
 tinged with yellow. The flavor is by some considered inferior to 
 that of the Common mushroom, but on this point tastes seem to 
 differ. Persoon considered it superior to the Common mush- 
 room both in flavor and digestibility, and Vittadini says it is very 
 delicate and easy of digestion, but has a stronger odor than the 
 Common mushroom. "Very sapid and very nutritious;" "flavor 
 anise-like and very agreeable;" "edible and of exquisite flavor;" 
 
 "delicious when yoimg, but tough when old," are some of the 
 
 opinions concerning it as expressed by various writers. 
 It grows in cultivated fields, 
 
 grassy pastures, and waste 
 
 places. Occasionally it is 
 
 found under trees, and even 
 
 within the borders of woods. 
 
 It has been asserted that its 
 
 spores must pass through 
 
 the alimentary canal of some 
 
 animal, or else they will not 
 
 germinate. However much 
 
 or little of truth there may be 
 
 in such a statement, it is com- 
 mon enough to fijid this 
 
 mushroom growing in places 
 
 where no trace of the dung of 
 
 animals can be seen. It may 
 
 be found here from July to 
 
 Field Mushroom. 
 
 September. 
 
 A beautiful white mushroom, closely resembling the Field 
 
 29 
 
mushroom, occurs in the borders of woods or in open places in 
 thin woods. It differs from the Field mushroom in its thinner 
 cap, its longer stem, and in having an abrupt flattened bulb at the 
 base of the stem. Its collar generally resembles exactly the collar 
 of the Field mushroom, but plants sometimes occur in which it ap- 
 pears to be a single lacerated membrane. For this reason the 
 plant has sometimes been referred to the Wood-Inhabiting mush- 
 room, Agaricus silvicola. But its affinities appear to me to con- 
 nect it more closely with the Field mushroom, and I prefer to 
 regard it as a variety of that species, and give it the name Abrupt 
 variety, var. abrwptus, in allusion to the peculiar character of 
 the bulb. It occurs in summer and autumn. I have eaten it and 
 know it to be edible. 
 
 The Slightly Reddish mushroom, Agaricus suhrufescens, 
 when compared with the Common mushroom, will be found to 
 differ in its thinner cap, in the .very young gills being whitish, in 
 its longer hollow stem, which is frequently thickened or some- 
 what bulbous at the base, in its collar which is sprinkled with 
 minute flocculent tufts beneath, and in the slender branching 
 strings of its mycelium. It is quite as large as the Common 
 mushroom. The color of the cap varies from whitish to gray or 
 dull reddish-brown, and the color of the gills passes from whitish 
 to pinkish, and finally to blackish-brown. It has been success- 
 fully cultivated, and was found by Mr. W. Falconer in a wild 
 state, growing on a compost heap composed chiefly of leaf mold. 
 It is manifestly a rare species, but probably a valuable one, be- 
 cause of its capabilities as a cultivated species. It may be culti- 
 vated through the summer months, when the cultivation of the 
 Common mushroom often ceases to be profitable because of high 
 temperature and the attacks of insects. It was found wild in 
 autumn. 
 
 "Wliile approaching slightly the European Reddish variety of 
 the Common mushroom, A. campester var. rufescens, in the 
 slight reddish tints sometimes seen on its cap, it at once and de- 
 cidedly differs from that plant in its flesh, which does not assume 
 a red color when cut or broken. 
 
 The Bleeding mushroom, Agaricus hemorrhoidarius, is easily 
 known by the character which has suggested its name. When 
 its flesh is cut or broken, the part thus exposed promptly as- 
 sumes a dull red color, as if blood were about to issue from the 
 wound. Mere bruises of the cap, stem, or gills often cause this 
 change of color. This also is a very rare species. In all my col- 
 lecting, I have met with it but once. It is also a very uninviting 
 
 30 
 
nmshroom, of a dingy brown color, by reason of wlucb it is easily 
 overlooked. Its gills bave at first tbe pink bue of tbe otber spe- 
 cies of tbis group, cbanging to blackisb-brown witb age. It 
 grows under trees in woods, and like otber species witb a similar 
 babitat, its stem is ratber long and often swollen or sub-bulbous 
 at tbe base. I bave not eaten it, but it is said to be of excellent 
 quality. 
 
 Tbe Wood-inbabiting musbroom, Agaricus silvicol-a, is so 
 closely related to tbe Common mushroom that it bas been con- 
 sidered by some good mycologists to be a mere variety of it. Its 
 chief differences are in its place of growth, its longer and com- 
 paratively more slender stufEed or hollow and somewhat bulbous 
 stem. In other respects it agrees closely witb the white or whit- 
 ish forms of that species. For edible purposes, it is not very im- 
 portant whether it is considered a species or a variety. But 
 growing in tbe woods, it is of the utmost importance that it 
 should not be confused with white forms of tbe poisonous Amait 
 itas which grow in similar localities, and which are easily sepa- 
 rated by reason of the persistently white color of their gills. 
 
 Tbe Flat-cap musbroom, Agaricus placomyces, is one of our 
 prettiest species. Its cap is ratber thin, at first convex, but when 
 fully expanded, it is quite flat. Its ground color is whitish or 
 grayish, but it is everywhere 
 adorned with very small dis- 
 tinct brown persistent scales, 
 except on tbe disk, where they 
 are so compacted as to give 
 that part a brown color. In 
 old age or in dried specimens, 
 tbe whole cap is apt to be- 
 come brown. Tbe gills, as in 
 several other species of tbis 
 genus, are at first white, then 
 pink, and finally blackish- 
 brown. Its stem is rather 
 long and slender, stuffed with 
 a cottony pith and bulbous at 
 the base. It is commonly 
 whitish, but sometimes bears 
 yellowish stains toward tbe 
 base. 
 
 It grows under trees or in 
 tbe borders of woods, and is 
 found in summer and aut- 
 
 Plat-Cap Mushroom. Two-thirds size. 
 
 31 
 
Timn. It is not plentiful here and I have never eaten it, but a 
 correspondent who has been more fortunate in finding it pro- 
 nounces it "very good eating." 
 
 The Wood mushroom, or Silvan mushroom, Agaricus silvati- 
 cus, is also a scarce species with us. It is similar in size 
 and shape to the Flat cap mushroom, but it is of a more brownish 
 color, with the cap more prominent in. the centre, and adorned 
 merely with fibrils or with a few obscure scales, which at length 
 disappear. Its gills also are pinMsh at first, and then blackish- 
 brown as in the other species. 
 
 It occurs in summer and autumn in woods as its name in- 
 dicates, but it is neither frequent nor abundant, and of but little 
 importance as an edible species. 
 
 The term "Brown mushrooms" has been applied indiscrimi- 
 nately by one Mrriter to such species as the Bleeding mushroom, 
 the Mat-cap mushroom and the Silvan mushroom. 
 
 vin. pueplish-beowj!^ ai^d black spoees. 
 
 The genus Hypholoma differs from Agaricus in having the 
 
 gills attached or grown fast to 
 the stem at their inner ex- 
 tremity and in having a stem 
 destitute of a collar. Its spe- 
 cies have not, previous to liis 
 time, been regarded as edible. 
 But one of my correspondents 
 has eaten freely and repeated- 
 ly of the Perplexing mush- 
 room, H. perplexum, and he 
 reports it has no bad taste 
 and produces no ill effects, 
 and on the strength of this it 
 is here admitted among the 
 edible species. 
 
 It usually grows in clusters 
 of few or many individuals, 
 
 Hypholoma perplexum, slightly reduced. OH Or about StumpS, Or at the 
 
 base of trees in woods or in 
 open places. It is found in autumn. The cap is from one tO' 
 
 32 
 
three inches broad, yellowish on the margin, and red or brown- 
 ish-red in the centre. The flesh is white, and has a mild taste. 
 The gills are at first pale yellow, but soon this color is tinged 
 with green, and when mature they are purplish-brown. The 
 stem is rather slender, commonly two to three or three and a half 
 inches long, and two to four lines thick. It is yellow above, but 
 naore or less reddish or rusty-red toward the base. It is distinctly 
 hollow, even in young specimens. The pores are purplish-brown, 
 and often they are produced in such quantity that the caps of the 
 lower specimens in a cluster are badly soiled and stained by 
 them. 
 
 This species is so closely related to the Brick-red mushroom, 
 H. suhlateritium, that by its external characters it is not easily 
 separated from it. Indeed, it is so closely allied to it that it may 
 easily be regarded as a mere variety of it. The typical form of 
 the Brick-red mushroom may be known by its bitter taste and its 
 stuffed stem. In color it is almost the same as the Perplexing 
 niushroom, except in its gills. Our species is also closely related 
 to the.Gray-gilled mushroom, H. epixanthum, and to the Tufted 
 Yellow mushroom, H. fasciculare. The perplexing thing about 
 it is that it combines the characters of these three species. It has 
 the cap colored like the Brick-red mushroom, it has the mild 
 taste of the Gray-gilled mushroom and the greenish tint to the 
 immature gills, which is seen in the Tufted Yellow mushroom. 
 It is very abundant in some hilly and mountainous districts, and 
 it continues to appear until its growth is stopped by cold, freez- 
 ing weather. 
 
 The genus Coprinus is one easily recognized. Many of the 
 species grow on dung, as the name implies, but some grow on 
 the groimd, and others on decaying wood. Most of the plants 
 are very short-lived, and some of them literally grow up in a 
 night and decay in a day. The gills in all of them deliquesce 
 when mature and form a black ink-like liquid which has sug- 
 gested for these plants the name 'Tnky fungi." The spores are 
 black, with few exceptions, and consequently the color of the 
 mature gills as well as of the liquid they form is black. Most of 
 the plants are of such small size, and of such an ephemeral exist- 
 ence, that they are of little value as food. Even the larger and 
 more durable kinds have very thin caps, and must be gathered 
 and cooked with promptitude. They should be used before the 
 gills turn black, or they will make a repulsive looking dish. 
 They are not generally credited with possessing a high flavor, 
 but they are among the most tender and digestible of all mush- 
 
 33 
 
rooms, and one correspondent affirms that tlieir flavor may be 
 greatly improved by cooking one or two caps of tbe common 
 mushroom with them. They are often utilized in the manufac- 
 ture of catsup. 
 
 Three species may be classed as edible. They are recogniza- 
 ble by the color of the caps. 
 
 Cap white or whitish, C. comatus. 
 
 Cap gray or grayish-brown, C. atramentarius. 
 
 Cap ochraceous or reddish-ochraceous, C. micaceus. 
 
 The Shaggy coprinus or "Maned agaric," Coprinus comatus, 
 has the cap, when young, oblong or cylindrical. It is then much 
 longer than broad, but it expands with age. Its general color is 
 
 white or whitish, but it is 
 adorned with fibrillose scales 
 which are slightly colored, 
 usually of a yellowish hue, 
 and at the top is a yellowish, 
 smooth surface, as if covered 
 with a cuticle. The gills are 
 at first very closely packed 
 side by side and white, but 
 with advancing age they sep- 
 arate and pinkish or pur- 
 plish tints appear, soon to 
 change to black. The st«m is 
 white and hollow. In the 
 young plant, it has a collar 
 close to the appressed margin 
 of the cap. It is slightly ad- 
 herent or movable, and has 
 generally disappeared by the 
 time the plant is mature. 
 The cap is one and a half to 
 three inches long before ex- 
 pansion, and the stem is three 
 to five inches long. The 
 plant is fragile and easily 
 broken. It grows in rich, 
 loose earth by roadsides, in 
 pastures or waste places, and 
 on dumping grounds about 
 cities. It appears in autimm and may sometimes be found quite 
 late in the season. 
 
 ''When young, it is very sapid and delicate;" "cooked quickly 
 
 34 
 
 Coprinus comatns^ two-tliirds size. 
 
in butter with pepper and salt it is excellent;" "edible, tender 
 and delicious;" "in flavor it resembles the Common mushroom, 
 to which it is quite equal, if not superior; it is clearly more di- 
 gestible and less likely to disagree with persons of delicate con- 
 stitutions," are opinions recorded in its favor. 
 
 The Inky coprinus, C. atramentarius, has a gray or grayish- 
 brown smooth cap, except that sometimes there is a slight scaly 
 appearance on its centre or disk. It is often irregular on the 
 margin. When young it is somewhat egg-shaped. The gOls are 
 at first crowded and whitish, or grayish, but they soon become 
 brown and begin to deliquesce. The stem is smooth, hollow and 
 white. It sometimes has a slight vestige of a collar near its base 
 when young, but all traces of it soon disappear. It grows in clus- 
 ters in gardens and waste places, appearing in autumn. The 
 black fluid of its dissolving gills has sometimes been employed as 
 a poor substitute for ink. 
 
 A form is often found in woods in the latter part of summer, 
 which is smaller, but more regular and beautiful than that grow- 
 ing in the open country. It is the "Wood variety, var. silvestris. 
 
 The Glistening coprinus, 
 C. micaceus, is a small, but 
 common and pretty species. 
 Its cap is thin, generally con- 
 ical or bell-shaped, and 
 marked with numerous stri- 
 ations, or parallel longitudi- 
 nal impressed lines which 
 extend from the margin half 
 way or more toward the top 
 or centre. The centre is even, 
 and often a little more highly 
 colored than the rest. In the 
 young plant, especially, the 
 cap is often sprinkled with 
 shining atoms, which have 
 suggested the name, but these 
 are not very noticeable, and 
 they are frequently absent. 
 The color is variable, and 
 ranges from buff to ochra- 
 ceous, reddish ochraceous, or 
 tawny yellow. It often be- 
 comes sordid or brownish in 
 old age, or in wet weather. 
 35 
 
 Coprinus inU'ai.H*»is, natural size. 
 
The gills are at first whitish, but thep become brown or black 
 with age. The stem is slender, hollow and white. The spores 
 are dark-brown, but not truly black, as ia the other species 
 mentioned above. The cap is commonly about one inch 
 broad — sometimes two; the stem is one to three inches long, 
 and scarcely thicker than a common pipestem. The plants 
 grow in clusters from decaying wood, or on the ground. When 
 they appear to gTOW from the ground, it is probable that some 
 decaying root or piece of wood lies buried beneath them. It may 
 often be found growing from the margin of sidewalks in our cit- 
 ies, where shade trees have been cut down. The decaying roots 
 or stumps of these trees afford a suitable habitat for this fungus, 
 and often successive crops appear at intervals in the same spot 
 from May to E^ovember. "Whenever the temperature and the de- 
 gree of moisture is suitable, they grow. Indeed, they are a kind 
 of barometer, and sometimes presage rain. I have repeatedly no- 
 ticed their yello-^vish clusters beginning to appear a day or two 
 before a rain-storm. If the weather is very warm and the air 
 dry, a cluster may be young and fresh in the morning, and old 
 and withered in the afternoon. 
 
 European writers do not class this among the edible species, 
 probably because of its small size. But it compensates in num- 
 bers for its lack of size, and it has the advantage of being easily 
 and frequently procurable. In tenderness and delicacy it does 
 not seem to me inferior to the shaggy coprinus, and it certainly 
 is harmless, for I have repeatedly eaten it with no ill results. 
 
 36 
 
IX.— OCHEAOEOUS AND PINK SPORES. 
 
 Of tlie species belonging to the section Ochrosporae, only two 
 or three have been tested by myself or my correspondents, and 
 although several others have been recorded as edible, it is my 
 purpose to describe those only that have been proved by us. 
 Edible species belonging to the genera Pholiota, Paxillus and 
 Cortinarius have been recorded. The few which we wiU notice 
 belong to Cortinarius. 
 
 I'his is a genus containing many species, of which several will 
 probably be found upon trial to be esculent. Eight have been 
 classed as edible in Europe, and three in the United States. The 
 species of Cortinarius are distinguished from other Agaricineae 
 by their rusty-ochraceous spores, and by the webby filaments 
 that stretch from the stem to the margin of the cap in the young 
 plant. These filaments disappear in the mature plant, and there- 
 fore the collar is absent from the stem in species of Cortinarius, 
 though sometimps a few filaments adhere to the stem, and by the 
 lodgment of the falling spores upon them, a rusty-brownish 
 stain is occasionally seen about the stem instead of a collar. The 
 mature gills in nearly or quite all the species are dusted bY, and 
 correspond to the spores in color, but in the young plants the 
 color is almost always quite different. It is, therefore, very im- 
 poitant to know the color of the gills in the yoxmg plant in order 
 to identify the species of this genus. The gills are attached to 
 the stem in all the species. 
 
 The Yiolet cortinarius, C. violaceus, is a beautiful mushroom, 
 and one of the most easily recognized species of the genus. The 
 whole plant, when young, is of a dark violaceous color without 
 and within. The cap is usually 
 well formed and beautifully 
 adorned with numerous minute 
 hairy tufts or scales. The gills 
 are at first of the same color, but 
 when old they become dusted 
 with the spores, and have their 
 color modified accordingly. The 
 stem is rather long and more or 
 less bulbous or thickened at the 
 base. The cap is generally two 
 to four inches broad, and the 
 
 37 
 
 Cortinarus violaceus. 
 
stem three to five inches long, and a haK inch or more thick. It 
 grows in woods in hilly or mountainous districts, and may be 
 found from July to September. It is solitary or scattered in its 
 mode of growth, and not very plentiful. It retains its color 
 somewhat when cooked, and in consequence, the dish of Violet 
 mushrooms is scarcely as attractive to the eyes as it is to the 
 palate. 
 
 The Smeared cortinarius, C. collinitus, is much more common 
 than the preceding species, and has a much "wider range. As its 
 name indicates, both cap and stem are covered with a viscid slime 
 or gluten, which makes it disagreeable, or at least unpleasant, to 
 handle. The cap is yellow, tawny-yellow, or somewhat ochra- 
 ceous in color, and when the gluten on it has dried, it is very 
 smooth and shining. The flesh is white or whitish. The gills 
 are at first of a grayish or bluish-white hue, sometimes called 
 clay-colored, but when mature they are rusty-ochraceous or cin- 
 namon color. The stem is straight, solid, cylindrical, and gen- 
 erally a little paler than the cap. "When the gluten on it dries, it 
 cracks transversely, giving the stem a peculiar, scaly appearance. 
 The plant is t^TO to five iaches high, with a cap commonly one 
 and a half to three inches broad. The stem is one-fourth to one- 
 half an inch thick. It grows in thin woods, copses and partly- 
 cleared lands, and may be found here from August to October. 
 It is well to peel the caps before cooking them. The gluten 
 often causes dirt and rubbish to adhere to them very tenaciously. 
 The Cinnamon cortinarius, C. cinnamomeus, is a smaller spe- 
 cies than either of the preceding, but much more plentiful. Its 
 cap is usually one to two inches broad, its stem one to three 
 
 inches long and about one- 
 fourth of an inch thick, or a 
 little less. Its cap may be con- 
 vex, plane, or furnished with 
 a central prominence or umbo. 
 
 When young, at least, it is 
 coated with silky or hairy 
 fibrils, and these sometimes 
 are distinctly visible even in 
 the mature plant. Its color is 
 quite variable, but always 
 
 Clitopllus prunulus ^ -, -, « -n • i i ■ 
 
 some shade of yellowish brown 
 or cinnamon. This has suggested the name. The flesh is yellow- 
 ish. The gills also are very variable in color, but in the young 
 plant they are some shade of yellow, tawny, or ochraceous, ex- 
 
 38 
 
 Cortinarius cinnamomeus. 
 
cept in the Half-red variety, Cortinarius cinnamomeus var. 
 semisanguineus, in wliicli they are of a dark blood-red color be- 
 fore tbe spores are developed. Tbe stem is rather slender^ 
 stuffed or hollow, fibrillose, and similar in color to the cap. 
 
 The plant grows in woods or along their borders, under trees, 
 or in mossy swamps. Like many flowering plants which have 
 a wide range and are not particular as to their habitat, this mush- 
 room is perplexing because of its variability; but the characters 
 given above will enable it to be recognized. It often emits a 
 slight odor of radishes. 
 
 The Ked-zoned cortinarius, Cortinarius armillatus, and the 
 Chestnut cortinarius, Cortinarius castaneus, are both considered 
 edible, and both occur in this country, but not having proved 
 them, descriptions will be omitted. For the same reason the In- 
 volute paxillus, Paxillus involutus, is omitted. To these we 
 might add also the Early or Spring pholiota, Pholiota praecox^ 
 the Scaly pholiota, Pholiota squamosa, and the Changeable pho- 
 liota, Pholiota mutahilis. 
 
 In the section Rhodosporae, sometimes called Hyporhodii, the 
 spores and the mature gills are rosy or pinkish-colored. Only ja 
 few species are known to be edible, and some are thought to be 
 injurious or unwholesome. Two species, belonging to the genus 
 Clitopilus, are here introduced. This genus is separated from 
 all others of this section by its fleshy stem, and by the peculiar 
 attachment of the gills to the stem. They are gradually nar- 
 rowed at their inner extremity and run down upon it. 
 
 The Plum clitopiliis or Plum mushroom, Clitopilus prunulus, 
 has a fleshy, compact, broadly convex, or nearly plane cap, 
 which is white or whitish, but sometimes a little clouded in the 
 centre, and often suffused with a kind of bloom which, from its 
 resemblance to. the bloom of a phmi, is supposed to have sug- 
 gested the name of the fungus. The margin of the cap is some- 
 times wavy or irregular. The gills are white when quite young, 
 but they soon assume a pinkish or salmon color, like that of the 
 spores. The stem is solid, white, and usually rather short. The 
 flesh is white, and the plant has a distinct farinaceous or meal- 
 like odor and taste. The cap is commonly two to three inches 
 broad, the stem one to three inches long, and a half inch or less 
 in thickness. 
 
 The plant is found in woods and open places in warm, wet 
 weather in July and August. Most writers speak very highly of 
 it as an esculent, and class it as one of the best and most delicious 
 
 39 
 
of muslirooins. Unfortunately it is not very common with. us. 
 
 The Sweetbread mushroom, C. orcella, is so closely related to 
 the Plum that some have thought it to be a mere variety of it. 
 It is similar in color, though -generally of purer white, a little 
 smaller and more irregular, and the flesh softer. In flavor and 
 odor they are the same. The Sweetbread mushroom often grows 
 in pastures and open places, and is to be sought in warm wet 
 weather in midsummer. 
 
 Eev. M. A. Curtis has recorded the Silky volvaria, V. honiby- 
 cina, as edible; also the Showy volvaria, V. speciosa. Both of 
 them are extremely rare in our country, and having had no op- 
 portunity to prove them, description mil be omitted. 
 
 I have eaten moderately of the Abortive mushroom, Olitopilus 
 ahortivus, without any ill results; but its flavor was not very 
 agreeable to me, and for this reason I forbear to reconimend it to 
 others. When fresh, it has the farinaceous odor characteristic 
 of many edible species, and perhaps greater care in the selection 
 of specimens and better cooking may make it more agreeable. 
 
 The Fawn-colored pluteus, P. cervinus, is said in the notes of 
 an enthusiastic mycophagist to be, when cooked "juicy, mild in 
 taste and as tender as egg-plant." This is a common species, 
 cleanly in its habits, growing on stumps and decaying wood 
 throughout the season and in many parts of the country. If it 
 shall prove to be a good mushroom, it vtIU be a valuable addition 
 to the list of pink-gilled edibles. 
 
 40 
 
X. EDIBLE AMANITAS AND AMANITOPSIS. 
 
 The Leucosporae, or white-spored agarics, include many gen- 
 era and many species that are edible. In a few instances the 
 spores have a dirty white or a pale yellow color, and in one case 
 a green color, but this is not an edible species. In another they 
 quickly assiune a pale lilac tint upon exposure to the air and light. 
 
 The esculent species are distributed in about a dozen genera, 
 and the following table may be of service in assigning each spe- 
 cies to its proper genus : 
 
 GENERA OF LEUCOSPOE^. 
 
 Plant with a membranous sheath at the base of the 
 
 stem, or with superficial warts on the cap, 1. 
 
 Plant destitute of sheath and superficial warts, 2. 
 
 1. Stem furnished with a collar, Amanita. 
 
 1. Stem destitute of a collar, Amanitopsis. 
 
 2. Gills narrow, with a blunt edge, Cantharellus. 
 
 2. Gills with an acute edge, ' 3. 
 
 3. Gills somewhat waxy in texture, Hygrophorus. 
 
 3. Gills not waxy in texture, 4. 
 
 4. Cap eccentrically or laterally attached to the stem, or 
 
 stemless, Pleurotus. 
 
 4. Cap centrally attached to the stem, 5. 
 
 5. Gills free from the stem, Lepiota. 
 
 5. Gills attached to the stem, 6. 
 
 6. Stem furnished with a collar, Armillaria. 
 
 6. Stem destitute of a collar, 7. 
 
 7. Stem firm but brittle (breaking squarely), 8. 
 
 7. Stem not brittle, 9. 
 
 8. Gills exuding a white or colored juice where 
 
 wounded, Lactarius, 
 
 8. Gills exuding no juice where wounded, Russula. 
 
 9. Dry plant reviving on the application of 
 
 moisture, Marasmius. 
 
 9. Plant putrescent, not reviving, 10. 
 
 10. Edge of the gills notched or excavated at the 
 
 stem, Tricholoma. 
 
 10. Edge of the gills even, gUls mostly decurrent, Clitocyie. 
 
 In the genus Amanita the young plant is enveloped in a mem- 
 
 41 
 
branous or tomentose wrapper, whicli is ruptured by the growth 
 of the plant. In some species the remains of the ruptured 
 wrapper or volva form a kind of cup or sheath about the base of 
 the stem of the extruded plant; in others a part of the wrapper is 
 carried up on the surface of the cap, and remains on it in small 
 irregular patches, or in the shape of numerous small warts or 
 prominences, which are easily separable from it. It thus some- 
 times happens that the warts are washed off by heavy rains. The 
 cap is regular, convex or quite flat when mature, and often a 
 little sticky when moist. The giUs are free from the stem, and 
 the stem is furnished with a collar. 
 
 Inasmuch as some of the most dangerously poisonous species 
 known belong to this genus, it is very important that the specific 
 characters of the edible ones should be clearly understood by 
 those, who would use them for food. Mistakes here are attended 
 with too much risk to be lightly made. And yet some of our 
 best mushrooms belong to this genus, and it is therefore unwise 
 to deprive ourselves of their use through lack of confidence in 
 our ability to recognize a good thing when we see it. 
 
 The Orange Amanita or Orange mushroom, Amanita caesarea, 
 is a large and attractive species. Its cap is at first commonly 
 bright-red or brownish-red, but with advancing age it fades to 
 yellow on the margin, and sometimes becomes entirely yellow. 
 
 The margin even in the 
 young plant, is marked by 
 distinct impressed parallel, 
 radiating lines or striations. 
 The flesh is white, tinged 
 with yellow just beneath 
 the separable epidermis, 
 and also close to the gills. 
 The gills are yellow, a very 
 good mark of distiaction in 
 this species. The spores, 
 however, are white. • The 
 stem is also yellow, as well 
 as its collar, but the distiactly membranous wrapper at its base is 
 white. The stem is either stuffed with a soft cottony pith or 
 hollow. The expanded cap is 3 to 6 inches or more broad, and 
 the stem 4 to 6 inches long and ^ inch or more thick. The plant 
 grows in woods and groves, or their borders, and may be found 
 during warm, showery weather from July to September. Some- 
 times it grows in arcs of large circles. 
 
 42 • 
 
 Amanita csesarea. A. rubescens. A. virginata' 
 
This mushroom has long been held in high estimation. Hav- 
 ing once graced the table of a Roman emperor, it received the 
 name Caesar's mushroom. One ancient writer terms it "Gibus 
 Deorum," the food of the gods. It has also received such names 
 as Imperial mushroom, True Orange, Tellow Egg andKaiserling. 
 All authors who have written of its esculent qualities agree in 
 calling it "delicious." Cordier says it is an exception to the 
 general rule which niakcs young plants better than matare ones, 
 implying that it is just as tender and good when old as it is when 
 young. 
 
 There is a poisonous species with which a careless person might 
 confuse it. I refer to the Fly amanita, Amanita muscaria, 
 which is sometimes called the False Orange. In size, shape and 
 color of the cap there is a similarity between them, but in other 
 res]iects the two are very different. They may be contrasted as 
 follows: 
 
 Orange ajsiantta, Edible. — Cap smooth, gills yellow, stem yel- 
 low, wrapper persistent, membranous white. 
 Fly amajStita, Poisonous. — Cap warty, gills white, stem white or 
 slightly yellowish, wrapper soon hreahing into fragments or 
 scales, white or vellowish. 
 While the Orange amanita is a king among mushrooms, and, 
 from its symmetrical form and bright colors is beautiful to be- 
 hold, the Reddish amanita, A. ruhescens, has a peculiarly sordid 
 and uninviting appearance because of its dingy colors. The 
 color of the cap is quite variable. It may be whitish tinged with 
 dull pink, or it may be grayish-red, or even brownish-red. 
 Sometimes the margin is paler than the centre, and again there 
 taiay be darker reddish stains in various places on it or on the 
 stem. The cap is usually warty, but the warts are easily remov- 
 able, and are sometimes washed off by heavy rains. The mar- 
 gin is generally even, but in mature plants it is sometimes marked 
 with slight striations. The flesh is white or slightly tinged with 
 red. "Wounds on any part of the plant sometimes slowly assume 
 a reddish color, but this is not a constant character. 
 
 The gills are whitish, sometimes marked with reddish stains or 
 spots in mature plants. They are mostly narrower toward the 
 stem than toward the margin. The stem is of a pale or whitish 
 color, and often bears dull, reddish stains or marks, especially 
 toward the base. It has a bulbous base, the bulb being some- 
 times abrupt and sometimes pointed below. It is commonly a 
 little scaly, branny or mealy in yowag and fresh plants, but fre- 
 quently smooth in mature or old ones. It is either stuffed or 
 
 43 
 
hollow. The collar is flabby, and often lacerated and imperfect. 
 The wrapper is very friable, and its remains at the base of the 
 stem are so evanescent that frequently no traces of it are seen. 
 Were there no warts on the cap, such specimens would scarcely 
 be thought to belong to the genus Amanita. 
 
 The cap is commonly three to five inches broad, and the stem 
 three to six inches long. This mushroom grows either in woods 
 or in open, grassy places, and occurs here from July to Septem- 
 ber. It has been regarded by some of the old writers as poison- 
 ous, suspected, or of doubtful quality, but more recent authors 
 agree in classing it among the edible species. Cordier says it is 
 one of the most delicate mushrooms; Cooke says it is a very com- 
 mon, safe and useful species, and Stevenson pronounces it de- 
 licious and perfectly wholesome and valuable on account of its 
 abundance. 
 
 In this country it is much more common than the Orange 
 mushroom. 
 
 If attention is given to its sordid colors, its reddish stains, and 
 the almost total absence of remains of the wrapper at the base of 
 the st«m, there need be no fear of confusing it with any poison- 
 ous species. 
 
 The Fir cone amanita, Amanita strobiliformis, sometimes 
 called the "^Warted mushroom," is a very large, heavy species, 
 whose cap is adorned with firm, persistent warts. It is some- 
 times found in the more southern States, and is considered an 
 excellent esculent species; but not having any acquaintance with 
 its edible qualities, it is dismissed from further consideration 
 here. 
 
 The genus Amanitopsis differs from Amanita, to which it was 
 formerly joined, chiefly in the absence of the collar from the 
 stem. We have a single edible species which is so variable in 
 color that its different forms have received several different 
 names. It is the Sheathed amanitopsis or Sheathed mushroom, 
 Amanitopsis vaginatus. 
 
 The cap is rather thin and fragile, convex or nearly flat when 
 mature, perfectly smooth, or rarely with one or two patches of 
 the ruptured wrapper stiU adhering to it, and distinctly marked 
 on the margin with deep striations, as in the Orange mushroom. 
 Its gills are narrowed toward the stem, but not attached to it. 
 They are white or whitish, generally a little more dingy in the 
 dark-colored variety. The stem also is white or dingy white, 
 and commonly sprinkled with minute mealy or branny particles 
 or flocculent scales, especially in the young, vigorous plant. It 
 
 44 
 
is either hollow or stuffed with a cottony pith. It is not bulbous, 
 but its base is sheathed with a soft, flabby membrane, the re- 
 mains of the wrapper. This is such a marked feature that it haa 
 given name to the plant. But this sheath adheres very slightly 
 to the base of the stem, and if the plant is carelessly pulled up, 
 it is left in the ground. The cap is 2 to 4 inches broad, and 
 sometimes has a small prominence or umbo in its centre. The 
 stejii is 3 to 5 inches long and 1-3 to 1-2 an inch thick. 
 
 Tiie plant grows singly or scattered either in woods or in open 
 places. A favorite place of growth is in the deep vegetable 
 mold or humus of dense damp evergreen woods of hilly and 
 mountainous districts. It sometimes grows on much decayed 
 wood. It occurs from June to October. 
 
 In the white variety, var. aJba, the whole plant is white. This 
 is A. nivalis Grev., and A. fungites, Batsch. 
 
 In the Livid variety, var. livida, the cap is of a livid or leaden- 
 brown color, and the gills and stem have a sHghtly dingy or 
 smoky tint. This is A. livida and A. spadicea Pers. 
 
 In the Tawny variety, var. fulva, the cap is tawny-yellow or 
 pale-ochraceous. This is A. fulva SchaefE. 
 
 The Sheathed mushroom is at once distinguished from the 
 knoAvn poisonous species of amanitas by the absence of a collar 
 and of a bulbous base from its stem. 
 
 Some of the older authors classed it among the doubtful or 
 suspected species, but it is now regarded as not only harmless 
 but edible. Stevenson says it is edible and of excellent flavor. 
 Cordier says of it, "A delicate food;" Plancheon, "Truly deli- 
 cate;" De Candolle, "Most delicious." Cooke gives preference 
 to the white forms, but says the mouse-colored forms are most 
 common. In our country also the white forms are scarce. My 
 own experience indicates that it is a fairly good mushroom, but 
 there are many others that I like better. 
 
 45 
 
XI. LEPIOTAS AND AKMILLAKIA. 
 
 The genus Lepiota agrees withtlie geneva Amanita and Aman- 
 itopsis in having the gills free from the stem, but it differs from 
 them ia having no distinct enveloping wrapper in the very young 
 plant, and consequently no warts on the cap and no sheathing 
 membrane or scales at the base of the stem. In some of the 
 species the epidermis of the cap breaks up into small fibrillose 
 fragments, so that the cap is scaly but not warty. 
 
 The Parasol mushroom or Tall lepiota, Lepiota procera, is a 
 conspicuous fungus, which grows in fields, pastures, waysides or 
 thin woods. Its cap, when very young, resembles an egg in 
 shape. It is covered with a reddish-bro'WTi epidermis, which 
 breaks up, with its expansion, into brownish spot-like scales. 
 
 These are closer to each other 
 near the centre, more distant 
 and sometimes wanting near 
 the margin of the cap. 
 The centre of the cap rises in 
 a prominent umbo, which re- 
 mains covered with the un- 
 broken epidermis, and is 
 therefore darker colored than 
 the rest of the cap, for the 
 space between the scales is 
 white or whitish, and of a 
 silky or fibrillose texture. 
 Generally the mature caj' is 
 broadly convex like an o]X'n 
 
 Lepiotaprocera.L.nauclnoides.Ai-niillariamellea. parasol, and this witll the 
 
 prominent umbo and the long slender stem so simulates an out- 
 spread parasol that it has given rise to the common name of the 
 fungus. The flesh is rather dry and somewhat tough, and of a 
 white color. The gills are also white or yellowish white, and 
 gradually narrowed toward the stem. They do not reach the 
 stem but leave an open space around it, so that it appears to be 
 inserted in a cavity or shallow basin in the lower surface of the 
 cap. The stem is very tall, straight or a little flexuous, swollen 
 or somewhat bulbous at the base, and often variegated by brown- 
 
 46 
 
ish spots or scales, but this is not a constant feature. It is either 
 hollow or stuffed with a webby pith. Its collar is thick and firm, 
 and soon becomes loose and movable on the stem. The stem is 
 5 to 10 inches long and only ^ an inch, or even less, in thickness. 
 The cap is commonly 3 to 6 inches broad. The plants usually 
 grow singly, but sometimes clusters of several are found. 
 
 The Parasol mushroom has been highly commended, and be- 
 longs among mushrooms of the first-class, both in size and qual- 
 ity. "One of the most delicate species, although the flesh is 
 slightly tough;" "almost the greatest, if not the greatest favorite 
 with the fungus-eaters;" "very delicate, of easy digestion and in 
 great demand" are some of the recorded utterances in its favor. 
 Unfortunately it is not very abundant. 
 
 There is no poisonous species with which it can be confused by 
 any intelligent observer. 
 
 There is a rare form in which the umbo and spots are much 
 plainer than usual, and the whole plant, except these, is white. 
 
 In some places a mushroom occurs which closely resembles the 
 Parasol mushroom, but it has no umbo and the cap has a more 
 shaggy appearance. This is probably the American form of the 
 Ragged mushroom, Lepiota rhacodes, a European species which 
 is also classed as edible, and which some recent authors regard as 
 a mere variety of the Parasol mushroom. 
 
 The smooth lepiota, Lepiota naucinoides, is about as large as 
 the common mushroom, generally very regular in shape and of a 
 clear white color, but sometimes there is a yellowish or even a 
 smoky or brownish tint on the disk of the cap. The cap is usu- 
 ally so smooth and even that the plant is appropriately called 
 the Smooth mushroom. Occasionally a slight mealiness or gran- 
 ular roughness develops in the centre of the cap, and still more 
 rarely the epidermis cracks in such a manner as to give the ap- 
 pearance of thick imbricating scales. The gills are white until 
 old age or dryness causes them to assume a smoky brownish hue, 
 with a slight pinkish tint added. In this condition the plant is 
 likely to be mistaken for the Chalky mushroom, Agaricus cre- 
 taceus, but if the color of the spores is noticed, there need be no 
 such mistake, for they are tvhUe in the Smooth mushroom, hrown 
 in the Chalky mushroom. But both species are edible, so that 
 such a mistake would not be serious in a physical point of view. 
 The stem is white, and generally it gradually becomes thicker 
 toward the base so that it may be said to have a bulbous base 
 gradually tapering into the stem above. It is hollow, but the 
 cavity often contains a delicate webby or cottony pith. The col- 
 
 47 
 
lar has a thick external edge, but its inner edge is so thin that it 
 sometimes breaks loose from the stem and becomes a movable 
 collar like that of the Parasol mushroom. 
 
 This species grows especially in grassy places, such as lawns 
 and pastures, but it is also found ia fields, by roadsides and even 
 in thin woods. It occurs from August to E'ovember. 
 
 The Smooth mushroom has a white and generally tender 
 flesh, and is scarcely inferior to the Common mushroom in edible 
 qualities. Some have thought its flavor less agreeable, but 
 others esteem it quite as good. One correspondent writes that 
 "it grows abundantly liere, and is one of our finest edible mush- 
 rooms. I have taught our people to eat it, and it is now highly 
 prized in this region." It is sometimes mistaken for the com- 
 mon mushroom, so close is the resemblance between the two in 
 ■habit, size and color, but the white gills of the one and the pink 
 giUs of the other should be sufficient to distinguish them before 
 maturity, and the hollow stem and thick-edged collar of the one 
 and the stuffed stem and thin collar of the other after 
 maturity. The dangerous Vernal amanita, Amanita verna, 
 need never be mistaken for either of these, if the fact is borne in 
 miud that its gills are ahoays white, that it has a tall stem with a 
 large abrupt bulb at its base margined above with themembranous 
 remains of ris wrapper. The Smooth mushroom scarcely differs 
 from the European Lepiota naucina, except in its smoother cap 
 and subelliptical spores; the European plant is described as having^ 
 globose spores. 
 
 The "Flaky lepiota," Lepiota excoriata, and the "Bossed 
 lepiota," Lepiota mastoides, have been recorded by Dr. Curtis 
 among the edible mushrooms of IlTorth Carolina. I have seen 
 neither of these species. 
 
 Morgan's lepiota, Lepiota morgani, a species which occurs in 
 some of the western States, which is very remarkable because of 
 its green spores, is to be regarded as an unwholesome species. 
 Eating it has been followed by severe sickness and vomiting. Its- 
 gills, which became green in the mature plant, separate it from 
 all other known species in this country. 
 
 The genus Armillaria commences a series of white-spored 
 agarics, ia which the gills are attached to the stem. In this 
 respect it differs from the preceding genera, and in its collar- 
 bearing stem it differs from those which follow. 
 
 We have a single very common and very variable edible spe- 
 cies. It is the Honey-colored mushroom, Armillaria mellea. 
 Because of its variability, it is not so easy to describe it as it is: 
 
 48 
 
to recognize it after its peculiar appearance is once known. Tlie 
 typical form lias the cap adorned with numeroiis minute tufts of 
 brown or blackish hairs or fibrils, which are often so crowded on 
 and near the centre as to give that part a darker hue than the 
 rest. Sometimes these fibrils are so dense and matted that they 
 give a woolly appearance to the surface of the cap, and in other 
 cases they are entirely wanting, and the cap is smooth. An 
 umbo is. occasionally present in the centre of the cap, and gen- 
 erally mature plants have the margin more or less striated. The 
 color varies from a pallid or whitish hue to a dark reddish-broAvn, 
 but the most common color is a brownish-yellow, that suggests 
 the name "honey-colored." The flesh is white or whitish, and 
 the taste in the raw state is rather harsh, acrid or unpleasant. 
 The gills are at first whitish, but they become more dingy with 
 age, and are then often spotted or stained with reddish-brown. 
 Sometimes they are slightly excavated or notched on the edge 
 just before reaching the stem; again they run evenly to it, and 
 often extend downwards a little on it — ^that is, they are 
 decurrent. They are sometimes dusted by the abundant 
 white spores. The stem also varies from pallid to brown. 
 It is usually more or less fibrillose or floccose, and often 
 shows a white or even an olive-green tomentum at its base. It 
 is stuffed or hollow. Its collar is either of a thick cottony tex- 
 ture or thin and membranous. Sometimes it is so thin, and even 
 webby, that it soon disappears. 
 
 The plants grow scattered or in gregarious groups or in clus- 
 ters. The latter is the most common method, and these clusters 
 are sometimes so large that a single tuft would nearly fill an 
 ordinary water-pail. Generally the cap is 1 to 6 inches broad, 
 and the stem 1 to 6 inches long and one-fourth to three-fourths 
 of an inch thick. This mushroom does not often appear in 
 abundance until near the end of summer or the beginning of 
 autunm, bxit specimens have occasionally been seen in June. 
 The tufted forms grow especially about stumps or on old decay- 
 ing prostrate trunks of trees. It seems to grow equally well in 
 woods and in open places. Monstrous forms sometimes occur, 
 and an abortive form, not distinguishable from the abortive form 
 of ClUopilus ahortivus, is sometimes found growing with well- 
 developed forms. These are whitish, somewhat globular, one 
 inch or more in -liamefer, with no definite dintinction of ct;p and 
 stem. The taste is farinaceous, and the edible qualities are quite 
 as good as in the normal form. 
 
 The following varieties may be noticed: 
 
 49 
 
Variety hdbosa has the stem bulbous. 
 
 Variety radicata has a root-like prolongation to the stem which 
 
 penetrates the groimd deeply. 
 Variety albida has the cap nearly white. 
 Variety obscura has the cap covered with numerous small black 
 
 Variety fiava has the cap pale yellow. 
 Variety glabra has the cap smooth. 
 
 Variety exannulata has the collar obsolete or wanting, and the 
 clustered stems generally tapering toward the base. 
 
 Authors do not agree concerning the edible qualities of this 
 mushroom. Formerly it was considered poisonous, but recent 
 writers admit it to be harmless, although some assert that it is of 
 inferior quality and flavor. 
 
 Cordier says that it is edible, and loses its acridity in cooking. 
 Others affirm that it is harmless, but that it does not entirely lose 
 its acridity in cooking. Vittadini says that it is preserved in 
 vinegar, salt and oil for winter use. Both he and Gillet say that 
 its disagreeable flavor disappears in cooking. Stevenson says it 
 is edible but tough. . Having eaten it repeatedly, and prepared 
 in different ways, without suffering any ill effects, save occasion- 
 ally a slight burning sensation in the throat, I have no hesitation 
 in classing it as a harmless and an edible species, but not of the 
 first quality. Only the caps of yotmg and tender plants should 
 be used. I do not know of any deleterious species for which it 
 is likely to be mistaken. 
 
 50 
 
Xn. THE TEIOHOLOMAS. 
 
 The genus Tricholoma is known by its stout, fleshy stem, des- 
 titute of a collar, and by its gills being attached to the stem, and 
 having a shallow excavation or notch in the edge at or near the 
 inner extremity. The species are numerous, and grow in woods 
 and in fields or open places. Opportunity has been afforded for 
 the trial of only a few of them. The following table may aid in 
 finding the description of the species here discussed: 
 
 Cap viscid, 1. 
 
 Cap not viscid, dry or moist, 2. 
 
 1. Cap yellowish, giUs yellow, T. equestre 
 
 1. Cap reddish-brown, gills not yellow, T. transmutans 
 
 2. Cap reddish-brown, gills when old more or 
 
 less spotted with dull red, T. imbricatum 
 
 2. Cap grayish-brown or blackish-brown, cov- 
 ered with hairy fibrils or scaly, T. terreum 
 
 2. Cap smooth, commonly grayish-violaceous, 
 
 T. personatum 
 The Equestrian tricholoma, Tricholoma equestre, is easily 
 recognized by its sticky viscid cap of a yellovdsh color, and by its 
 bright sulphur-colored or canary-yellow gills. The cap is firm 
 and smooth, or sometimes vpith a slightly scaly appearance ia the 
 centre, where it is also usually tinged with dingy reddish or red- 
 dish-brown hues, the yellow being more clear and distinct to- 
 ward the margin. The flesh is white, and has a farinaceous 
 taste, thoiigh no marked odor. The gills are a beautiful pale 
 yellow, and on this account they have suggested to an esteemed 
 correspondent the name "Canary mushroom," which he applies 
 to this species. They are closely placed side by side, and deeply 
 notched or rounded at the extremity next the stem. The stem 
 is short, stout and solid, and is either white or yellovsdsh. 
 
 The cap is two to four inches broad and is sometimes irregu- 
 lar, the margin being wavy or some parts more elevated than 
 others. The stem is commonly one to two inches long and one- 
 third to two-thirds of an inch thick. With us it is more often 
 white than yellow. The Equestrian mushroom or "Eir-tree 
 tricholoma," as it has been called by one writer, grows in or near 
 pine woods and groves. It is especially to be found among 
 
 51 
 
scattered young pines, often called "second growth" pine, or 
 "pine thickets," where it has a fair supply of sunlight. It ap- 
 pears in autumn, and in the more southern States continues 
 through December. 
 
 It has not before been classed among the edible species, but at 
 least two of my correspondents have eaten it freely, and one of 
 them says that he and his family regard it as the best of two or 
 three kinds that they have been in the habit of eating. I iiiere- 
 fore confidently add it to the list of edible species. 
 
 From the Sulphur tricholoma, Tricholoma sulphureum, 
 which has been suspected of being dangerous or unwholesome, 
 and which is wholly of a sulphury yellow color, our plant is 
 
 easily separated by its viscid 
 cap, closer gills and paler 
 solid stem, for the cap of the 
 sulphury mushroom is not vis- 
 cid, its gills are wide apart, its 
 stem is stuffed or hollow, and 
 of a sulphur - yellow color, 
 and besides, the plant has a 
 strong disagreeable odor. 
 
 The Changing tricholoma, 
 Tricholoma transmutans, has 
 the cap viscid or sticky on 
 the surface when moist. It 
 is at first tawny-red, but be- 
 comes reddish-brown with ad- 
 vancing age, sometimes retaining the paler hue on the margin 
 longer than in the centre. The flesh is white and has a decided 
 farinaceous odor and taste. The gills are closely placed, notched 
 at their inner extremity, as is usual in all species of this genus, at 
 first whitish or yellowish white, but becoming dingy with age 
 and usiially exhibiting reddish-brown spots or stains. The stem 
 is almost as long as the diameter of the cap, but in exceptional 
 cases it may be much shorter. It is paler than the cap, becom- 
 ing darlcer when old than it was when yoimg. It is stufEed or 
 hollow. The cap is two to four inches broad, the stem two to 
 four inches long and usually about half an inch thick. 
 
 The Changing mushroom grows in woods and in open places, 
 either singly or in tufts. "When it grows in tufts the caps are 
 often irregular because of crowding upon or against each other. 
 It is a rather late growing species, appearing in wet weather 
 from August to October in this latitude. It is a good acquisition 
 to our food supplv. 
 
 52 
 
 Tricholoma equcstve. T. transmutans. 
 
The Imbricated tricholoma, Tricholoma imbricatum, closely 
 resembles the Changdug tricholoma in size, color and taste. It 
 is, however, easily separated by its dry cap and solid stem. Its 
 cap is reddish-brown or cinnamon-brown and its surface often 
 presents a somewhat scaly appearance because the epidermis be- 
 comes lacerated or torn into small irregular fragments which ad- 
 here and seem to overlap like shingles on a roof. The flesh is 
 firm, white or whitish and has a farinaceous taste and odor. 
 
 The gills scarcely differ in color and character from those of 
 the preceding species, and the stem is colored nearly like the cap 
 but usually is a little paler. Wben old it is sometimes hollow 
 from the erosion of insects whose larvae are fond of the flesh. 
 
 The Imbricated mushroom grows under or near coniferous 
 trees and appears in autumn. It is sometimes associated with 
 the Changing mushroom, and also with the very similar Vaccine 
 tricholoma, Tricholoma vaccinum, and it. has the same habit of 
 growth as these. All of them often grow in close clusters or 
 tufts. The Vaccine mushroom is separated from the Imbricated 
 mushroom in haA'ing the margin of the cap, when young, cov- 
 ered vvith a soft downy or cottony coat, the stem hollow and the 
 taste bitter and unpleasant. Still it is recorded as edible by Gil- 
 let, so that if it should be confused with either of the two forego- 
 ing species probably no serious harm would result. The good 
 flavor of the others might be impaired by the inferior flavor of 
 this one. 
 
 The Gray tricholoma, Tricholoma terreum, is an exceedingly 
 variable species, both in size and color. The cap is dry and 
 clothed with hairs or fibrils which are often collected in small 
 tufts or scales. When expanded it is nearly flat, but in many 
 cases it has a small central prominence or umbo. Its color va- 
 ries in different plants from gray to blackish-brown. In one lo- 
 cality the dark colored forms have received the name 'Tslack- 
 eap" mushroom. The flesh is thin toward the margin and usual- 
 ly dingy or grayish-white. Its taste in most cases is farinaceous, 
 but this is not a uniform character in all the forms. The gills 
 are broad, rather wide apart, usually rounded behind, that is, 
 next the stem, of a dingy white or grayish color, and often 
 eroded or uneven on the edge. The stem is whitish, or at least 
 paler than the cap, and is stuffed or hollow. 
 
 The cap is one to three inches broad, and the stem one .to 
 three inches long and one-sixth to one-half an inch thick. The 
 plant appears in autumn, and in some of the southern States 
 may be found as late as December or even January. It grows in 
 
 53 
 
woods, and especially pine woods, also in open places. It lias 
 not been classed among the edible species by European writers, 
 but it bas been repeatedly eaten in this country, and I myself 
 have partaken of it. It is not very attractive in flavor, and prob- 
 ably should be classed as a second or third rate mushroom, but it 
 is better than none and is described here for the benefit of those 
 who are not particular about the flavor, and who may not always 
 be able to get better ones. 
 
 The Masked tricholoma, Tricholoma personatum, on the other 
 hand, is one of the best flavored mushrooms, and fortunately 
 has a wide range, and is sometimes found in considerable abun- 
 dance. "^Tien young the cap is very convex and firm with the 
 margin minutely downy or sprinkled with a slight mealiness and 
 incurved. In the raatiu'e plant it is softer, broadly convex or 
 nearly plane with the thin margin spreading and naked. In 
 
 very wet weather it is apt to 
 be water-soaked and to have 
 the margin wavy, or even 
 turned upwards, giving the 
 cap a sort of cup-shape. 
 Usually it is pale lilac when 
 young, changing with age to 
 tawny or rusty hues, especial- 
 ly in the centre. Sometimes 
 
 Tricholoma personatum. Clltocybe media. the Cap is wMtish Or gray Or 
 
 pale ^dolaceous. Its flesh when dry is whitish, and has an agree- 
 able, pleasant flavor. 
 
 The gills are closely placed, rounded next the stem, more nar- 
 row toward the margin of the cap, and of a pale but undecided 
 color, often with a faint shade of lilac or violet, especially when 
 young. 
 
 The stem is rather short and stout, solid, adorned with incon- 
 spicuous fibrils and downy or mealy particles when young and 
 fresh, but becoming smooth with maturity. It is often slightly 
 thickened at the base, and in variety hulbosum it is distinctly 
 bulbous. Its color is similar to that of the cap, but usually a 
 little paler. 
 
 ■ The cap is 2 to 5 inches broad, and the stem 1 to 3 inches 
 long and generally ^ to f of an inch thick. Usually it grows 
 singly or in groups, but occasionally in clusters of several indi- 
 viduals. It occurs in autumn, sometimes continuing very late in 
 the season, and should be sought in thin woods and open bushy 
 places. 
 
 IN^early all writers on this subject speak well of its edible qual- 
 
 54 
 
ities, and my own experience confirms their estimate, and leads 
 me to consider it a first-class muskroom. 
 
 I do not know of any dangerous species witli whicli it can be 
 compared, but there are other species that resemble it somewhat 
 in color. Its spores are not a pure white, but rather whitish or 
 dirty white in color. The gUls are separable from the cap, espe- 
 cially toward the stem. In England the plant has received the 
 common name "Blewits," and in France, "Blue-stem," though 
 its color can scarcely be called blue. 
 
 Its smooth, almost shining, unbroken and unadorned epider- 
 mis, and its peculiar lilac tints distinguish it from all other spe- 
 cies of the Tricholoma here described. 
 
 55 
 
Xin. THE OLITOCYBES .OTD OOLLTBIA. 
 
 The genus Clitocybe has the gills attached to the stem, as in 
 Tricholoma, but they are not rounded or notched on the edge 
 next the stem. They are imited to the stem by their whole 
 width, and usually they are prolonged downward on the stem, or 
 in other words are decurrent. This is the principal character by 
 which they are separated from the genus Tricholoma. 
 
 More than twenty species of this genus have been classed as 
 edible, but it has been permitted us to test but a few of them. 
 Those here noticed may be tabulated as follows: 
 
 Cap thick-fleshed or broadly obconic, 1. 
 
 Cap not thick-fleshed or not obconic, 2. 
 
 1. Cap grayish, gills close together, C. nehularis. 
 
 1. Cap brown or blackish-brown, gills not close, C. media. 
 
 2. Cap rather thin, funnel-shaped when ma- 
 ture, C. infundibuUformis. 
 
 2. Cap thin, convex or plane, C. laccata. 
 
 The Clouded clitocybe, Clitocybe nehularis, 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 ta- 
 pers 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. 
 
 Still more rare is the Intermediate clitocybe, Clitocybe Media. 
 This species grows among moss in dense woods in cool mountain- 
 ous places. Its cap is grayish-brown or blackish-brown, being 
 generally darker-colored than that of the Clouded mushroom. 
 Its flesh is white and mild in taste. The gUls are whitish, wide 
 apart, and have little transverse ridges or veins in the spaces be- 
 
 56 
 
tween tiem. The stem is short and not at all or but slightly thick- 
 ened at the base. It is a little paler than the cap. The species 
 may be distinguished from the Clouded mushroom by its darker 
 cap, its less tapering stem, and especially by its gills having wider 
 and veiny interspaces between them. From the Club foot clito- 
 cybe, Clitocybe clavipes, it differs but slightly. Its flesh is less 
 soft and spongy, its cap less narrowly obconic, and its stem 
 . shorter and more cylindrical. To my taste it has an excellent 
 flavor, and I could wish it more abundant. It has been found 
 in autumn only. 
 
 The Funnel-form clitocybe, Clitocybe infundihuliformis, 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 of- 
 ten adorned with a slight um- 
 bo in its centre. As it ma- 
 tures the margin becomes el- 
 evated 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 two to three 
 inches broad, the stem one and a half to three inches long and 
 one-fourth to one-half an inch 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 cot- 
 tony mycelium at the base of the stem. When it grows in clus- 
 ters the caps are apt to be irregular because of mutual pressure. 
 
 The Laccate or Waxy clitocybe, Clitocybe laccata, is a small 
 species, one of our most common and variable, yet one most easily 
 recognized when its distinguishing characters are known. It is 
 a second or third-rate mushroom, thin in flesh, not highly fla- 
 vored and apt to be tough, but because it is classed as edible and 
 
 57 
 
 Clitocybe infundibiimormis. 0. laccata. 
 
because it is common and often even abundant it is described for 
 the benefit of those who may desire to use it. 
 
 Its cap is very thin, convex or nearly plain, smooth or with a 
 slight scurfy roughness, sometimes with a small central depres- 
 sion or umbilicus, and when moist with a water-soaked appear- 
 ance, by the drying out of which moisture the color fades very 
 decidedly. When moist the color is a peculiar buff-red, dull red 
 or flesh-red, but when dry it assumes a kind of grayish or pale . 
 ochraceous hue. The gills are broad, rather wide apart and at- 
 tached to the stem by their entire width. Sometimes they run 
 downwards a little on the stem and occasionally they have the 
 edge slightly excavated next the stem, contrary to the rule in this 
 genus. They have a peculiar pale flesh-color which is more per- 
 sistent than the color of the cap, and which is one of the most 
 characteristic features of the species. They are apt to become 
 dusted with the white spores when mature. The stem is rather 
 long and slender, having a fibrous appearance externally and be- 
 ing stuffed or almost hollow within. There are many varieties. 
 In one, the moist cap is much darker than in the typical form, 
 and when dry much paler, but the gills have a beautiful deep 
 violaceous and quite persistent color. This has been called va- 
 riety amethystina. In another the gills are unusually pale, fad- 
 ing almost to whitish. This is variety pallidifolia. In a small 
 form growing in wet or damp places the moist cap is smooth and 
 so thin that it shows shadowy radiating lines extending from near 
 the centre to the margin. This is variety striatula. 
 
 As usual, such a variable species is not at all particular as to 
 its place of growth, but may be found in woods, swamps or fields, 
 growing on naked soil or amoug grass, mosses or fallen leaves. 
 It is especially fond of growing in pine woods or groves. It may 
 be found from the beginning to the end of the season if the 
 weather is not too dry. It usually grows in groups or flocks and 
 makes up in numbers what it lacks in size. The cap varies from 
 half an inch to two inches broad, the stem from one to three 
 inches long and one to three lines thick. 
 
 There is a closely related but much larger mushroom, Clitocyhe 
 ochropurpurea, in which the cap is generally paler and the gills 
 brighter in color, having a purplish tint. It has a comparatively 
 shorter and thicker stem and the whole plant is apt to be more 
 irregular and deformed and the gills transversely torn. This is 
 not known to be edible. 
 
 The Rooting mushroom, Co%6ia radicato, belongs to a closely 
 related genus of white-spored agarics and is recorded as edible, 
 
 58 
 
but I have not tried it. It is easily triowii by the root-like pro- 
 longation of the stem which penetrates the earth deeply like a 
 tap-root, and which suggests the name of the fungus. The cap 
 is thin, viscid when moist, grayish-brown, and often a little 
 wrinkled or corrugated on its surface. Its gUls are white, broad, 
 not close and have the edge excavated near the stem as in Tricho- 
 loma. The stem is slender, tapering upward, and hollow. The 
 plant is common in thin woods and under trees in summer and 
 autimm. 
 
 XIV. PLEUROTUS— HYGKOPHOEUS— 
 LACTAEIUS. 
 
 The genus Pleurotus differs from all that have preceded ia 
 having the cap attached to the stem eccentrically or laterally, or 
 in being entirely destitute of a stem. In the other genera no- 
 ticed, the cap is attached to the stem by the central part of the 
 lower surface. In this genus the gills in some species are notched 
 as in Tricholoma, in others they are adnate or decurrent as in 
 CUtocyhe. Besides, nearly all the species (all here discussed) 
 grow on dead or decaying wood. They are more tough in tex- 
 ture than those growing on the ground, and are therefore less 
 desirable for food. Still they may be utilized ia making soups, 
 or in giving flavor to other more tender but less sapid species. 
 
 The Elm pleurotus, Pleurotus ulmarius, takes its name from 
 its habit of growing on elm trees. It appears in autirnm, and 
 often may be found, even in the beginning of winter, standing 
 
 out as a conspicuous white ob- 
 ject from dead places in the 
 trimks of elm trees or from 
 the cut surface of their 
 branches. Even the shade 
 trees of the streets of our cities 
 sometimes produce a crop of 
 the elm-tree mushroom. Its 
 cap is large, thick and firm, 
 smooth, broadly convex or 
 
 Pleurotus nlmarlus. P. sapidus i ij . i i •■ i .. 
 
 nearly flat, and white or whit- 
 ish with the centre generally stained with rusty or dull yellowish 
 hues. Sometimes the epidermis cracks in areas, giving the sur- 
 
 59 
 
face a tessellated appearance or in longitudinal cracks extending 
 from the centre toward the margin. The flesh is firm and white. 
 The gills are white or yellowish-white, broad, rounded or notched 
 next the stem, and not very closely placed. The stem is firm, sol- 
 id, smooth or a little hairy at the base, white or whitish, and at- 
 tached eccentrically to the cap. It is often curved, especially 
 when growing from the side of a trunk or branch. 
 
 The cap is three to five inches broad, the stem two to four 
 inches long and one-half to three-fourths of an inch thick. It is 
 not limited in its place of growth to elm trees, but sometimes oc- 
 curs on maple and poplar trees also. It is sometimes difficult to 
 collect because of its growing high above the ground. Its late 
 gro^rth seems to make it comparatively free from the attacks of 
 insects. Most tree-inhabiting species are quite slow in their 
 growth, and the longer they are in developing, the tougher their 
 substance and the slower their decay as a rule. Such species may 
 be easily dried and preserved for winter use. Dr. Cooke men- 
 tions this mushroom as an old favorite and the best of all this 
 gToup of tree inhabiting species. He mentions one specimen 
 which was so large that it furnished a meal for three or four per- 
 sons. Quelet says it is sapid, but should be eaten while young. 
 This seems to me to be good advice in regard to all the tree-inhq,b- 
 iting mushrooms. 
 
 The Sapid pleurotus, Pleurotus sapidus, generally grows in 
 clusters whose stems are more or less united at the base. The 
 caps crowd and overlap each other, and are often very irregular. 
 They are smooth and vary much in color, being whitish, yellow- 
 ish, ash-gray, dull-lilac or brownish. The flesh is white. The 
 gills are white or whitish, rather broad, and run down on the 
 stem, and there are slightly connected with each other by a few 
 oblique or transverse branches. The stem is generally short, sol- 
 id and white or whitish, and either laterally or eccentrically con- 
 nected with the cap. Yery rarely specimens of this and of the 
 £lm-tree mushroom may be found having a central stem. 
 
 Although this belongs to the white-spored species in a syste- 
 matic classification, its spores really exhibit a pale lilac tint after 
 a short exposure to the air. In size it varies, the cap being coitt- 
 monly two to five inches broad, and the stem one to two inches 
 long. It grows in woods and open places as well, and may be 
 found in wet weather from June to November. It grows on 
 trunks and stumps of various kinds of deciduous trees, such as 
 elm, oak, beech, birch, maple and horsechestnut. In edible qual- 
 ities it appears to me to rank with the Oyster mushroom. Ac- 
 
 60 
 
Pleurotus ostreatws. Hygropliorus miniatus. 
 
 cording to Kalchbrenner, it is eagerly souglit for food in the 
 woods of Hungary, and is also cultivated on pieces of elm trunks 
 in gardens. 
 
 The Oyster mushroom, or Oyster pleurotus, Pleurotus os- 
 tt-eatus, probably takes its name from some fancied resemblance 
 between the shape of its cap and that of an oyster shell, rather 
 
 than from any similarity -be- 
 tween its flavor and that of 
 an oyster. It is closely al- 
 lied to the Sapid mushroom,- 
 has the same colors, though 
 with us it is usually white or 
 merely shaded with yellow, 
 and about the same size and 
 taste. It differs pidncipally 
 in having no stem at all, or 
 only a very short lateral or 
 eccentric one. It grows in 
 clusters, one plant arranged 
 above another on the sides of dead tnmks of standing trees. Its 
 gUls are white or yellowish-white and reticulately connected 
 where they run down on the short stem, or at their inner extremi- 
 ty. It is commonly found in autumn, but it may occur also in 
 summer during wet or showery weather. It has long been classed 
 as esculent, but on account of the toughness of the flesh and lack 
 of flavor, it can scarcely be placed among the mushrooms of first 
 quality. Cooke says it should be slowly and carefully cooked, 
 and French writers recommend it only while yet young and ten- 
 der. For culinary use it is scarcely worth while to keep the Oys- 
 ter mushroom and the Sapid mushroom apart. 
 
 The genus Hygropliorus is chiefly distinguished by the charac- 
 ter of the gills. These are usually rather thick, wide apart and 
 of a somewhat soft waxy texture. In some species they are simi- 
 lar to the gills of Tricholoma in their attachment to the stem; in 
 others, they run down on the stem as in the genus Clitocybe, and 
 such species bear so close a resemblance to species of Glitocybe 
 that they were formerly associated with them. Many of them 
 have both cap and stem very viscid or glutinous, a character not 
 found in any of our clitocybes. !N"o dangerous species are known, 
 but one or two have been suspected of being at least unwhole- 
 We have several species that have been placed in the 
 
 some. 
 
 edible list; for example, the Ivory hygrophorus, Hygrophorus 
 ehurneus, the Meadow hygrophorus, Hygrophorus pratensis, and 
 
 61 
 
the Yirgin hygrophorus, Hygrophorus virgineus, but inasmucli 
 as I liave not tried them, a single species, the Vermilion hygro- 
 phorus, Hygrophorus miniatus, will here be described. 
 
 It is a small but common species, highly colored and very at- 
 tractive. The cap is at first convex, but when fully expanded, it 
 is nearly or quite flat, and in wet weather it even becomes concave 
 by the elevation of the margin. It is thin and fragile and its sur- 
 face is sometimes smooth and shining and in other cases it is 
 roughened as if by numerous scurfy erect scales as in the Laccate 
 mushroom. Its color varies from bright vermilion or blood-red to 
 paler orange hues, and in variety lutescens it is wholly yellow. 
 
 The gills are yellow, but often shaded with red. They are gen- 
 erally attached to the stem by their entire width at the inner ex- 
 tremity, but specimens sometimes occur in which they are 
 notched near the stem or even slightly decurrent on it. 
 
 The stem is usually short and slender^ colored like or a little 
 paler than the cap and solid when young, biit becoming stuffed or 
 hollow with age. 
 
 The cap varies from half an inch to three inches broad; the 
 stem is one to two inches long and commonly one to two lines 
 thick. 
 
 The Vermilion mushroom grows both in woods and in the 
 open country, on naked soil or among mosses and fallen leaves. 
 It is sometimes found growing in the sphagnum of peat marshes, 
 and as a rule it is more plentiful in wet weather than in dry. It 
 especially delights in cool mountainous or hilly districts, and in 
 recently burned clearings lq such localities. A favorite place of 
 growth also is under a dense luxuriant growth of brakes in the 
 vicinity of mountain forests. In such places it often attains a 
 much larger size than elsewhere. It grows either singly or in 
 groups, occasionally in clusters, and may be found through sum- 
 mer and autumn. In favorable localities it is not difficult to find 
 it sufficiently abundant to furnish a generous supply for the table 
 notwithstanding its small size. It is scarcely surpassed by any 
 mushroom in tenderness of substance and agreeableness of flavor. 
 Two or three other species of Hygrophorus have red caps, but 
 two of them, Hygrophorus coccineus and H. puniceus, are classed 
 as edible, and no harm would come of confusing them with the 
 Vermilion mushroom. Their viscid caps, however, would dis- 
 tinguish them. The Chantarelle hygrophorus, Hygrophorus 
 cantharellus, is colored almost exactly like the Vermilion hygro- 
 phoms, but it is a smaller plant with a longer stem and gills that 
 ran down on the stem very decidedly. Its taste to me is very 
 disagreeable. 
 
 62 
 
In species ttat belong to the genus Lactarius, the gills exude 
 drops of a milky or colored juice wliere cut or broken. In most 
 species this juice exudes from any part of the plant, but most 
 freely, perhaps, from the gills. This character, combined with 
 the brittle vescicular substance, is sufficient to separate these fun- 
 gi from all others. The stems, though thick and stout, are easily 
 broken, and the fracture is even, not ragged and shreddy, as ia a 
 more fibrous substance. In shape and size the species bear con- 
 siderable resemblance to species of Clitocybe, but the flesh, juice, 
 and often the markings of the cap, easily distiaguish them. 
 
 Many species have a very acrid or hot and burning flavor like 
 that of cayenne pepper. Some writers have recommended the re- 
 jection of all such species, and it is a very good rule to observe. 
 The only objection to it is that its observance would deprive us 
 of the use of a few of these species in which the acrid taste is de- 
 stroyed by cooking. Dr. Curtis records the Unsavory lactarius, 
 Lactarius insulsus, and the Peppery lactarius, Lactarius pipera- 
 tus, as edible, though both, when fresh, have a very acrid taste. 
 
 The two species here described have been long and well known 
 as safe and edible. One has an orange-colored juice, the other a 
 white or milky juice. 
 
 The Delicious lactarius, Lactarius deliciosus, is well marked 
 by its peculiar colors, and easily distinguished from all others by 
 its orange-colored juice. The cap is broadly convex in the young 
 
 plant, but in maturity it is 
 centrally depressed, or, by 
 the elevation of the margin, 
 it becomes funnel-shaped. It 
 is smooth and moist, or very 
 slightly viscid, and of a yel- 
 lowish or pale orange hue, 
 and adorned with circles or 
 mottled zones of deeper 
 hues. These zones or bands 
 appear to be made of conflu- 
 ent spots. In old plants they 
 are less distinct, and the general color becomes faded, and often 
 varied with greenish stains. Such plants are unattractive, often 
 wormy and unfit for food. The flesh is whitish, stained with or- 
 ange, especially in the part next the gUls. Its taste is often very 
 slightly acrid. 
 
 The gills are orange-colored, but clearer than the cap. The 
 orange juice exudes freely from them where cut or broken. It 
 
 63 
 
 Lactarius deliciosus. L. volemus. 
 
also exists in other parts of tlie plant. Wounded places slowly as- 
 sume a greenish hue. 
 
 The stem is colored Hke, or a little paler, than the cap. It ia 
 usually adorned with a few spots of a deeper orange. It is short 
 when the plant grows on naked ground, longer if among moss or 
 leaves. It is generally hollow, especially in mature plants. 
 
 The cap is two .to five inches broad, the stem one to four 
 inches long, and one-third to two-thirds of an inch thick. 
 
 The Delicious lactarius grows in woods, groves and mossy 
 swamps. It is especially fond of pine woods and wet, mossy 
 swamps. It may sometimes be found in swamps when dry 
 weather prevents its growth elsewhere. It occurs from July to 
 October. 
 
 It has been abundantly praised by writers on edible mush- 
 rooms, most of whom place it among the best. Gillet says, "it is 
 edible, but not as good as its name seems to indicate." Smith 
 says, "it is the most delicious mushroom known." My own expe- 
 rience with it leads me to class it as a very good mushroom, but. 
 not equal to the best. It is thought by some that too long and 
 rapid cooking spoils its delicacy and makes it tough. From the 
 color of its juice it is sometimes called the Orange-milk mush- 
 room. 
 
 The Orange-brown lactarius, Lactarius volemus, is about the 
 same in size and shape as the preceding species, but in other re- 
 spects, it is very different. Its cap is smooth and uniformly col- 
 ored, but its color is a peculiar one, apparently a mixture of red, 
 broAvn and yellow, which has been described as reddish-tawny, 
 golden-tawny, brownish-orange, and orange-brown. The color 
 varies slightly in shade, but not in character. Sometimes the cap 
 has a slight umbo iii the centre, and occasionally the epidermis 
 cracks in areas, showing the whitish flesh in chinks. In variety 
 subrugosus, the margin of the cap is rough, with reticulating 
 wrinkles or corrugations. 
 
 The gills are white or yellowish white, and where cut or brok- 
 en, exude drops of a white, milky juice. Bruises on them soon 
 assume a broAAmish hue. 
 
 The stem is colored like the cap, but usually a little paler. It 
 is smooth, firm, and commonly solid. 
 
 The Orange-brown mushroom grows in woods and in open 
 places. It is especially abundant in thin woods of oak and chest- 
 nut, in warm, wet weather, and may be found from July to Sep- 
 tember. It is quite free from the attacks of insects, but if kept 
 too long before cooking, it is apt to emit a strong, unpleasant 
 
 64 
 
odor. In tlie raw state it has a slightly harsh or astringent flavor, 
 but all ■writers agTee in classing it among the edible species. It 
 has not the hot, biting flavor of the truly acrid species, and cannot 
 be easUy mistaken for any objectionable species. To my taste it 
 is not high-flavored, but fairly good. 
 
 XV. RUSSULAS, FAIEY-EING MUSHROOMS, OHAN- 
 TARELLES AND YISCID BOLETI. 
 
 In the genus Russula, the species are similar in size, shape and 
 substance to those of the gentis Lactarius, but the plants exude 
 no milky or colored juice from wounds. The cap is often red, 
 purple or rosy hued, a circumstance that seems to have suggested 
 the generic name. The colored zones often seen on the cap in 
 species of Lactarius are strangely absent in this genus. The ac- 
 rid and mild flavors observed there are present here, and may be 
 employed as a test of desirability. The species in many instances 
 
 are difficult of separation in 
 consequence of similarity and 
 ^--<7~^*''"~'w variability in coloring. "We 
 l^agm^^^ will introduce but a single ed- 
 ible species, although several 
 occur within our territory. 
 ' The Greenish russula, Bus- 
 sula virescens, is easily known 
 from all others by its greenish 
 or grayish-green warty cap. 
 Green is a rare color among 
 miishrooms, and when it does 
 occur, it is not the clear green of flowering plants, but a dull, me- 
 tallic green or grayish-green. In our plant the surface of the cap 
 is dry, not viscid as in some related species, and is broken up into 
 small warts. The gills are white or whitish, and gradually nar- 
 rowed toward the stem. This is commonly shorter than the 
 diameter of the cap, white and solid, or merely spongy in texture 
 in the centre. The flesh is white and taste mild. The cap is two 
 to four inches broad, the stem one to two inches long and half an 
 inch or more thick. 
 
 The Greenish mushroom grows in thin woods or groves, or in 
 
 KiisBula virescens. Marasmius oreades. 
 
 65 
 
grassy grounds, and is cliiefly found in wet or showery weather 
 during July and August. 
 
 It is highly praised as an edible mushroom by some writers, 
 but to me it is scarcely more than second quality. 
 
 The genus Marasmius is known from all preceding genera of 
 white-spored Agaricineae by the tough texture of the small, thin 
 plants that compose it. They quickly dry or wither, but revive 
 again on the renewal of wet weather, or on the application of 
 moisture. The gills also are thin, and rather tough and flexible 
 like the cap. The stem is slender, tough, and often cartilaginous. 
 It may be clothed with a downy or velvety coat, or be perfectly 
 smooth, glossy or shining. Most of the species are too thin and 
 tough to be of value for eating, but the Fairy-ring mushroom, 
 Marasmius oreades, has long been classed among the edible spe- 
 cies, and long been held in high estimation. Its name has been 
 suggested from its tendency to grow in circles or arcs of circles, 
 "fairy rings" as they are called. In England the plants have 
 been known as Scotch bonnets. When young and moist the cap 
 is pale yellowish-red or tawny-red, but as the moisture disappears, 
 the color fades to pale yellow or buff. 
 
 The gills are broad and wide apart, rounded or deeply notched 
 at the inner extremity and slightly attached to or free from the 
 slfcuj. They are whitish or creamy yellow. 
 
 The stem is rather slender, solid, tough, and covered with a 
 whitish or grayish close and compact tomentmn or villosity which 
 can be scraped away, revealing the surface of the stem beneath. 
 
 The cap is generally about an inch across, sometimes more, and 
 the stem is one or two inches long and generally less than a quar- 
 ter of an inch thick. 
 
 The Fairy Ring mushroom loves open grassy places, and grows 
 especially in lawns, pastures and by the roadsides. It may be 
 found from May to October if sufficiently warm and moist 
 weather should prevail. The following are some of the recorded 
 notices of it: It is very good while young; when young, it may be 
 eaten as an omelet; it has a very agreeable taste and odor and 
 gives a delicious flavor to sauces, but it needs cooking a long time; 
 it is recommended especially as a condiment; it is delicious when 
 broiled with butter; it may be pickled or dried for future use; 
 it is a very delicious mushroom, and the abundance in which it 
 evervAvhere .grows, makes it a very valuable one; its tendency to 
 toughness is easily overcome by proper cooking. 
 
 One correspondent says that it is excellent for flavoring, but 
 
 66 
 
rather tough if used alone. Another writes that the steins are 
 very tough, but not the caps. 
 
 The following method of cooking this mushroom is given: Put 
 the clean caps into sufficient boiling water to make a nice gravy 
 when done, and cook them half an hour. Then rub together a 
 small quantity of flour, and water, with salt and pepper, and add 
 to the mushrooms, stirring for a moment. Pour on hot toast and 
 serve in a hot dish. 
 
 Another method is to put the caps in water with butter and 
 seasoning, and let them simmer slowly ten or fifteen minutes. 
 Then thicken with flour and serve. 
 
 The genus Cantharellus, the last of the wliite-spored agarics 
 to be discussed, is at once distinguished from all the others by the 
 character of the gills. These are narrow and blunt, or rounded 
 on the edge, and in most of the species they are more or less 
 forked or branched. In some species they are connected with 
 each other in a reticulate manner by numerous transverse 
 tranches. 
 
 One species, the Chantarelle, Cantharellus cibarius, has long 
 been known and celebrated for its edible qualities. It is easily 
 recognized by its uniform yellow color, all parts of the plant ex- 
 cept the inner flesh being of 
 one color. The cap is 
 smooth, but often very ir- 
 regular or unsymmetrical, its 
 margin being wavy or lobed, 
 and its centre being promi- 
 nent, plane or depressed. Its 
 flesh is often very thick and 
 gradually narrowed down- 
 
 Cantharellus elbarius. Boletus luteus. wards, SO that the Cap haS 
 
 somewhat the appearance of 
 an inverted cone. It is white within. The narrow, blunt-edged 
 gills run down on the stem, and are more or less branched and 
 connected with each other. The stem also is often irregular, 
 short or long, crooked or straight, cylindrical or tapering down- 
 ward. It is smooth and solid. 
 
 The cap is one to three inches broad; stem one to two inches 
 long, and one-fourth to one-half an inch thick. 
 
 The Chantarelle grows in woods or in open places, and may be 
 found from June to September. It is rather common. It usually 
 grows in groups, but sometimes in arcs of circles, as if attempt- 
 ing to form a fairy ring. A favorite habitat is the deep shade of 
 dense evergreen thickets. 
 
 67 
 
The following remarks by various authors show how it has 
 been regarded: "It is justly enumerated among the most sapid 
 fungi;" "no fungus is more popular;" "it is an excellent plant, 
 whether used as a condiment or a food;" "it is edible and de- 
 licious;" "by a confirmed fungus-eater it would be pronounced 
 most charmiag." My own trials of it would lead me to place it 
 among the best and most important of our mushrooms. 
 
 The Orange chantarelle, Cantharellus aurantmcus, which is 
 not deemed edible, and which has a slight superficial resemblance 
 to this species, may be known by its more dingy-colored cap, and 
 by its orange-colored gills, which branch by a regular bifurcation, 
 not by an irregular ramification. It is much more rare than the 
 Chantarelle. 
 
 We now come to a family of fungi called Polyporeae, in 
 which the cap has no gills, but instead of them, the lower surface 
 is full of minute pores, holes, or cells. The spores of the fungus 
 are jjroduced in these pores and may be caught as they drop from 
 them, just as in agarics when they are dropped from the gills. 
 Their color, however, is not of the same importance in classifica- 
 tion and identification of this family as it is in the precediag ones. 
 
 The edible species here noticed belong to three genera, Boletvs, 
 Polyporus and Fistulina. Their essential characters may be 
 learned from the following comparative table: 
 
 Pores compacted together and forming a con- 
 tinuous stratum, 1. 
 Pores each in a distinct tube, Fistulina. 
 1. Stratum of pores easily separable from the cap. Boletus. 
 1. Stratum of pores not separable from the cap, Polyporus. 
 
 In the genus Boletus the mass of cells or the porous substance 
 on the lower surface of the cap may be easily and smoothly re- 
 moved from the cap by pressing it outwardly from the stem to- 
 ward the margin. This is the chief character by which to sepa- 
 rate species of Boletus from species of Polyporus. Nearly all bo- 
 leti grow on the ground, have the stem centrally attached to the 
 cap, and have a soft or fleshy substance. Host of the edible spe- 
 cies are well-flavored and of a fairly large size. Some have a nut- 
 ty flavor that is very agreeable to most people. Unfortunately 
 for fungus eaters many of them grow only in warm and wet or 
 shoAvery weather when insects are numerous, and therefore they 
 are very likely to be infested by larvae. Care must be taken to 
 reject all such specimens. The stems also must be discarded be- 
 cause of toughness, and the pores removed before cooking, for 
 they are apt to form a very disagreeable mucilaginous or slimy 
 
 68 
 
mass in cooking. Some species also have a viscid or slimy surface 
 to tlie cap, and this causes earth, sticks and leaves to adhere tena- 
 ciously to it. It is therefore well to peel such caps hef ore cooking 
 them. 
 
 ANALYTICAL TABLE OF SPECIES OF BOLETUS. 
 
 Cap viscid when moist, 1. 
 
 Cap not viscid, , 3. 
 
 1. Stem having a collar, 2. 
 
 1. Stem destitute of a collar, B. granulatus, 
 
 2. Stem dotted above the collar, B. luteus. 
 
 2. Stem dotted both above and below the collar, 
 
 B. suhluteus. 
 3. Stem roughened mth prominent colored dots or 
 
 scales, 4. 
 
 3. Stem with no dots or scales, 5. 
 
 4. Margin of the cap with adhering fragments 
 
 of a membranous veil, B. versipellis. 
 
 4. Margin of the cap naked, B. scaber. 
 
 5. Stem solid, B. edulis. 
 
 5. Stem hollow, B. castaneus. 
 
 The yellow-brovsm boletus. Boletus luteus, is one of our rarest 
 species. I have seen it in but one locality in ]!few York. Its cap 
 is broadly convex or nearly flat, viscid when moist and of a pecu- 
 liar yellowish-brown color, with a slight reddish tint and com- 
 monly varied with very obscure streaks or stains of a deeper hue. 
 The flesh is white, often tinged with yellow in old plants. The 
 mass of pores is at first concealed by the membranous veil, 
 which stretches from the stem to the margin of the cap; but 
 when this is ruptured by the expansion of the cap, they are seen 
 to be yellow, but with advancing age they assume dingy ochra- 
 ceous hues. The stem is shorter than the diameter of the ex- 
 panded cap, solid, and furnished with a membranous collar which 
 often seems to extend downwards on the stem somewhat like a 
 sheath. It is marked vsdth brown dots above the collar. It is 
 found under pine trees in autumn. 
 
 "Edible and highly esteemed;" "its flesh is very tender;" it 
 is excellent," are some of the estimates made of this fungus by 
 European writers. 
 
 The small yellowish boletus, Boletus suhluteus, is a much more 
 common species, but one so closely related to the Yellow-brown 
 boletus that possibly it has often been mistaken for it. It differs 
 from it in having a more slender stem, which is marked with 
 brown or blackish dots both above and below the collar. The 
 
Boletus siiblnte\is. 
 
 B. granulatus. 
 
 collar, wMcli is formed by 
 the collapsing of tlie glutin- 
 ous veil, is in the form of a 
 thick glutiaous band rather 
 than a membrane, and the 
 cap is generally smaller than 
 in that species. In other re- 
 spects the two species are so 
 much alike that a more ex- 
 tended description of this 
 one is scarcely necessary. 
 Its cap is two to four 
 inches broad, its stem two to three inches long, and one-fourth to 
 one-third of an inch thick. It occurs in places where pine trees 
 grow or have grown, and is especially fond of a light sandy soil 
 shaded by a thin or scattering growth of young pines. It appears 
 in late summer and in autumn. 
 
 The Granulated boletus. Boletus granulatus, is another viscid- 
 cap species that delights especially in the company of pine trees 
 and groves. These species are scarcely found at all in regions 
 destitute of pines. The cap of this one is very variable in color, 
 pinkish-gray, grayish-yellow, reddish, reddish-brown and tawny 
 hues prevailing. A spotted appearance is sometimes produced by 
 the drying gluten. The flesh is thick and white except near the 
 stratmn of pores, where it is tinted yellow. 
 
 The mass of pores is at first pale yellow, but with advancing 
 age it assumes the dingy ochraceous hues common to many 
 species. 
 
 The stem is short, solid, whitish, with no collar, but adorned 
 either in its entire length, or on the upper part only with un- 
 equal brown dots or granules. These first appear like drops of 
 a thick, turbid juice oozing from the stem, but in a short time 
 they harden and form the brown granules that give origin to the 
 name of the fungus. They also occur on the edges of the par- 
 titions between the pores. 
 
 The cap varies in size from one and a half to four inches broad, 
 and the stem from one to two inches long, and from one-third to 
 two-thirds of an inch thick. 
 
 The Granulated boletus is common in sandy regions where 
 pine trees and thickets are frequent, and occurs from July till 
 cold weather in autumn stops its growth. It grows in groups and 
 sometimes in circles. It is often found in company with the 
 American boletus. Boletus americanus, a smaller species with a 
 
 70 
 
bright golden yellow cap, yellowish flesh, and a more slender but 
 similarly dotted stem. 
 
 Dr. Cooke says that the Granulated boletus has given him the 
 greatest satisfaction as an edible species, and that he prefers it to 
 the Edible boletus, or indeed to any other species that he has 
 eaten. 
 
 XVI. DRY BOLETI, POLTPOEI AND TISTULINA. 
 
 The Rough stem or Scabrous-stem boletus. Boletus scaber, is 
 our most common species. Its cap varies in color from white to 
 a dark brown or almost black. It is most often some shade of 
 gray, varying to brick-red or pale orange. Its shape also varies 
 from broadly and bluntly conical to convex or flat above, while 
 its surface may be smooth or minutely downy or even obscurely 
 scaly. Its flesh is white or whitish, both it and the mass of 
 
 pores sometimes assuming 
 pinkish or blackish hues where 
 bruised or wounded. The 
 pore stratum is at first whit- 
 ish, becoming dingy brown 
 with age. The pores are 
 quite long, and the mass is 
 convex below and much short- 
 ened or depressed around the 
 top of the stem. The stem is 
 rather long, often narrowed 
 at or toward the top, solid, 
 whitish, and dotted with nu- 
 merous small fibrous scales or 
 points which are reddish or 
 blackish, and which are so 
 small as to give a rough, dotted appearance to the stem. Some- 
 time-- scales of both colors are seen on the same stem. This 
 character is a peculiar one, and easily separates this species and 
 the next from all their fellows. 
 
 The plant having a white cap was first considered a distinct 
 species and named Boletus niveus, but was afterwards made a va- 
 riety of the Rough-stem boletus. It is sometimes still regarded as 
 distinct. It is rare in this State. 
 
 71 
 
 Boletus scaber. B. edulis. 
 
The cap is one to five inches broad and the stem two to five 
 inches long and one-third to two-thirds of an inch thick. 
 
 The plant grows everywhere in woods, swamps and open un- 
 cultivated places, and on all kinds of soil. It may be found from 
 June to November. 
 
 It is not often that a fungus as plentiful as this is as good. My 
 own experiments in eating it were most satisfactory, and it seems 
 to me to be one of the very best of our edible boleti. But some 
 ■writers do not esteem it so highly, merely pronouncing it edible, 
 01 saying that it is less agreeable than the Edible boletus. Gillet 
 says that it can be eaten without the least fear, but that young 
 plants should be selected, as old ones are generally more difficult 
 of digestion. 
 
 The Orange-cap boletus, Boletus versipellis, takes its name 
 from the color of the cap, which is yellowish-red or orange. It 
 agrees so closely with forms of the Eough-stem boletus, which 
 have reddish or orange-colored caps, that it is scarcely possible to 
 separate them except by the appendicular fragments of the mem- 
 branous veil, which adhere persistently to the margin of the cap 
 in this species. These strips of membrane are generally inflexed, 
 and cover the mouths of the marginal pores. They are not, 
 therefore, noticed unless they are sought by looking at the lower 
 surface of the cap. In consequence of the close resemblance be- 
 tween the two species, any more extended description of thia one 
 is unnecessary. It has the same size, the same color of the pores 
 and the same color ornamentation and character of the stem that 
 belong to the Rough-stem boletus. It is less common with us, 
 and to my taste its flavor is less agreeable. 
 
 The Edible boletus, Boletus edulis, is a large but not very com- 
 mon species. WTien young, the cap is firm and the pores are 
 whitish and indistinct, their mouths appearing as if stufEed with 
 a whitish substance; but in older plants the flesh becomes more 
 soft and the pore mouths distinct. The cap varies some in color 
 biit is generally reddish-brown or tawny brown in the centre with 
 paler or yellowish hues toward the margin. The flesh is white, 
 or barely tinged with yellow and of an agreeable nutty flavor. 
 The pore mass, which is whitish in young plants, soon changes to 
 yellowish or greenish-yellow. It is depressed around the stem. 
 
 The stem is stout, solid, often alittle thickened toward the base, 
 generally even, except toward the top, where it is roughened with 
 minute elevated lines which are connected in a reticulated man- 
 ner, forming a kind of network style of ornamentation. Its color 
 is usually whitish, hvS or yellowish-brown. 
 
 12 
 
The cap is tkree to six inches broad, the stem two to five inches 
 long and one-half to one and a half inches thick. 
 
 The Edible boletus may be found growing in thin woods, 
 groves, bushy or open places in warm wet weather in July and 
 August. 
 
 It has long been known as an edible species and holds a place 
 among boleti similar to that held by the Common mushroom 
 among agarics. Badham recommends especially this and the 
 Kough-stem boletus. GiUet says it is an excellent species with an 
 agreeable flavor, and that it is extensively used in Trance. It is 
 sometimes sUeed and dried for future use. In this condition it 
 is chiefly used in the preparation of, and to give flavor to soups 
 and stews. 
 
 It is quite good fried in butter. The following simple method 
 of preparation has been published. Remove the stems and pores, 
 cut the cap in small pieces, which place in a dish with butter, salt 
 and pepper; cover and bake an hour. 
 
 The Chestnut boletus. Boletus castaneus, is unlike any other 
 species here described, in having a hollow stem. This character 
 is not common among boleti. 
 
 The cap is convex in the young plant, but it expands with age 
 and sometimes becomes concave above by the elevation of its 
 margin. Its surface is commonly covered by a minute, scarcely 
 noticeable velvety down, and its color is tawny or reddish-tawny, 
 approaching bay-red. It is not usually as dark a color as the 
 name would indicate. The stratum of pores is rather thin, at first 
 white or whitish, but yellowish when mature. 
 
 The stem is short, often tapering upward, colored and clothed 
 like the cap, soft or spongy within when young, but cavernous or 
 hollow when mature. 
 
 The cap is one to three inches broad, the stem one to two 
 inches long and one-fourth to one-half an inch thick. The plant 
 grows in thin woods and in open grassy places, and may be found 
 from July to September. It is not abundant, nor is it generally 
 considered first quality. 
 
 Some other species of Boletus are classed as edible, but not 
 haAnng tested them it seems better to omit them. Some species 
 of this genus quickly assume blue tints where bruised or 
 wounded. The rule is sometimes given to avoid all such species 
 as poisonous. And yet one correspondent, an enthusiastic fungus- 
 eater, informs me that he eats such species, and has done so re- 
 peatedly Avithout harm. Indeed, he says he eats all kinds that he 
 can get except the Bitter boletus, Boletus felleus, of which no 
 
 T3 
 
kind of preparation seems to destroy tlie bitter taste. But in one 
 instance which was brought to my notice, sickness and Tomiting 
 followed the eating of the Sensitive boletus, Boletus sensibilis, a 
 species which assumes blue colors in a remarkable degree where 
 bruised or broken. All the family partaking of it were made 
 sick, but all recovered. 
 
 In the genus Polyporus, the stratum of pores is not separable 
 from the cap. Most of the species grow on wood, and are too 
 tough to be of any use as food. A few grow on the ground, but 
 even these are inclined to be tough, and though the species are 
 numerous, very few are fit to be classed as edible, and these are 
 not very goo^ except when young and tender. A single example 
 will be given. 
 
 The Sulphury polyporus, Polyporus sulphureus, is so named 
 because of the bright sulphur yellow color of its stratum of pores. 
 The caps have no well developed stems. They are side growers, 
 
 and are attached to their place 
 of growth by one side or a 
 part of the margin of the cap. 
 They commonly grow in large 
 clusters, one above another, 
 and side by side, and variously 
 grown together where they 
 come in contact with each 
 other. When fresh, the up- 
 
 Bolctnseastaneus. Polyporus sulphureus. per SUrface of the CapS, which 
 
 is more or less irregular and 
 uneven, is of a pale reddish or orange color, often tinged with 
 yellow and easily fading with age or in drying. The pores are 
 rather short and so small as to be easily overlooked, but their 
 beautiful clear pale yellow color is much more durable than the 
 color of the upper surface of the cap. The caps are commonly 
 four to six inches broad, and about half an inch thick. 
 
 They grow on dead wood of various kinds of trees, and the 
 species has a wide range. The showy clusters are often seen 
 growing from dead spots in the trunks or branches of living trees. 
 Even the fruit trees of our gardens and orchards are sometimes 
 attacked by it. It occurs during summer. 
 
 Only young and tender caps should be used for food. Just 
 before or about the time the pores begin to develop, the caps are 
 in the best condition for eating. 
 
 In the genus Fistulina, the under surface of the cap is covered 
 with minute hollow tubes, which stand vertically and closely side 
 
 74 
 
by side, but tbey are separate from eacb other, and do not form 
 a continuous compact mass, as in tbe genera Boletus and Polypo- 
 rus. They are at first very short, and resemble minute warts or 
 papillae, but they become longer, cylindrical and hollow with age. 
 We have one species, the Liver fistulina, Fistulina hepatica. 
 This name was probably suggested by its dark-red color. It has 
 
 other common names, such as 
 "Oak tongue," "Chestnut 
 tongue," "Beef tongue," and 
 "Beefsteak fungus," given in 
 allusion to its place of growth, 
 its shape or its texture. Like 
 many other wood-inhabiting 
 fungi, it is a "side grower." 
 Fistuiiimhepauca. j^g ^^^ jg j-Qugh, especially 
 
 when young, with minute 
 papillae on the upper surface, and this, with its shape and color, 
 may have suggested the name Beef tongue. Its stem is short, 
 and often quite thick. The flesh is soft and juicy, but tough and 
 fibrous when old and dry. The juice is reddish, and the flesh is 
 streaked with red. The pores or tubes are pinkish or yellowish- 
 pink when young, but they become dingy or brownish-ochraceous 
 when old. The cap is commonly two to six inches broad, but it 
 sometimes attains a much greater size. It grows in warm, wet 
 weather from the base or from stumps of oak and chestnut trees, 
 and may be found from July to September. 
 
 This vegetable beefsteak has been highly praised by some Eu- 
 ropean writers, as the following quotations show: "The taste re- 
 sembles meat in a remarkable manner;" "It is good broiled with 
 a steak and properly seasoned;" "If it is not beef itself, it is the 
 sauce for it;" "No fungus yields a richer gTavy,and though rather 
 tough when broiled, it is scarcely to be distinguished from broiled 
 meat." It sometimes has a slightly acid flavor, but this is by no 
 means disagreeable. 
 
 75 
 
X^rEI. SPINE-TOOTHED MUSHEOOMS, OOENUOO- 
 PIAS AND FAIKT CLUBS. 
 
 In the genus Hydnum, wMcli belongs to the family Hydneae, 
 the lower surface of the cap is thickly set with slender pointed 
 spine-like teeth or needles. These take the place of gills in the 
 fyjnily Agaricinese. and of pores in the family Polyporeae. Our 
 species of Hydnum are mostly rather tough, and the edible ones 
 are few. Only two are here described : 
 
 Teeth on the lower surface of a cap, H. repandum. 
 
 Teeth on the lower side of flattened branches, H. coralloides. 
 
 The spreading hydnum or Hedgehog miishroom, Hydnum re- 
 pandum, is one of our common species. Its cap is more or less 
 irregular, often eccentrically attached to the stem and lobed or 
 wavy on the margin. Its color may be pale-buff, rusty-yellow, 
 pale-red or sienna color. The flesh is compact but rather fragile, 
 whitish and somewhat dry. The spines or teeth are about one- 
 fourth of an inch long, whitish, tinged with yellow or pinkish- 
 yellow. The stem is thick but short and often irregular. It is 
 whitish or at least paler than the cap, which is one to four inches 
 broad, the stem varying from one to three "inches long. 
 
 This fungus grows in woods or open places, on naked soil or 
 among leaves and moss siagly, ia groups, or in clusters. It may, 
 be found from July to October. 
 
 The Keddish variety, var. rufescens, sometimes considered a 
 good species, having the name Hydnum rufescens, is smaller, 
 thinner and more regular in shape and more uniformly reddish in 
 color. It grows chiefly in woods, and nearly always has the stem 
 central. 
 
 Badham says that the Spreading hydnum is as good as oysters, 
 which it somewhat resembles in taste. Stevenson says it is a 
 most delicious fungus, but requires about four hours of slow cook- 
 ing. Berkeley pronounces it a most excellent fungus, but one 
 which requires a little caution in its preparation for the table. 
 It is easily dried and preserved for winter use. 
 
 One method of cooking it consists in first slicing the caps and 
 steeping them twenty minutes in warm water, then placing in a 
 
 76 
 
stew-pan with butter, salt, pepper and beef gravy, and simmering 
 slowly for an hour. 
 
 The Coral-Kke hydnum, Hydnum coralloides, is quite unlike 
 the spreading hydnum in general appearance, and might easily be 
 thought to belong to a distinct genus. Instead of having a cap 
 it is divided into several rather broad, angular or flattened, 
 spreading branches, from whose lower surface the spine-like teeth 
 project. The whole plant is white, and the branches and spines 
 are so numerous and dense that it has been compared to a cauli- 
 flower and called the "cauliflower spiny cap." It is often men- 
 tioned as "a fungus that looks like coral." The stem is short or 
 almost none, the branches sometimes starting from the very base. 
 The terminal ones frequently curve upwards at their tips and end 
 in a spreading mass of teeth. The teeth vary in length from one- 
 sixth to one-third of an inch, and single plants are generally two 
 to four inches high and nearly as broad, but sometimes they are 
 considerably larger. 
 
 It grows on prostrate trunks and decaying wood of various 
 trees, but chiefly on beech. It is found in woods, especially in 
 hilly and mountainous districts, and occurs during rainy or show- 
 ery weather from August to October. 
 
 It is a pretty fungus, and very attractive to those who are 
 neither botanists nor fungus-eaters. And it is as good as it is 
 beautiful. In oux botanical expeditions in the vast wilderness of 
 the Adirondack region we were often obliged to camp in the 
 woods several nights in succession. On such occasions this fun- 
 gus sometimes formed a luxurious addition to our ordinarily sim- 
 ple and sometimes very limited bill of fare. 
 
 Two or three other species of Jlydnum belonging to our flora 
 are classed as edible by some writers, but they have appeared to 
 me to be so dry and tough that trial of them has not been made. 
 
 The Gelatinous hydnum or "jelly hedgehog," Hydnum gela- 
 tinosum of some authors, Tremellodon gelatinosum of others, is 
 sometimes eaten raw like a jelly. It is sometimes sweetened 
 with sugar. 
 
 In the family Thelephoreae, the lower surface of the cap has 
 neither gills, pores nor teeth, but is even or slightly wrinkled, 
 occasionally obscurely papillose. A single species belonging to 
 the genus Craterellus will be described as the representative of 
 this family. 
 
 The Cornucopia craterellus, sometimes called the Horn of 
 Plenty, Craterellus cornucopioides, is not attractive in appear- 
 
 77 
 
ance. Its cap is very narrow and mucli elongated so tkat it is 
 trumpet-sliaped, or it may be compaxed to a cornucopia or liom 
 of plenty. It is very thin, dry, hollow, flexible and slightly 
 tough. It is grayish-brown, ash color, dark, smoky brown, or 
 sometimes almost black. The margin is erect or spreading like 
 the margin of a trumpet's mouth, and it may be regular or wavy, 
 folded, lobed or split. The surface is usually slightly marked 
 or roughened by a few fibrous tufts or scales. The cavity of the 
 cap extends to its base. The lower or spore-bearing surface, 
 which, from the shape of the cap, becomes rather the outer or 
 
 external surface, is a little 
 imeven or wrinkled and is 
 colored similar to but often 
 a little paler than the up- 
 per surface. The stem is 
 extremely short or almost 
 wanting. 
 
 The plant is two to four 
 inches high and one to two 
 inches broad at the top. 
 It grows gregariously or in 
 clusters in woods and shady 
 places, on naked earth and 
 banks or among moss and fallen leaves. A favorite place of 
 gi'owth is in or along old abandoned or unused roads in woods 
 It may be found from July to September, and probably later in 
 the season in more southern localities. 
 
 Several Ereneh writers record this as edible, but admit that it 
 is not very popular because of its thin flesh and dark color. Dr. 
 Cooke says that his first trial was so satisfactory that he never 
 missed an opportunity afterwards of gathering it for the table, 
 and he says that a friend, who learned from him of its edible 
 qualities, now thinks nothing of walking six or eight miles to 
 procure a dish of it. 
 
 The last family to be here noticed is the Clavarieae, and the 
 genus to which our edible species belong is Clavaria. This 
 name is derived from the Latin word clava, which means a club. 
 It has reference to the shape of some of the plants belonging to 
 this genus. The plants are sometimes called "fairy clubs." ISTo 
 cap is present in these plants. They are more like simple or 
 branched stems without caps. The simple ones are sometimes 
 gradually thickened toward the top, and therefore club-shaped; 
 the branching plants are often so abundantly supplied with 
 
 78 
 
 Hydnum repandum. Craterellus cornucopioides. 
 
branches that they axe btish-like in form. In color they vary 
 from white to yellow, ochraceous, tan color, red or purple, but 
 no black species are known, although similarly shaped species of 
 a black color belong to some other families of fungi. Several 
 species of this genus are recorded as edible, and no species is 
 known to be dangerously harmful, yet many are too small or too 
 insipid or disagreeable to be of value as food. Three species will 
 here be described : 
 
 Plant simple, club-shaped, C. pisiillaris. 
 
 Plant branched, bush-shaped, 1. 
 
 1. Tips of the branches red, C. botrytes. 
 
 1. Tips of the branches yellow, C. flava. 
 
 The Pistil clavaria or Large Club, Clavaria pistillaris, is the 
 largest of our unbranched species. It is commonly three to five 
 inches high, and one-half to two-thirds of an inch thick at the 
 top, where it is rounded or very blunt. It gradually tapers down- 
 ward to the base. Its surface is smooth, and its color yellowish 
 or ochraceous, sometimes with a reddish tint. The flesh is soft 
 and white. Sometimes irregular or very short, thick forms oc- 
 cur, and in Europe it is said to reach the height of twelve inches. 
 But I have seen no American plants so tall. It grows in grassy, 
 open places, or in thin woods and groves, in wet weather in sum- 
 mer. I have not eaten it, and introduce it on the recommenda- 
 tion of others, and as a representative of the simple forms of the 
 genus. 
 
 The Ked-tipped clavaria Clavaria botrytes, has a very short, 
 thick, fleshy white stem, which suddenly divides above into a very 
 dense or compact mass of erect or ascending branches, the tips of 
 which are of a red color, at least while young and fresh. This is 
 a good mark by which to recognize this species. The branches are 
 elsewhere whitish or pale yellow, and when old, even the tips fade 
 and lose their primary color. The plants are commonly three to 
 five inches high, and two to four inches broad, the stem being 
 about an iach thick. It grows in thin woods and in open places, 
 in wet or showery weather, from July to September. 
 
 Mycologists agree in ascribing to this fungus delicious qualities 
 and an agreeable flavor. Unfortunately, it is not common with 
 
 us. 
 
 The Pale yellow clavaria, Clavaria flava, is very similar to the 
 Ked-tipped clavaria, but is at once distinguished by its having 
 yellow-tipped branches. Its stem is short and thick, and is ab- 
 ruptly dissolved above into a dense mass of nearly parallel erect 
 
 79 
 
Glavaria pistillaris. C. flava. 
 
 branches. The yellow tips 
 of these fade with age, and 
 then it becomes difficult to 
 distinguish this species 
 from old plants of the pre- 
 ceding one. The branches 
 below the tips are whitish, 
 or a paler yellow than the 
 tips; the stem also is white 
 or whitish, and the flesh i& 
 white and of a pleasant 
 flavor. The flavor is great- 
 ly affected by the attacks 
 of insects. A few larvse 
 burrowing in the base of 
 the stem will impart to the 
 untouched branches above 
 a very disagreeable and al- 
 most nauseating taste. It 
 is therefore important in selecting plants for the table, not only 
 of this species, but of others also, to exercise care and to discard 
 all that have been invaded by larvae. 
 
 This Clavaria grows in thin woods and open places in warm, 
 wet weather in summer and early autumn and is more common 
 than either of the preceding species. My experiments in eating 
 it lead me to recommend it highly. Its flesh is tender and well- 
 flavored, and nothing better could be desired by the mycophagist. 
 Eoques says it furnishes a healthful food and is easy of digestion. 
 The Golden clavaria, Clavaria aurea, bears a general resem- 
 blance to it, but its stem is thinner, its branches are more highly 
 colored and often longitudinally wrinkled, and their tips are not 
 different in color from the rest of the branch. Still no great 
 harm could come from mistaking it for the Pale yellow clavaria, 
 for it also is deemed edible. Several other edible species not 
 having been proved by us are omitted. 
 
 In the family Tremellinese the substance of the fungus is 
 tremelloid or gelatinous, and the plants are mostly stemless irreg- 
 ular masses or expansions. The most important edible species 
 is one called the "Jew's ear," Hirneola auricula-judae, which is 
 extensively used in China, but which is not abundant here, and 
 which is probably of but little value. 
 
 Note. — The cuts illustrating this work are loaned by the 
 Country Oentleman of Albany, "N. T. 
 
 80 
 
LIST OF WOKKS ON MUSHEOOMS. 
 
 In addition to the following many old and rare works and 
 special papers can be supplied in single copies, including works 
 of Bulliard, Sowerby, Badham, Hussey, Gillet, Patouillard and 
 others (subject to previous sale). Importations to order at prices 
 of European dealers, AU new works as issued. 
 
 Prices do not, as a rule, include postage. 
 BOSTON MYCOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Edible Fungi .10 
 
 Account of species eaten in 1896. 
 BURT. Antburus 1.00 
 
 Mutinus 40 Pballoidese U. S. 2 pts. . .50 
 
 CHARTS. Pboto-enlargements, lantern slides or diagrams to 
 
 order. 
 
 COOKE. British Edible Fungi. Fine plates and list of 200 
 
 edible species 2.50 
 
 Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms. — ^A smaller work with 
 
 plates 1.50 
 
 Illustrations of British Fungi. — 76 pts., 1198 colored plates. 
 
 Mycographia. — Discomycetes, 113 col. plates 18.00 
 
 Introduction to the Study of Fungi 4.55 
 
 Plain and Easy Accoimt of British Fungi. Illustrated. 1.50 
 
 COOKE AKD BERKELEY. Fungi, Their Nature, Influence 
 and Uses. Illustrated. Contains remarks on the edible spe- 
 cies of the United States 1.60 
 
 COOKE AND QUELET. Clavis Synoptica Hymenomycetum 
 Europaeorum 1.00 
 
 COSTANTIN. Atlas des Champignons comestibles et veneneux. 
 228 colored figures 1.00 
 
 COSTANTESr et DUFOUR. Nouv. Flore des Champignons. 
 
 Paris, 1891. 3842 fig 1.00 
 
 Same. Second ed. Paris, 1895. 4106 fig 1.50 
 
 Petite Flore d. Champignons comest. et venen. Paris, 1895. 
 351 fig 75 
 
 FALCONER. Mushrooms; how to grow them 1.50 
 
 FRIES. Hymenomycetes Europaei. A systematic descriptive 
 work in Latin. The basis of all recent works. 
 
 GIBSON; Mushrooms. Finely illustrated. List price.. 7.50 
 
 HERBARIUM. Numbered list for arranging genera 05 
 
 Numbered labels for genera. Large type 85 
 
 HERPEL. Sammlung preparirter Hutpilze. Excellent speci- 
 mens of 135 species 25.00 
 
 Prepariren und Einlegen der Hutpilze fiir das Herbarium .60 
 
Clavaria pistiUaris. C. flava. 
 
 branches. The yellow tips 
 of these fade with, age, and 
 then it becomes difficult to 
 distinguish this species 
 from old plants of the pre- 
 ceding one. The branches 
 below the tips are whitish, 
 or a paler yellow than the 
 tips; the stem also is white 
 or whitish, and the flesh i& 
 white and of a pleasant 
 flavor. The flavor is great- 
 ly affected by the attacks 
 of insects. A few larva? 
 burrowing in the base of 
 the stem will impart to the 
 untouched branches above 
 a very disagreeable and al- 
 most nauseating taste. It 
 is therefore important in selecting plants for the table, not only 
 of this species, but of others also, to exercise care and to discard 
 all that have been invaded by larvse. 
 
 This Clavaria grows in thin woods and open places in warm, 
 wet weather in summer and early autumn and is more common 
 than either of the preceding species. My experiments in eating 
 it lead me to recommend it highly. Its flesh is tender and well- 
 flavored, and nothing better could be desired by the mycophagist. 
 Eoques says it furnishes a healthful food and is easy of digestion. 
 The Golden clavaria, Clavaria aurea, bears a general resem- 
 blance to it, but its stem is thinner, its branches are more highly 
 colored and often longitudinally wrinkled, and their tips are not 
 different in color from the rest of the branch. Still no great 
 harm could come from mistaking it for the Pale yellow clavaria, 
 for it also is deemed edible. Several other edible species not 
 having been proved by us are omitted. 
 
 In the family Tremellinea3 the substance of the fungus is 
 tremelloid or gelatinous, and the plants are mostly stemless irreg- 
 ular masses or expansions. The most important edible species 
 is one called the "Jew's ear," Hirneola auricula-judae, which is 
 extensively used in China, but which is not abundant here, and 
 which is probably of but Uttle value. 
 
 ISToTE. — The cuts illustrating this work are loaned by the 
 Country Oentleman of Albany, 'N. Y. 
 
 80 
 
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