The Ottawa Naturalist 



[April 



WILD PLANTS AS FOOD. 



By F. W. Waugh. 



A subject regarding which rather little is known, 

 and which would well repay investigation, is the edi- 

 bility of the various weeds.plants and other vegetable 

 materials which grow in a wild or uncultivated con- 

 dition in fields, woods, and waste places generally. 

 The writer's attention was directed to this originally 

 by a study of the food plants used by Indian 

 tribes, though a portion of the information has been 

 obtained from other sources. 



The mere extended use of our natural food re- 

 sources cculd be made to supplement garden produc- 

 tion in such a way as to leave a greater acreage for 

 staple products, a special advantage under present 

 conditions. 



A knowledge of our native vegetable foods will 

 no doubt also be of interest to campers and those 

 taking extended trips through unsettled parts of the 

 country. 



MUSHROOMS. 



The mushrooms have attracted more attention, 

 possibly, than other vegetable foods, and an in- 

 creasing number of people are becoming interested 

 in them scientifically, as well as in their collection 

 for use. 



The wide distribution of our edible fungi gives 

 them an important place in the list of cheap and 

 easily-obtained foods. Most of them are easy to 

 identify and the search for new or additional species 

 provides a constant source of interest. 



A spore-print should always be taken if any 

 doubt exists as to the identity of a gill-bearing 

 fungus. A piece of white paper is brushed over 

 wnth a not very strong solution of gum arabic and 

 allowed to dry. The stem of the mushroom is 

 sliced off carefully close to the cap, and the latter is 

 laid on the paper, gills downward, then covered 

 with a bell-jar or drinking-glass and left for a few 

 hours. The spores adhere to the paper in radiating 

 lines and afford a means of deciding their color, 

 which is of importance in identifying them. 



Last year the writer collected and made use of 

 over a dozen species of mushrooms, the majority 

 collected within city limits. These were frequently 

 obtained on the way to work ; though now and then 

 a bicycle jrunt in the early morning or al the 

 week-end assisted in rounding out the supply. 



Damp weather or frequent showers arc a prac- 

 tical necessity for mushroom growth. Consequently, 

 if the season is unusually dry, very few of the fungi 

 will be found. In favorable seasons, however, they 

 last right along into frosty weather. 



A shrdy corner in a backyard provided a liberal 

 supply of puffballs ( L\)coperdon pyriforme) for 

 two or three weeks. 



A very common city mushroom is the Coprinus 

 comatus, or shaggy mane. This, as well as the 

 closely related species, the Common Inkcap, Copri- 

 nus atramentarius, was found growing around parks, 

 lawns, roadsides, factory sites, and dumping-grounds 

 for street sweepings. Morels also grow among park 

 shrubbery, as well as in the woods among the ferns 

 and evergreens. The Smooth Lepiota, Lepiola 

 naucina, is another which is found quite frequently 

 in shady places. This is of about the same height 

 and general appearance as the common mushroom, 

 although the gills are white in young specimens, 

 becoming slightly pink when older. Care should 

 be taken to differentiate this from the poisonous 

 Amanitas. 



Another, but not very common species, at least 

 locally, was the Early Pholiota, Pholiota praecox. 

 Enough for half a dozen meals of these was found 

 from time to time under some snowball and lilac 

 shrubs in a neglected dooryard. 



Other species found in suburban localities were: 

 Oyster Fungus, Pleurotus ostreatus; Fairy-ring 

 Mushroom, Marasmius oreades, and Glistening Ink- 

 cap, Coprinus micaceus. The Agaricus campeslris, 

 or common mushroom, was also found occasionally, 

 but not so plentifully as some of the others men- 

 tioned. 



A friend, to whom the writer had mentioned the 

 edibility of the giant puffball, Lycoperdon gigan- 

 teum, one day brought in one of these about seven 

 mches in diameter. The fungus was white and in 

 prime condition for eating and was quite large 

 enough for seven or eight persons. A reliable 

 method of cooking is to slice and fry in butter. 

 Unfortunately, this fungus is rather uncommon. 



The fungi mentioned are merely a few of those 

 likely to be found locally, but will afford the be- 

 ginner an idea of the possibilities. 



GREENS. 

 Another, and even more prolific class than the 

 mushrooms, consists of those vegetables which are 

 prepared like asparagus or spinach. The Indian 

 tribes of America were evidently well-versed in 

 these and are capable of affording us valuable sug- 

 gestions. A very good list for the Iroquois, an 

 eastern woodland tribe, appeared recently in 

 Memoir 86 of the Geological Survey of Canada. 

 This includes some sixteen or more vegetables used 



