face a tessellated apj)earance 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 haii-y 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 gTowth to elm trees, but sometimes oc- 

 curs on maple and jioplar trees also. It is sometimes difficult to 

 collect because of its growing high above the gTOund. Its late 

 growth seems to make it comparatively free from the attacks of 

 insects. Most tree-inhabiting species are quite sIoav 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 

 group of tree inhabiting species. He mentions one specimen 

 which was so large that it furnished a meal for three or four per- 

 sons. Quelat says it is sapid, but should be eaten while young. 

 This seems to me to be good advice in regard to all the tree-inhab- 

 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 l)ranches. The stem is generally short, sol- 

 id and white or whitish, and either laterally or eccentrically con- 

 nected with the cap. Very 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 com- 

 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 ^vet "sveather 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- 



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