36 



GUIDE TO THE MODELS OF FUNGI. 



grow in rich and highly manured places, often on dung, some on 

 rotten wood ; several grow close to or inside human habitations, 

 either on the earth outside or on the walls and ceilings inside. 



Coprinns domcsticus is common on moist cloths of all sorts, and 

 is found in kitchens and sculleries upon dishcloths. There are 

 thirty-nine British species of Coprinus, six of which are represented 

 by models. 



C6, Coprinus comatus Fr. — Pileus fleshy, at first cylindrical and 

 white, the cuticle breaking up into adpressed fleecy white scales ; 



gills free, white, then flesh-coloured, at 

 length purple and black, deliquescent ; 

 stalk hollow, shining-whitish ; ring torn, 

 movable, at length vanishing. 



C. comatus is a large, handsome, and 

 common fungus in parks, gardens, farm- 

 3'ards, orchards, and in waste and grassy 

 places, generally near human habitations. 

 It grows in scattered groups from early 

 spring to late autumn ; sometimes it ap- 

 pears in the winter. When the gills are 

 just becoming tinged with pink or purple 

 C. comatus is esculent and delicious ; it 

 is, however, somewhat mucilaginous, and 

 not pleasing to all tastes. It is sometimes 

 candied with sugar. 



Fie. 29.— Coprinus comatus Fr. 

 (One-quarter natural size.) 



67. Coprinus atramentarius Fr. — Pileus ovate, ashy grey-brown 

 in colour, slightly fleshy, somewhat silky or slightly squamulose, 

 longitudinally sulcate or ribbed, often deformed or unequally 

 flattened ; pills free, ventricosc, white, then dark purplish-brown, 

 at length black, deliquescent ; stalk furrowed, white, at first short, 

 then elongated, with a slight fugitive ring where the edge of the 

 pileus was adpressed to the stalk. 



C. alnimeutarius is a large and common fungus. It usually 

 grows in great clusters, often on or near rotten stumps or palings 

 in gardens, parks, orchards, or roadsides, and generally near human 

 habitations; sometimes it appears to be trulj' terrestrial. It grows 

 from spring to early winter. Edible, preferred by some to C 

 comatus. 



C. comatus and C. atramentarius arc much used in the manu- 

 facture of inferior ketchup. Both species are sometimes termed " ink 

 fungi," from the quantity of ink-like fluid into which they dissolve 

 when over-ripe ; as this fluid contains an immense number of spores 

 of definite size, it has been suggested that important documents might 

 be signed with it as a precaution against forgery. 



The mycelium from which C. atramentarius springs usually 

 jjroduccs two crops every year, one in the spring, the other in the 

 autumn. If ripe specimens are gathered in spring and buried near 



