A CATALOGUE OF ESCULENT BEITISH FUNGL 97 



Odour slight. Taste insipid. Spores greenish-grey, becoming 

 purple-black. 



Obs. It is used in France. Schummel called it dangerous,, apparently with- 

 out reason. It is not commendable. — W. D. H. 



(92.) GOMPHIDIUS VISCIDUS ; The Rhubarb-stem. 



Habitat. On the ground, chiefly in fir and pine woods. Solitary, 



Seaso7i. August to October. N"ot uncommon. 



Fileus. Two to three inches across, tawny or red-brown, viscid, 

 lustrous ; at first conical, then convex, flattened but umbonate, per- 

 haps peg-shaped, continuous. Margin dark, thin, at first involute. 



Stem. Two to three inches high, colour of rhubarb root, largest 

 above, confluent, striate, fibrillose, viscid. Ring filamentous, 

 obsolete. 



Section. Flesh reddish, tough, thick. Stem solid, rhubarb 

 colour. Gills lilac-brown, firm, elastic, thick, entire, branched, 

 distant, decurrent. Odour feeble. Taste insipid. Spores greenish 

 grey, becoming purplish black. 



Ohs. Better known than the preceding. Wholesome, but not delicate. To 

 be prepared like Paxils. — W. D. H. 



Genus HYGROPHORUS. 



Obs. The white species of this genus have all been well tested, and proved to 

 be good safe esculents. But the majority are brilliant in colouring, like parrots, 

 and only one or two of these are proved edibles. Of the remainder — namely, 

 H. miniatus, H. puniceus, H. obrusseus, H. chlorophanus, H. psittacinus, and 

 H. conicus — nothing is known with regard to their qualities, though the presump- 

 tion is that they are not deleterious. H. conicus turns black when bruised, and 

 has been susjDected because of that circumstance, which is of course no criterion 

 of its qualities at all. H. puniceus is large and blood-red, and so has lain uuder 

 reproach, without any reason. But amateurs will do well to let them alone 

 until experiment has proved their several characters. Sound esculents are 

 plentiful at the season of their appearance. The following Hygrophores are the 

 approved esculents of the genus. — W. D. H. 



(93.) HYGROPHOHUS CERACEUS ; The Waxy-Hood. 



Habitat. On lawns and wet mossy pastures. Solitary. 



Season. September to November. Common. 



Pileus. One inch across, yellowish-buff, viscid, hygrophanous, 

 wax-like ; convexo-plane, obtuse, sub-umbonate. Margin striate. 



Stem. Two to three inches high, yellow, waxy, lustrous, 

 equal, flexuose, not thick, naked. 



H 



