﻿30 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  ance, 
  that 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  almost 
  impossible 
  to 
  mistake 
  any 
  

   unwholesome 
  species 
  for 
  the 
  true 
  Parasol 
  Mushroom. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  delicate 
  of 
  the 
  Lepiotas 
  is 
  one 
  found 
  in 
  

   Northamptonshire 
  {A. 
  gracilentus). 
  It 
  lias 
  also 
  a 
  

   thin 
  cuticle 
  breaking 
  up 
  into 
  scales 
  or 
  patches. 
  The 
  

   stem 
  is 
  long, 
  hollow, 
  and 
  slightly 
  bulbous 
  ; 
  but, 
  unfor- 
  

   tunately, 
  it 
  is 
  too 
  unfrequent 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  any 
  service 
  as 
  a 
  

   source 
  of 
  food. 
  In 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  species 
  of 
  Lepiota 
  

   now 
  named, 
  the 
  pileus 
  is 
  fleshy 
  and 
  scaly 
  ; 
  the 
  ring 
  is 
  

   moveable 
  ; 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  bulbous 
  ; 
  

   and 
  the 
  gills 
  are 
  distinct 
  from 
  the 
  stem. 
  

  

  The 
  sub-genus 
  Armillaria 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  one, 
  and 
  con- 
  

   tains 
  but 
  one 
  species 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  edible. 
  The 
  three 
  

   other 
  species 
  found 
  in 
  Britain 
  are 
  either 
  local 
  or 
  

   uncommon. 
  The 
  veil 
  is 
  but 
  partial, 
  the 
  substance 
  of 
  

   the 
  hymenophorum, 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  gills 
  are 
  arranged, 
  is 
  

   continuous 
  with 
  the 
  stem, 
  and 
  the 
  gills 
  are 
  not 
  free 
  as 
  

   in 
  Lepiota. 
  Varieties 
  occasionally 
  occur 
  from 
  which 
  

   the 
  ring 
  is 
  absent, 
  at 
  least 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  species, 
  if 
  

   not 
  in 
  all. 
  

  

  The 
  very 
  common 
  fungus 
  Agaricits 
  melleus, 
  which 
  

   constitutes 
  the 
  one 
  edible 
  species 
  of 
  this 
  sub-group 
  

   (PI. 
  3), 
  is 
  found 
  growing 
  in 
  dense 
  tufts 
  on 
  dead 
  stumps. 
  

   It 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  pale 
  reddish-brown 
  colour 
  with 
  a 
  tint 
  of 
  

   yellow, 
  and 
  is 
  much 
  eaten 
  on 
  the 
  Continent, 
  though 
  

   possessed 
  of 
  an 
  acrid 
  taste 
  when 
  raw. 
  The 
  pileus, 
  

   when 
  fully 
  developed, 
  presents 
  a 
  level, 
  plane 
  surface, 
  

   clad 
  with 
  fibrous 
  scales. 
  The 
  stem 
  is 
  elastic, 
  the 
  gills 
  

   white 
  and 
  mealy, 
  hooked 
  or 
  toothed 
  at 
  the 
  end. 
  

  

  Reports 
  are 
  various 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  qualities 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  ; 
  

  

  