CHARACTERISTICS OF AGARICUS 



above indicated. In some varieties of the 

 common mushroom a larger or smaller por- 

 tion of the veil may maintain its union with 

 the margin of the pileus. In fact, of two 

 plants growing side by side, the one may 

 show a perfect annulus and the other only 

 large veil remnants suspended from the cap. 



With the attention once called to these 

 chief features of the cultivated mushroom 

 it is quite incredible that any one should mis- 

 take it for poisonous or suspicious species. 

 These characters of the common mushroom 

 may be briefly recalled: Pileus white to 

 brown, with central stem and pileus convex; 

 gills pink or pink-brown, becoming brown- 

 black; a characteristic annulus, ring or col- 

 lar, near the upper portion of the stem, and 

 no other stem appendages. 



The production of spores. If one should 

 take a full-grown mushroom after the under 

 surface of the cap has become exposed by 

 the breaking away of the annulus, twist the 

 stem until it breaks away from its attach- 

 ment to the cap, or cut it off short, and then 



II 



