162 TVild Flowers East of the Rockies 



Ring. — None. 

 J'olva. — None 

 Or/or.— Mild. 

 Taste. — Mild. 



Habitat. — In woods about decayed stumps^ July 

 to November. Common in all sections of United 

 States. 



Edible. — When 3^oung^ bitter when mature. 



SPARASSIS Crispa(Fr.) from crispus, curly. 



Tuft. — 3 to 9 inches high, up to 12 inches broad, 

 variable in size and shape, oyster gray, pale yel- 

 low or leaf brown in color. Tuft is composed"^ of 

 many leaf-like branches giving it the appearance of 

 a huge rosette. Flesh of branches soft and some- 

 what gelatinous in appearance. Dries readily. 



Spores. — Spore surface on both sides of the leaf- 

 like branches in four-sjjored cases, pale brown in 

 color, elliptical. 



Stem. — None, tuft rests upon a rooted base. 



Habitat. — On stumps and on ground, September 

 and October, rare, but when found once in a local- 

 ^^J} generally found succeeding season. 



Edible. 



