THE /l/)^ERlCP BOTPIST. 



Vol. VII. BINGHAMTON, N. Y., OCTOBER, 1904. , .j^o. 4 



,NEW YORK ; 



THE FLY AMANITA. botanical . 



(Amanita Muscaria.) GARDEN ^ 



IT is commonly supposed that certain familiar fungi can 

 be divided into two great groups, the mushrooms and 

 toadstools,— 'depending on whether they are edible or 

 poisonous. This, of course, is a mistake. The only differ- 

 ence between toadstools and mushrooms is in the minds 

 of those using the terms, for both mean the same thing. 

 There are many genera in which some species are edible 

 and others poisonous, and to call these latter toadstools 

 would be to make a very unnatural group of species from 

 different genera. 



There are many people even now, who imagine that 

 there is but one true mushroom, the plant found in the 

 pastures in late summer, and that all others are poisonous 

 toadstools. Investigation has shown, however, that this 

 is far from correct. The really poisonous species are very 

 few in number and confined almost entirely to one or tw^o 

 families but so deadly are these that they have earned a 

 reputation for harmfulness for the whole mushroom tribe. 



One of the most v\ridely distributed of the deadly poi- 

 sonous species is the Subject of our sketch, the fly mush- 

 room {Amanita muscaria). It is found around the world 

 in the North Temperate Zone, delighting in rather poor 

 soil in open woods, along roadsides, etc., but seldom being 

 found in the open field. It is not a gregarious species. 

 More than half a dozen are rarel3^ found in one place, but 

 the gay colors of the cap are very likely to attract the eye 

 of the saunterer. Doubtless many who are not mycopha- 

 gists w^ill recall having seen it after examing our plate. 



In the young or "button" state, the fly mushroom is 



