504 



CLASS BASIDIOMYCETEAE 



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Fig. 169. Agaricales, Family Agaricaceae. Lepiota rachodes (Vitt.) Quel. (Courtesy, 



M. B. Walters.) 



It is wiser to avoid this species as numerous cases of poisoning and some 

 of death have been recorded after its ingestion. Atropin is a partial anti- 

 dote. Lepiota morgani Pk. {Chlorophyllumesculentum Mass., Leucocoprinus 

 molyhdites (Meyer) Heim) is abundant in parts of North America as well 

 as in the Tropics. It has considerable similarity to the edible L. procera 

 but is stouter and has green spores, the gills taking on a greenish tinge as 

 the spores develop. This species is quite poisonous for some persons but 

 may be eaten with apparent impunity by others. L. helveola Bres. is also 

 poisonous, sometimes very dangerously so (Josserand, 1931). ^lany of the 

 pink-spored fungi {Entoloma or Rhodophyllus of some authors) are poison- 

 ous although the edible Pluteus cervinus has pink spores and is safe. 

 Several species of Tricholoma are unsafe. Recently a case of slight poison- 

 ing occurred with fresh specimens of a species of Agaricus where other 

 persons eating specimens of the same lot were not affected. (Figs. 168, 



169.) 



The general conclusion to be drawn from the foregoing is that because 

 some species of a genus are safe this does not necessarily give a clean bill 

 of health to other species of the same genus. Besides that there are per- 

 sonal susceptibilities to the poisonous characteristics of some fungi. It has 

 been shown (by Suss, 193(), and Hugon, 1938) that Coprinus comatus and 



