76 NEW YORit STATE MUSEUM 



I 



2 Cap yellow or tinged with tawny, stem yellow, gills yellow, becoming 



greenish fasciculare . 



2 Cap brick-red, stem ferruginous, gills green, becoming olive elajodes. 



3 Cap red or brick-red, with a yellow margin ; gills yellow, then green- 

 ish, finally purplish brown perplexum. 



3 Cap yellow, or slightly tawny on the disk only 4 



4 Gills gray, becoming purplish-brown capnoides. 



4 Gills yellow, becoming gray, neither green nor purplish epixanthus. 



Probably, in general appearance, the Perplexing hypholoma most 

 nearly resembles the Brick-red hypholoma, H. siiblateriiium; but it has 

 often been mistaken for the Tufted hypholoma, H. fasciculare. From 

 this it may be separated by the more red cap, the whitish flesh, the 

 purplish-brown color of the mature gills, and the mild flavor. From H. 

 sublateritium it is distinguished by its usually smaller size, more slender 

 hollow stem, the yellow greenish and purplish tints of the gills, and the 

 absence of a bitter flavor. Some may prefer to consider it a variety of 

 this fungus, rather than a distinct species. 



Its cap is I to 3 inches broad, its stem 2 to 3 inches long and 2 to 4 

 lines thick. It commonly grows in clusters, though sometimes singly, on 

 or about old stumps or prostrate trunks of trees, in woods or open 

 places. The caps of the lower ones in a cluster are often defiled and 

 apparently discolored by the spores that have lodged on them from the 

 upper ones. It appears in autumn, and continues until freezing weather 

 stops its growth. It is a very common species, as well as a late one, and 

 may often be gathered in large quantity. Its flavor is not first quality, 

 but with good preparation it makes a very acceptable dish. It has been 

 tested by myself and correspondents several times, and has been proved 

 harmless. A correspondent communicates the following recipe for its 

 preparation : 



Put one dessert spoonful of vinegar in a quart of water. Soak the 

 mushroom caps in this mixture twenty minutes. Then take them out 

 and stew slowly for half an hour in a covered vessel, adding butter, pep- 

 per and salt to suit the taste. A small quantity of onion is thought by 

 some to improve the flavor, and a thickening of flour and milk just before 

 serving is an improvement. 



Note. Having recently had an opportunity to make a personal trial 

 of Rodman's mushroom, Agaricus Rodmani, I can now add my own tes- 

 timony to that of Mr. Rodman as to its edibility. Its flesh is firm but 

 crisp, not tough, and its flavor, though not equal to that of the common 

 mushroom, is nevertheless agreeable, and its use as food is perfectly safe. 



