472 



The Syi^vax Mushroom (Edibi^e) 

 Agariciis silz'icola Vitt. 



Agariciis sili'icula is a pretty and interesting mushroom which is 

 very closely related to Agariciis arz'ciisis, but it is not found in similar 

 places. It occurs mostly in the woods, though it is said to occur some- 

 times in groves or under trees near woods. It may be looked for from 

 July to October. 



The cap is 5 to 15 cm. (2 to 6 inches) broad. It is convex and 

 then expanded and nearly flat, but often with a broad elevation or 

 umbo at the center. It is rather thin and brittle but quite fleshy. The 

 surface is smooth and shining white, but sometimes tinged with yel- 

 low, and occasionally with a tinge of pink at the center. The flesh is 

 whitish or tinged with pink. 



The gills are close together, thin, tapering somewhat toward each 

 end, entirely free from the stem and quite distant from it. The end 

 toward the stem is somewhat rounded. The gills are at first white, 

 but they very soon become pink and then blackish brown. 



The stem is rather slender in comparison with the size of the cap 

 and ranges from 5 to 20 cm. (4 to 8 inches) in length. It is smooth 

 and white, except that it is often yellowish at the lower end and often 

 becomes stained with yellow when dried. The stem is nearly cylindri- 

 cal but is rather abruptly enlarged at the base into a bulb. The ring 

 is usually thin, delicate and membranous, though sometimes it is 

 thicker, and is easily torn, l^ut it is broad and conspicuous and some- 

 times double like that of A. an'ciisis and A. placoinyccs. It is either 

 whitish or yellowish. There is no volva. 



This is a very graceful and attractive plant. It is intimately asso- 

 ciated with trees, although no mvcorrhizal or other connection with 

 the trees has been discovered. It sometimes forms very perfect fairy 

 rings. I have seen rings of this mushroom 15 feet or more in diameter 

 extending around a tree in the woods, with the tree nearly at the center. 



The taste of A. silvicola is high-flavored and spicy. It is an ex- 

 cellent mushroom to cook with meat and is said to be one of the best 

 lor making catsup. For those who prefer strong flavors in mush- 

 rooms, it w^ill improve a dish of any mild-flavored species with which 

 it is mixed. 



Collected in Champaign county. 



