Mycological Bulletin No. 15 



jr. A. EcJlcnixui, Ph. D., Ohio State Vniversitij 



Coluinhiis. Ohio. Jtinr :i5, 1H04 



The Illcstratioxs. — Although the iliishroouis showu in this Xumber 

 are uot the comuion edible foruifj, they are attiaetive and peculiar, and our iu- 

 terest iu them need he uoue the les.s lieeau.^e we eau not enjoy them as escu- 

 lents : they are however not inedible and the PhaJhis particularly is con- 

 sidered a delicacy — to Ije used only of course in the egg stage, lint there are 

 other uses for i)lants even those of low degree and the editor being a schixd- 

 uiaster will give a little lecture touching one phase of the suliject — see next 

 paragraph. 



EcoxoMY OF Natire. — A brief paragraph may lend itself to the discus- 

 sion of the group of Fungi, particularly to the i^ap-ro-phiit'-ic. forms as iactors 

 iu Nature's economy. The common plants — those which possess chJo'-roplnjll. 

 as the green coloring matter is called — are independent ; they take irom the 

 air and soil inorganic matter, convert it with the aid of the light-energy that 

 comes from the sun. into organic material out of which the vegetable fabric 

 (and ultimately animal tissue) is built up. But the fungi are (Icpctidciit 

 plants; l)eing destitute (ti' cIiJo' ro-jilu/II they rely for their food on living 

 ])lants or on dead organic matter: — if the former we call them par'-a sitca. 

 ii the latter we say they are sap'-ro-jtlii/tr-'i. Now all the Mushrooms and the 

 common Bacteria are Saprophytes and their food is the organic matter — 

 mainly dead wood, leaves, dead animal matter, etc. Those Mushrooms that 

 grow out of the soil really use as food not the mineial soil particles, but the 



Orr^' 



Fui. H4. Mv-CK'-x.t i.K.4-i-.*'-x.\. I.f.a's Mv-ck'-xa— Tills (Ici'iilr s;ilm<iii-tiiHtMl Mrccua is (ine oftlie 

 most I'li.-iriiiiii;;- liltli' Aiiiirics tViuiul ill llie Wdods ami vevT riiimiMPU mi nittcii Injurs' in llit- vu-iiiitv of 

 Coluiuluis. It (l(i<-s nut lose nil its colur in ilryiiifr. and -vvliilc it slirivcls n;iu-li tin- pliint is readily "rci-- 

 Ofrni/i-d in this |iartially i-iillapscd state. It will lie seen nmstlv in the eimdition shown at the 'ri^'lit, 

 hut the deeji rieli color is ilisjilaved to liest advantaiie when the t'nllv exjiaiided IViriii is encoiuitered— 

 the tiiriire at the left e.^hihitiiif;- tliis iiiteiestiiifridiase. ( lliio niemriers ot the olub shonld know that 

 thi- sjieeitie n.-inie was •.■•iveii by the Kiifilish niyeolofrist l!erkeli-y. and eon:iiieni<irates one ot the emi- 

 iii-iit early liotanieal eolleetors, who lived near'cineiMnali, Ohio." Photo tn.ni siieeiinen eolleeted near 

 Colnnilms. 



Cuiversity Bulletin. Series 8. No. 2fi. Ei tered as Second Chi>s Slatter. Pcst-cfl'ce at Coluiulins. O. 



