215 



AGARICINE^F,. 



Lepiota procera Scop. 



On ground in open woodland. Tippecanoe 5, 1896 (Throckmorton'. 



This well known edible agaric was found in considerable abundance in one 

 place. The specimens were finely developed, the piieus of many measuring four 

 to five inches in diameter. They were distributed to several families, and prob- 

 ably as many as a score of persons ate of them. They were palatable and pro- 

 nounced good eating. The results, however, were unpleasant, for a majority of 

 the persons who ate of them, even in small amount, were made sick. The symp- 

 toms in this instance were not those of poison, but everything indicated that the 

 mushrooms were highly indigestible. Whether this was due to the mode of 

 cooking, or to the age of the specimens, or to some other cause, was not ascertained. 



Pleurotus sapidus Kalch. 



On decaying stump. Tippecanoe 7, 1895 (Arthur). 



This is also a large edible species, but its merits were not tested. It made its 

 appearance about the first of .July in a lawn where a tree had been cut down and 

 the trunk cut off about six inches below the surface of the ground. The fungus 

 flourished until a yellow mycetozoan {Tilmadoche gyrosa) spread over the gills, and 

 in the course of a week devoured the whole fungus, leaving only a small amount 

 of debris not exceeding the size of a walnut. The mycetozoan, having no more 

 food, spread out over the grass of the lawn a yard in all directions and went into 

 the fruiting stage. After a few days a fresh crop of the agaric appeared, the rain 

 dissolved the fruit-heads of the mycetozoan, and it again attacked the fungus. 

 This alternation continued until frosts and chilly days put an end to the activity 

 of the mycetozoan. The agaric continued to flourish, however, throughout the 

 winter, making some growth whenever not frozen, and proving, in fact, of about 

 the same hardiness and vigor as winter wheat plants. When frozen solid, a piece 

 taken into a warm room appeared as fresh and unharmed upon being thawed as if 

 never frozen. The severe changes of thawing and freezing in March and April at 

 last killed the fungus. 



LICHENES. 



Cladonia mitrula Tuck. 

 On ground in pastures. LaPorte 6, 1883 (Arthur). Determined by Fink. 



MUCORACE.E. 



Mucor racemosiis Fres. 



On starchy food (cracker). Tippecanoe 2, 1896 ( Miss Lillian Snyder). 



Rhizopus nigricans Ehrenb. 



On germinating seeds. Tippecanoe 2, 1896 (Arthur). 



