Edible fungi. Carleton Rea. 37 



Amanitopsis vaginafa, fulva and strangulata I have no com- 

 punction in indorsing the art critic's remarks concerning a 

 classical figure of Tademas that "we should like to see some 

 more of you," because its flavour is so refined and delicate. 

 If anybody is dyspeptic, then I strongly advise them to avoid 

 those mushrooms that turn yellow when bruised or handled. 

 I am referring to Psaliota xanthoderma and flavescens more 

 especially because owing to a personal idiosyncrasy some people 

 are unable to digest these without grave inconvenience. Some 

 authors would add to these Psaliota arvensis, the horse mush- 

 room, or Abrahams, as they are called by the rustics in Wor- 

 cestershire, but I think this is largely due to confusion mth the 

 other two species or to an excessive indulgence in the repast. 

 From Psahota we naturally pass on to Lepiota because these 

 two genera have the same form being only differentiated from 

 each other by the colour of their spores. This brings us to a 

 consideration of the Parasol mushrooms, Lepiota procera, L. 

 prominens, L. rhacodes, L. puellaris, L. permixta, L. excoriata, 

 L. gracilenta and L. mastoidea. These are all easily known amongst 

 the Lepiotae by their large or comparatively large size, their 

 floccose flesh and the presence of a distinct cartilaginous collar 

 at the apex of the stem separating it from the free gills. All of 

 these are equally edible but I consider those in which the flesh 

 reddens on exposure to the air of a better and more refined 

 flavour than the others. Lepiota procera is characterized by 

 the snake-like markings on the stem and its white flesh; these 

 markings on the stem are due to the sudden elongation of the 

 stem and the external stocking or cuticle is unequal to the 

 strain and so becomes cracked transversely. Lepiota rhacodes 

 has coarser scales or patches on the pileus, a smooth stem and 

 red flesh. Lepiota permixta, as its trivial name denotes, resembles 

 L. procera in the markings on the stem but has the reddish 

 flesh of L. rhacodes. Lepiota gracilenta possesses smaller innate 

 scales on the pileus, the markings on the stem arise from dis- 

 tinct yellowish scales and the flesh is white. Lepiota prominens 

 resembles L. procera in the scales of the pileus and prominent 

 umbo, but resembles L. gracilenta in the squamules on the stem 

 and white flesh. Lepiota puellaris is entirely white and the 

 smooth stem is mealy at the apex and the flesh is white or only 

 slightly tinged with red. Lepiota mastoidea is whitish like L. 

 puellaris but acutely umbonate and much thinner, the stem is 

 obsoletely squamulose and the flesh white. Lepiota excoriata 

 is easily differentiated from the preceding Lepiotae by the 

 cuticle of the pileus breaking up into large patches or scales 

 and appearing as if it had been drawn inwards from the fimbriate 

 margin, and by the smooth stem and white flesh. I have 



