MUSHROOMS AND TOADSTOOLS 



MUSHROOMS AND TOADSTOOLS 



HOW TO TELL MUSHROOMS FROM TOADSTOOLS. In all proba- 

 bility no student of mycology has any one query more frequently or persistently 

 pressed upon his attention than the question, "How do you tell a toadstool from 

 a mushroom?" or if in the woods or fields, in search for new species, with an 

 uninitiated comrade, he has frequently to decide whether a certain specimen "is 

 a mushroom or a toadstool," so firmly fixed is the idea that one class of fungi 

 the toadstools are poisonous, and the other the mushrooms are edible and 

 altogether desirable ; and these inquiring minds frequently seem really disap- 

 pointed at being told that they are one and the same thing; that there are edible 

 toadstools and mushrooms, and poisonous mushrooms and toadstools ; that in 

 short a toadstool is really a mushroom and a mushroom is only a toadstool after all. 



Hence the questions with the beginner is, how he may tell a poisonous 

 fungus from an edible one. There is but one answer to this question, and that 

 is that he must thoroughly learn both genera and species, studying each till he 

 knows its special features as he does those of his most familiar friends. 



Certain species have been tested by a number of people and found to be 

 perfectly safe and savory ; on the other hand, there are species under various 

 genera which, if not actually poisonous, are at least deleterious. 



It is the province of all books on fungi to assist the student in separating 

 the plants into genera and species; in this work special attention has been given 

 to distinguishing between the edible and the poisonous species. There are a 

 few species such as Gyromitra esculenta, Lepiota Morgani, Clitocybe illudens, 

 etc., which when eaten by certain persons will cause sickness soon after eating, 

 while others will escape any disagreeable effects. Chemically speaking, they are 

 not poisonous, but simply refuse to be assimilated in some stomachs. It is best 

 to avoid all such. 



HOW MUSHROOMS GROW. There is a strong notion that mushrooms 

 grow very quickly, springing up in a single night. This is erroneous. It is 

 true that after they have reached the button stage they develop very quickly ; 

 or in the case of those that spring from a mature egg, develop so rapidly that 

 you can plainly see the motion of the upward growth, but the development of 

 the button from the myselium or spawn takes time weeks, months, and even 

 years. It would be very difficult to tell the age of many of our tree fungi. 



HOW TO LEARN MUSHROOMS. If the beginner will avoid all Amanitas 

 and perhaps some of the Boleti he need not be much worried in regard to the 

 safety of other species. 



There are three ways by which he can become familiar with the edible kinds. 

 The first is the physiological test suggested by Mr. Gibson in his book. It con- 

 sists in chewing a small morsel and then spitting it out without swallowing the 

 juice ; if no important symptoms arise within twenty-four hours, another bit may 



