136 



MUSHROOMS, EDIBLE AND OTHERWISE 



Marasmius. Fr. 



Marasmius is a Greek participle meaning withered or shriveled; it is so called 

 because the plant will wither and dry up, but revive with the coming of rain. 



The spores are white and subelliptical. The pileus is tough and fleshy or 

 membranaceous. 



The stem is cartilaginous and continuous with the pileus, but of a different 

 texture. The gills are thick, rather tough and distant, sometimes unequal, variously 

 attached or free, rarely decurrent, with a sharp entire edge. It is quite a large 

 genus and many of its species will be of great interest to the student. 



Figure ioi. Marasmius oreades. Two-thirds natural size. 



Marasmius oreades. Fr. 

 The Fairy-Ring Mushroom. Edible. 



Oreades, mountain nymphs. I 'ileus is fleshy, tough and pliable when moist, 

 brittle when dry, convex, becoming flat, somewhat umbonate, brownish-bufT at 

 first, becoming cream-color ; when old it is usually quite wrinkled. 



