MUSHROOM 



MUSHROOM 



1045 



by some to be poisonous, so that caution should be era- 

 phiyed in eating plants of this form unless one is cer- 

 tain of the species and of its edible qualities. A. sfro- 

 biliformis is rarely found in this country, and judging 

 from the characters of certain plants ttrihuted to it, 

 there is a strong suspicion that it is only a form of ^1. 

 solitaria with large scales. 



Other native Mushrooms of economic importance may 

 be mentioned: 



Artnillaria mellea, the Honey-colored Agaric, occurs in 

 late summer and during the autumn about old stumps, 

 and from roots. The plants are clustered, the cap is more 

 or less covered with pointed blackish erect scales, the 

 gills are attached to the stem, and an annulus is present. 

 The plant is also a parasite, especially on the roots of 

 coniferous trees, in some instances killing the trees. It 

 develops under the bark long black cords of mycelium. 

 The plant is edible. 



Pleurotus contains several edible species: the oyster 

 agaric, P. ostreatus ; the elm Pleurotus, P. ulmaritts ; 

 and the sapid Pleurotus, P. snpidna, all growing on tree 

 trunks, stumps, etc., especially abundant in the autumn. 



Tricholomn /?e7*soHn/((w, "blewits," is regarded as an 

 excellent edible species. It grows on the ground in woods. 

 When young, the entire plant is of a pale lilac or violet 

 color, the color fading out in age. The spores are of a 

 light ochre color. 



CanthareUns cibarins is the well-known chanterelle. 

 It is yellowish in color, grows in woods on the ground, 

 is somewhat irregular top-shaped, and the gills are mere 

 folds, which run irregularly from the stem to the margin 

 of the cap, and are much branched. It is one of the best 

 edible species. 



Marasmius oreades, the well-known Fairy Ring, or 

 champignon, grows in lawns and pastures. It is white, 

 with a cream-colored cap. It often grows in the form of 

 rings on the ground, though not always. 



The genus Lactarius contains a large number of species. 

 The plants are more or less fleshy and are characterized 

 by the presence of a milky juice contained in a system of 

 tubes throughout the plant. This juice exudes in drops 

 when the plant is bruised or cut. In the larger number 

 of species the juice is white in color, in some it changes 

 on exposure to the air to various shades of yellow, while 

 in others the milk is orange, blue, etc., from the first. 

 Lactarius deliciosus is one of the best of the edible spe- 

 cies, as its name indicates. The milk is orange in color. 

 The plant is dull orange in color and marked on the cap 

 with concentric zones of darker color. In age bruises 

 of the plant become more or less tinged with green. 

 Lactarius volemtis is dull orange in color, the color 

 being uniform, the flesh quite firm, and the milk white, 

 sweet and verv abundant, quickly exuding in large drops 

 or running from cut or cracked portions. Lactarius 

 corrugis is closely related but darker in color, some- 

 times dark brown, the gills also being dark ochre-brown 

 in color. Both species are excellent, and grow in the 

 woods during summer and autumn, Lactarius pipcra- 

 tus is entii'ely white, with close and narrow white gills, 

 and abundant milk which is very hot or peppery to the 

 taste. It is said to be edible, but should not be con- 

 fused with certain species having peppery milk, which 

 are reputed to be poisonous. Lactarius resinius is 

 another white species with white and very hot railk. 

 which is suspected. Lactarius Indigo is of an indigo- 

 blue color, with faint zones of a darker color on the cap, 

 and with a dark indigo-blue juice. 



The genus Russula is closely related to Lactarius, but 

 lacks the milky juice. In this genus occur many of the 

 brilliant-colored agarics. The entire plant is more or 

 less brittle and easily breaks, the gills of many species 

 crumbling easily when rubbed. J^ussula Icpida, with 

 reddish cap and stem, white gills with the red color from 

 the cap extending a short distance on the ends of the 

 gills, taste mild, is an edible species. Another edible 

 species, 2?ussula alutacea, has a reddish or purple cap, 

 but the gills and spores are ochraceous in color. The 

 taste is mild. Jfussula emiticn is a poisonous species. 

 The cap is rose-color or red, the cuticle easily peels off 

 from the cap, the margin of the cap is deeply furrowed 

 and warty along the ridses, the stem is white or reddish 

 and the taste of the plant is peppery. 



Of the tube-bearing Fungi (Polyporaceie) the genus 



Boletus contains a number of edible as well as poison- 

 ous species. In shape the plants are like the Mushroom, 

 but they have a porous surface instead of gills on the 

 under side of the cap. Boletus edulis has a yellowish 

 or dull brownish cap, pores white and closed at first, 

 but yellowish or greenish yellow in age. Boletus felleus 

 (poisonous) is of about the same size and resembles the 

 edible species closely, but the tube surface is pink or 

 flesh-color, and the taste is bitter. In the genus Poly- 

 porus most of the species grow on wood, trees, stumps, 

 logs, branches, roots, etc. The sulfur polyporus. P. sul- 

 phureus, forms clusters of sulfur-yellow bracket-like 

 caps, on various broad-leaved trees or stumps. Poly- 

 porus frondosus grows from roots at the base of dead 

 oak stumps, forming large irregularly branched leafy 

 masses with gray caps and whitish stems and pore sur- 

 face. Both of these are edible. 



In the spine-bearing Fungi {Hydnacecp) the under sur- 

 face of the cap presents numerous spine-like processes, 

 Hydnum repaudum, in shape like a Mushroom, with the 

 cap more or less irregular, and of a bufl' or cream color, 

 is an excellent edible species. The Coral Hydnum, the 

 Bear's Head, the Medusa's Head, and Hijduuw enna- 

 ceum, all growing on trees, all white in color, and 

 branched, or forming large masses from which long 

 spines dangle, are all edible. 



The Club Fungi ( Clavariacece) are all said to be edible. 

 The Horn of Plenty, Craterellus coryrucopwides, funnel- 

 shaped, and smoky in color, with a smooth under sur- 

 face, belongs to the Thelephoracerr, and is edible. 



Among the Puff-balls { Lycoperdaceae) all the species 

 when young and white inside are edible, that is, they are 

 not poisonous. Some are better to the taste than others. 

 The two best ones are the Giant Puff-ball, XycoperrfoM. 

 gif/anteum and the Lycoperdon cyathiforme. Both of 

 these grow in lawns or fields, the former grows some- 

 times to a large size, several feet in diameter; while the 

 latter is 4 to 6 inches in diameter. 



Besides the Mushrooms proper which belong to the 

 Basidiomycetas, certain of the large Ascomycetes are 

 edible and are usually included in treatises on Mush 

 rooms. In the Ascocomycetes the spores are borne on 

 the inside of a club-shaped body called the aticns, and 

 this is the chief point of difference in them from the 

 Basidiomycetes. To the Ascomycetes belong the fol- 

 lowing. The Morels grow on the ground in damp 

 places. They have a stout stem and a rounded or more 

 or less elongated cap which is deeply and coarsely 



1444. Morel — Morchella esculenta (X ^0. 



pitted. Morchella esculenta, represented in Fig. 1444, 

 shows well the general character of the genus. In 

 Helvella, containing several edible species, the cap is in 

 the form of several (usually two) irregular flaps, some- 

 times free below from the stem, sometimes united with 

 it. Lastly, the Truffles might be mentioned. They are 

 subterranean Fungi rounded or globose in form, firm, 



