COMMON MUSHROOMS OF THE UNITED STATES 



407 



Photograph by A. G. and B. I^eeper 



THE EDIBLE BEEF-TONGUE MUSHROOM {Fistuliua kepat'ica) 



Cap blood-red, pores (on under side of cap) creamy pink, flesh streaked with red and 

 pink, this fungus grows on chestnut and oak stumps from July to October. The plant is so 

 distinct that it is not easily confounded with other species. The illustration is about one-half 

 natural size. 



THE HANDSOME VOLVARIA (Volva- 

 ria speciosa). Edibility doubtful 



{See Color Plate V) 



Opinion as to the edible qualities of the 

 Handsome Volvaria diverges considerably. 

 While some speak of it as ''a fine edible agaric," 

 others pronounce it "watery and unpleasant to 

 the taste," or even poisonous. Since the plant 

 is somewhat variable, and therefore not clearly 

 separated, except by spore characters, from 

 the very poisonous Volvaria gloiocephala, it is 

 advisable to let it alone. 



Only recently Prof. W. C. Coker, of the 

 University of North Carolina, reported a 

 variety of V. speciosa from the sand dunes 

 of Smith Island, North Carolina. His plant 

 had spores larger than those of the type and 

 differed in other characters. 



In the eastern United States it is of infre- 

 quent occurrence, but on the Pacific coast, 

 especially in California, it is so abundant dur- 

 ing April and May that one finds it wherever 

 the soil is rich with decaying vegetable matter. 



The odor of the fresh plant is repellent, re- 

 sembling very markedly that of rancid lard. 



The Handsome Volvaria is gathered from 

 April to October ; distribution, temperate 

 North America, Europe, and North Africa. 



CORAL MUSHROOMS (Various species 

 of Clavaria). Edible 



(See Color Plate V) 



"But that is not a mushroom !" exclaims the 

 tyro, seeing his first Clavaria. "Why, it looks 

 like coral." 



It is true that these plants show no differen- 

 tiation into cap, gills, tubes, or teeth, but they 

 are, nevertheless, true fungi, the spores being 

 borne on the exterior of the branches. 



With the exception of a single species, all. 

 so far as known, are good to eat, provided the 

 taste is agreeable and the specimens are fresh 

 and free from insect attack. The exception is 

 a species (C dichotoma) in which the branches 

 are rather thin, flaccid, whitish, and divided 

 regularly into twos. 



Clavaria fusifonnis (see Color Plate V) is 

 long, bright orange-yellow with a delicate 

 bloom, dark-tipped, and usually grows in tufts. 

 The interior is solid at first, then hollow. Oc- 

 casionally specimens are found that are vari- 

 ously bent, twisted, or malformed. 



Clavarias may be sought in both deciduous 

 and coniferous woods from July to September 

 (see illustration, page 4^2). 



Other edible species are Clavaria flava and 

 Clavaria botrytes. 



