131 WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND BLOSSOMS. 



A. The Fly-Agaric (Agaricus muscarius), though in general 

 structure it closely resembles the common mushroom (Ag. 

 campestris\ is to be avoided as a poisonous species. Its large 

 orange or crimson cap, more or less thickly dotted with whitish 

 flakes, is a very striking feature in woods in late summer and 

 autumn. An examination of the underside of the cap (pilcus) 

 will reveal a great number of thin yellowish plates set on edge 

 and radiating from the stem to the circumference. Over these 

 plates or gills is stretched a membrane, called the hymenium, 

 on which the spores are borne. From this characteristic of the 

 bulk of our mushrooms and toadstools the tribe containing 

 them is dubbed the Hymenomycetes. 



B. Edible Boletus {Boletus edulis). In this group (Polyporci] 

 the hymenium, instead of investing gills, lines minute pores or 

 tubes, with which the under surface of the pileus is packed, and 

 in which the spores are produced. Many of the Bleti are 

 Edible, but their good qualities are known only to the few in 

 this country. Edulis may be distinguished from other species 

 by a delicate network of raised white lines covering the stem. 



. C. Jewelled Puff-ball (Lycoperdon gemmatum). This species 

 represents a tribe in which the spore-bearing surface is 

 contained within the fungus. In a young state Puff-balls of 

 many kinds are filled with a white creamy substance, and so 

 long as this remains white and does not change colour on 

 being cut the fungus is good to eat, after being cut in slices 

 and fried. When the spores are ripe the Puff-ball splits open 

 at the top, and discloses a hollow filled with brown dust the 

 spores. Certain species of Lycoperdon attain very large 

 proportions : L. giganteum is abundant in some localities in 

 grassy places, usually measuring nine or ten inches in 

 diameter, but occasionally it exceeds twenty inches, and weighs 

 as many pounds. Slices may be cut from one side of it for 

 several days in succession, but so long as the rooting portion is 

 not interfered with it will continue to grow. L. gemmatum is 



