1S4 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



there can be no danger of poison in any of this genus. One of the 

 most common, Hyclman repandum, is found in woods in the autumn. 

 The cap is irregular in shape, depressed in the centre, and of a pale 

 yellow ; underneath the cap are the spines, crowded and running 

 downwards, somewhat paler than the cap. The stem is solid, at 

 first white, then turning a cream color, and is generally quite short. 

 Ten or more may be joined together, by which the caps are irreg- 

 ularly formed. The flesh is thick, and the supply is quite plenti- 

 ful in autumn. It may be sliced and dried and so made suitable 

 for winter use. This species is in general use in France, Italy, and 

 Germany, and is well known in England. There can be no doubt 

 of its value as food, and it is equally certain that there is a large 

 supply going to waste in this country from the lack of knowledge 

 of its value. Uncooked, this Hydnum has a slightly pungent taste, 

 and Dr. Cooke recommends its use in a sandwich instead of mustard 

 or peppergrass. The Hydnum being dry and inclined to tough- 

 ness should be cooked slowly. Dr. Badham finds them to resemble 

 oysters in flavor. They are called Doeskin mushrooms in England 

 and also Hedgehog mushrooms. There are several species of 

 Hydnum, all edible ; some grow upon wood ; some from the 

 ground in woods. One is called H. coraUoides, and is described 

 by Professor Peck as being abundant in mountainous districts from 

 August to October. 



Mr. Gibson de'scribes at length H. caput- Medusm, the Medusa's 

 Head mushroom, and regrets having neglected to gather a fine 

 bunch through ignorance, only to learn from Dr. Harkness that 

 he " had thrown away five pounds of the most delicious fungus 

 meat known to epicures." 



Polyporus sulplmreus. The Sulphurous Polyporus. — This is 

 one of the many pored fungi ; its color is a very striking feature, 

 and it must have been seen by many of those accustomed to take 

 their walks abroad through woods or to drive over shaded roads. 

 How man}' have known it for a choice edible mushroom ? It is not 

 specified in the English works so far, I believe, but is well known 

 to American mycologists. It is of a brilliant sulphur-yellow or 

 orange-salmon color, growing in dense clusters upon a log, stump, 

 or fence, — generally upon wood beginning to decay. Mr. Gibson 

 speaks of a specimen weighing ten or twenty pounds. A young 

 specimen is delicious and wholesome ; the texture varies with age 

 and becomes tough and woody at the base. It is easy, however. 



