59 



ing the spores enclosed in sacs, and these immersed in the sub- 

 stance of the cap so that their upper ends are about even with the 

 upper surface. They do not therefore belong to the Sponfera, 

 with spores, free or inclosed, on the ends of basidia; but to the 

 Sporidifera, with spores in sacs, and to the family Discomycetes, 

 or Disc Fungi. There are many species belonging to the genus 

 Morchella, this one being a rare species, with but two spores to 

 the ascus or sac, and hence it is called Morchella bispora. All 

 that have been tried have been found to be esculent, but on ac- 

 count of the rarity of this species, I doubt whether it has often 

 been tested. Dr. Taylor in his "Mushrooms of America", says it 

 is edible. Care should be exercised that these fungi, if to be eat- 

 en, are always in their prime; not infested with larvae, nor too old, 

 since from a closely related genus Gyromitra esculenta, the deadly 

 "helvellic acid" has been separated. As before stated even this 

 species, when at its prime, has been eaten by many parties with- 

 out experiencing the slightest inconvenience. Even should this 

 acid be found in species of this genus, it would probably only be 

 found in specimens in too advanced a condition. The species 

 quite common in the west as in the east, Morchella conica 

 and M. esculent a ^ are equally celebrated in the "cuisines'* of Eu- 

 rope and America as ' 'the morells' ' . 



The genus Morchella i* easily known (See Plate XI.) by t e 

 dark corrugated cap and the light stem. These corrugations run 

 up and down the cap like the convolutions of the brain, and do 

 not consist of rounded knobs, like a thick cluster of grapes, as in 

 Gyromitra. In this species, M. bispora, the cap is rather wide, 

 and free from the stem up to the top; the stem is white and rather 

 long; the asci or sacs contain but two large spores. 



It is the intention of the writer to continue these bulletins on 

 edible and poisonous mushrooms until most of our largest and 



best-defined species have been described. This cannot be done 

 until more careful trials have been given them to find out whether 

 they are edible or not. Sufficient species have, however, been 

 described in this number to allow a selection to every one for 

 many months of the year. 



