FIELD BOOK OF COMMON GILLED MUSHROOMS 



bulbous at base; white, often yellowish below; stuffed or 

 hollow; 4 to 6 inches long. 



Spores brown; elliptic; .0003 long, .00016 broad. 



It is an attractive plant because of its graceful habit and 

 the delicate shades of yellow and white. Atkinson. 



The forest mushroom has been regarded by some mycolo- 

 gists as a variety of the common mushroom, from which it is 

 easily distinguished by its longer, hollow bulbous stem and 

 by its place of growth (woods). Peck. 



The genus Amanita 



The genus of fungi known under this name possess char- 

 acteristic peculiarities of the stem. At its base is a volva or 

 cup. The very young plants are wholly enveloped in a 

 membrane or universal veil which is ruptured by the growth 

 of the plant, the portion persisting at the bottom forming the 

 above-mentioned cup or sheath. That portion of the univer- 

 sal veil which in the young plant covers the cap, remains in 

 the mature plants of some of the species in the form of patches 

 or warts, often easily separable. It sometimes happens that 

 these warts are washed off by the rain. The gills are free 

 from the stem which is furnished with a membranous collar 

 or ring. The plants are generally large and attractive in 

 appearance. Inasmuch as our most dangerous species belong 

 to this genus the amateur should avoid eating all mushrooms 

 having stems with a cup at the bottom or with a ring upon the 

 stem in connection with any suspicion of a cup at the bottom. 



Species of Amanita 



Amanita caesarea; Caesar's mushroom; orange amanita; 

 royal agaric. Plate III, Species 4. 



On ground, in woods; scattered; July to September; edible 

 but EAT NOT. 



Cap orange or red fading on the margin; smooth except at 

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